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EXTREMELY RARE SEMI-DELUXE WINCHESTER MODEL 1886 "BIG 50" LEVER ACTION RIFLE.

Currency:USD Category:Firearms & Military Start Price:12,500.00 USD Estimated At:25,000.00 - 40,000.00 USD
EXTREMELY RARE SEMI-DELUXE WINCHESTER MODEL 1886  BIG 50  LEVER ACTION RIFLE.
SN 109491. Cal. 50 Ex. (50-110). Rare '86 with 26" rnd bbl, silver bead front sight, 3-leaf platinum line express rear sight and a Lyman combination tang sight. Receiver has close coupled dbl set triggers. Mounted with highly figured, slab sawed, uncheckered American walnut with capped pistol grip stock & smooth steel buttplate. Left side of lower tang is stamped with assembly number "982" and "CFS". Top tang channel of buttstock is stamped with matching assembly number over another number. Inside buttplate has assembly number "6502". While it appears that this stock may not be orig to this rifle, the stock & buttplate are orig Winchester equipment, fit like original and likely were factory changes. Accompanied by a Cody Firearms Museum letter identifying this rifle in "50 Express caliber", with rnd bbl, set trigger, plain wood stock with pistol grip, Lyman rear sight, half magazine, four cartridges & shotgun butt, received in warehouse July 24, 1902 and shipped July 26, 1902 to Order #146757. 50 caliber '86s are quite rare in their own right, but those with configuration as found here are extremely rare. They usually saw hard service out west but especially hard service in the Northwest Territories, Alaska & the woods of the Northeast for moose & bear hunting. They rarely are found with high orig finish and in orig configuration. PROVENANCE: Wes Adams Estate Collection. CONDITION: Very fine to extremely fine. Bbl, magazine tube & forend cap retain virtually all of their strong, orig factory finish with one small scratch on bbl & magazine tube where some careless individual removed the forend cap; receiver retains about 95% glossy orig blue with the loss areas flaked, not worn, to a medium patina; lever & hammer retain about all of their brilliant orig factory case colors, lightly to moderately faded on the outer faces of lever; set triggers need adjusting; wood is sound, missing a small sliver on top left side by the receiver and a small chip at buttplate teat; buttplate retains 97-98% brilliant orig blue. Mechanics are crisp, brilliant shiny bore, has been fired but very little. 4-44493