1071

RARE "ARAPAHOE COUNTY" INSCRIBED WINCHESTER MODEL 1886 LEVER ACTION RIFLE.

Currency:USD Category:Firearms & Military Start Price:6,250.00 USD Estimated At:12,500.00 - 17,500.00 USD
RARE  ARAPAHOE COUNTY  INSCRIBED WINCHESTER MODEL 1886 LEVER ACTION RIFLE.
SN 89733. Cal. 40-82. Standard grade rifle with 26" rnd bbl, full magazine, half nickel front sight and semi-buckhorn rear sight. Left side of the color case hardened receiver is inscribed in period script "Arapahoe County". Mounted with very nicely figured, slab-sawed, uncheckered American walnut with straight stock and crescent buttplate. There is a repaired crack on right side of the wrist. Accompanied by a Cody Firearms Museum letter which identifies this rifle, as found, "engraved, Arapahoe Co.", shipped July 14, 1894. Also accompanied by a copy of a 7-page article by Rick Wilson which seems to have appeared in an edition of The Winchester Repeater, date unknown. The article deals with two rifles from Arapahoe County, Colorado, one of which is similar to this rifle. The number of rifles ordered by the Arapahoe County sheriff in 1894 is unknown at this time, however what is known is that Sheriff William Burchinell, in office 1891-1895, ordered a number of 1886 rifles, so inscribed, to defend the Arapahoe County Courthouse against an attack by the then Gov. Waite who was attempting to depose some of his appointees. The employees of City Hall turned the building into an armed fortress and the Governor then called out the National Guard, armed with Gatling guns & field cannons but backed down in the face of the citizens' resistance. Two of these 1886s, apparently ordered at the same time, were inscribed to "John C. Twombly", an Arapahoe County Commissioner, and the other "William K. Burchinell", the aforementioned sheriff. These Arapahoe County rifles apparently saw little, if any, service and are usually encountered with high orig finish. PROVENANCE: Wes Adams Estate Collection. CONDITION: Very fine. Bbl & magazine tube retain virtually all of their strong orig blue; receiver, lever & hammer retain crisp, brilliant, orig case colors with only slight wear on bottom of the receiver which also retains most of its orig shellac; buttplate retains faded orig case colors. Stock, with the aforementioned repair, and forearm are otherwise sound with light handling & storage marks; forearm retains virtually all of its orig factory varnish and the buttstock all of a very professional, Winchester style restored finish. Mechanics are crisp, brilliant shiny bore, appears to be new & unfired. 4-44499 JR32