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Documented Winchester Model 1886 Lever Action in 50 Express with Half-Magazine and Casehardened Rece

Currency:USD Category:Antiques / Firearms & Armory Start Price:8,500.00 USD Estimated At:17,000.00 - 25,000.00 USD
Documented Winchester Model 1886 Lever Action in 50 Express with Half-Magazine and Casehardened Rece
Winchester Model 1886 Sporting Rifle manufactured in 1892 and chambered for the .50-110 Express cartridge. The rifle is complete with a letter from the Cody Firearms Museum that describes it as: "Rifle, 50/110 caliber", with round barrel, plain trigger, "1/2 magazine" and "Shotgun butt". The letter states that the rifle was shipped from the Winchester warehouse on December 14, 1892. The rifle has a blued barrel and half-magazine with the early casehardened receiver, forearm cap, hammer and loading lever. The bolt and loading gate have a high polish blue finish. The stock and forearm are walnut with an oil finish. The stock is fitted with a steel, casehardened, shotgun buttplate. The barrel is fitted with a Winchester Express front sight with ivory bead and a folding, two-leaf, Winchester Express rear sight with platinum lines below the sighting notches. The left side of the barrel is stamped with "50 EX" followed by the British "Crown/P" and "Crown/V" proof and inspection marks. A second "Crown/V" mark is stamped on the top of the bolt. The top of the barrel is roll-stamped with the two-line legend: "MANUFACTURED BY THE/WINCHESTER REPEATING ARMS CO. NEW HAVEN CONN. U.S.A." with arrows at either end of each line. The caliber designation "50 EX" is stamped on the top of the barrel just ahead of the receiver. The upper receiver tang is roll-stamped: "- MODEL 1886-". The 1884 and 1885 patent dates are stamped on the lower tang behind the trigger and the serial number, "73246" is stamped between the tang screws.
BBL: 26 inch round
Stock: walnut
Gauge: 50 express
Finish: blue/casehardened
Grips:
Serial Number: 73246


Excellent. The rifle has 95% plus of the original blue and 90% casehardened finish. Wear of the barrel is limited to some very minor edge wear at the muzzle and several insignificant scratches on the right side of the barrel. The casehardened finish has a faint silver patina on the forearm cap, the underside of the receiver and the bottom of the loading lever but the case colors remain vivid. The casehardened finish on the buttplate has a smooth, silver, patina. The bolt retains nearly all of the high polish blue finish; the blue on the loading gate has faded to a plum patina. The stock and forearm are in excellent condition with nearly all of the oil finish and almost no handling wear. The only significant wear on the stock is a 1/4-inch hairline crack in the left side of the wrist at the end of the receiver tang. All of the markings are crisp. The bore is bright. This is an excellent example of a Winchester Model 1886 Sporting Rifle chambered for the .50-110 Express Cartridge with very desirable casehardened receiver.