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LOT 1
Exceptionally Fine Winchester Model 1886 Lever Action Rifle in .50-110 Express - Serial no. 155837A, 50-110 cal., 26 inch octagon bbl., blue finish, walnut stock. Released
in 1893-1894, the .50 Express cartridge was one of the most powerful commercial cartridges available at the time, and it quickly proved popular with big and dangerous game hunters.
Many Winchester rifles chambered for this powerful cartridge
were shipped to England and then found their way to Africa
and India where they were often employed against big cats. Demand
for the cartridge in the United States was low however, and relatively few of these rifles were manufactured. The Model 1886 in .50 Express was only produced in limited numbers, especially when compared to the smaller
calibers. Today Winchesters in .50 Express are a highly sought after collectible. Examples in any condition are proving difficult to find. This example was manufactured in 1918 and is currently chambered in .50-110 caliber (no factory
records available to confirm this). The rifle is fitted with a Marble Sheard beaded blade front sight and a three leaf (one
fixed and two folding) rear sight. The upper left flat is stamped with the two-line Winchester address/patent dates marking as well as “50-110” at the breech. The top of the barrel and receiver are stamped with a Winchester factory oval
proof at the breech, which is double struck over the faint remnants of another. The lower tang has the serial number, and the upper tang is marked with the three-line model/trade mark information. It is mounted with a smooth forearm and
straight grip stock with a crescent buttplate.
CONDITION: Exceptionally fine as factory refurbished, rebarreled. The barrel, magazine tube, and forend cap retain 90% factory blue finish, the
frame and bolt retain 90% blue finish, and the hammer and lever retain 70% blue finish with thinning to brown on the balance. The upper tang is mostly a smooth brown patina. There is some pitting on and around the rear sight. 90% niter blue remains on the loading gate. The buttplate has gray appearance with some pitting cleaned on the tang. The wood is very fine with slight chipping at the upper tang and some scattered minor handling marks. Mechanically excellent. A highly sought after, well-cared for Winchester Model 1886 .50-110 Express rifle.
Estimate: 9,500 - 16,000
LOT 3
LOT 2 Very Scarce Winchester Model 1894
Rare and Well Documented Reloading Tool for the Desirable .50-110 Express
Winchester Model 1885 High Wall Single Shot Rifle in Highly Desirable 50
Express Caliber with Factory Letter - Serial no. 72358, 50 express cal., 30 inch octagon bbl., blue/casehardened finish, walnut
stock. The included factory letter confirms the current .50 Express caliber, 30 inch
octagon No. 3 barrel and plain trigger when received in the warehouse on December 24th, 1896,
and shipped on January 30th, 1897. The top barrel flat is marked “-MANUFACTURED BY THE-/-WINCHESTER REPEATING ARMS CO. NEW HAVEN CONN. U.S.A.-” ahead of the rear sight and “50 EX” at the breech. The serial
number is marked on the lower tang. The No. 3 barrel has a blade front sight and
three leaf rear sporting sight. “3” marked on the bottom of the barrel. Mounted with a
smooth Schnabel forearm with ebony insert and straight grip stock with a sling swivel
and casehardened rifle buttplate. The exact number of 1885s made in .50 Express caliber
is unknown, but the number is believed to be somewhere around only 300.
CONDITION: Very fine, retains 95% original blue finish on the barrel with a few light scratches and minimal edge wear, 50% slightly muted original case colors, and distinct markings and edges in the metal overall. Wood is fine, with numerous scattered scratches and dents, and otherwise defined edges. Mechanically excellent.
Provenance: The Tom Selleck Collection.
Estimate: 10,000 - 15,000
Caliber -
Patented
in 1894
by William
Mason, who also designed the swing-out cylinder for Colt, the Model 1894 Winchester reloading tool combined all of the necessary tools/functions
for reloading
cartridges into
one small hand-held tool. These tools are fairly rare and desirable in any caliber, but this example is a true scarcity being for the .50- 110 Winchester Express caliber, the largest cartridge available for Winchester’s lever guns. It is marked with the four-line Winchester address, and patent marking on the side of the body, and “50-110 EX.” is marked on the bullet seating die portion.
CONDITION: Fine, showing mostly a smooth grey patina overall with some scattered very light surface pitting and clear markings. Mechanically appears to function as it should. This is a must have piece to pair with a Winchester rifle in .50-110 Express!
Estimate: 800 - 1,400
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