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LOT 7
Fine Special Order Winchester Model 1886 Lever Action Rifle in
Desirable 45-90 W.C.F. with Factory Letter - Serial no. 10394, 45-90 WCF
cal., 26 inch round bbl., blue/casehardened finish, walnut stock. A fine example of an early production Winchester Model 1886 lever action rifle that was manufactured in 1887,
the second year of production. The accompanying factory letter lists this rifle with a round barrel in .38-56 caliber (currently 45-90 WCF), plain trigger, Winchester Express sights, half magazine, and shotgun butt when received in the warehouse on December 5, 1887 and shipped the next day. The letter also states the rifle “returned [from] James Kerr and Company” and shipped
on September 15, 1890. When the rifle returned to the factory the rifle was likely re-barreled. This rifle has a very desirable color casehardened receiver, forearm cap, and shotgun buttplate. Winchester used a casehardened
finish on these components until 1901 when the case colors were replaced with a blue finish. The hammer, lever, and trigger are also color casehardened. The 26-inch round barrel and half-length magazine have a blue finish. The bolt
and loading gate are a fiery niter blue. The stock and forearm are made of walnut with a lustrous oil finish. The barrel has a
bead-in-blade front sight and three leaf adjustable rear dovetailed sight. The upper tang is factory drilled and tapped. The top of the barrel is marked with the two-line legend: “-
MANUFACTURED BY THE-/-WINCHESTER REPEATING ARMS CO. NEW HAVEN. CONN. U.S.A.-” ahead of the rear sight. The caliber designation: “45-90 W.C.F.” is marked at the breech, along with British proof marks on the left side in the same area. Additional British proofs are stamped into the left side of the receiver and rear of the bolt body. The upper receiver tang is roll-stamped: “-MODEL 1886- ”. The 1884 and 1885 patent dates are stamped on the lower receiver tang behind the trigger. The serial number is roll-stamped in script numerals on the lower tang ahead of the rear tang screw. CONDITION: Fine. The period factory replacement barrel retains 70% original blue finish with thinning to brown on the balance. The receiver and hammer retain 40% of their original case colors.
The loading gate retains 80% of the niter blue finish while the bolt retains 90%. The wood is very good with numerous scattered minor to moderate dings and wear marks, mostly focused on the buttstock. Mechanically excellent. An attractive second year production Winchester Model 1886 lever action rifle.
Estimate: 7,500 - 9,500
LOT 8
Winchester Model 1876 Lever
Action Rifle with Desirable
Express Rear Sight and Factory
Letter - Serial no. 18211, 45-75 cal., 28 inch octagon bbl., blue finish, walnut stock. The factory letter lists this rifle with an octagon barrel and
plain trigger and indicates it was received in the warehouse on October 10, 1881, and shipped on October 15, 1881, in order number 28466. The rifle is a second
model with a dust cover rail secured with two screws and serrated edges on the dust cover. The bolt is an earlier style with a bushing visible on the bolt face. Sights include a dovetail blade front sight along with a period added seven leaf rear sight soldered on top of the barrel, with the original factory dovetail visible beneath.
These rare additional rear sights were typically used for big game hunting by British sportsmen, with the six leaf sights (graduated from 100 to 600 yards) offering rapid adjustment in the bush while the ladder holds more precise adjustments from 700 to 1,000 yards. The 28 inch extra length octagon barrel is marked with the two-line address/patent dates marking ahead of the rear sight. There are no visible caliber markings. “MODEL 1876” is marked on the upper tang, and the serial number is marked on the lower tang. The trapdoor buttplate (cleaning rod not included) is fitted to a nicely figured straight grip stock.
CONDITION: Very good and well above average condition for a Winchester that has spent a lifetime in the bush, with strong traces of original blue finish visible in recessed areas most noticeably on the receiver and around trigger. Traces of original niter blue on the loading gate. The wood is also very good and shows similar working gun character, with nice figure and a deep lustrous oil finish. Mechanically fine.
8 Estimate: 5,000 - 7,000