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WINCHESTER MODEL 1886 LEVER ACTION RIFLE

Currency:USD Category:Antiques / Firearms & Armory Start Price:3,500.00 USD Estimated At:7,000.00 - 10,000.00 USD
WINCHESTER MODEL 1886 LEVER ACTION RIFLE
SN 103711. Cal. 45-90. Standard grade rifle with 26" oct bbl, full magazine, ivory bead hunting front sight, Lyman 6A 2-leaf folding rear sight and a Lyman 21 receiver sight. Mounted with straight grain, uncheckered American walnut with straight stock and crescent buttplate. Buttstock and forend cap have factory sling eyes. Accompanied by a Cody Firearms Museum letter which identifies this rifle in cal 45-90 with oct bbl and plain trigger, received in warehouse July 26. 1895 and shipped June 7, 1897 to order number 1953. The unusual length of time this rifle languished in the warehouse was probably due to the circumstance in America at the time where the buffalo herds had been decimated and demand for large bore arms were commensurately reduced. Regardless, at that time citizens on the American frontier, in the Northwest Territories and Alaska were still using these rifles in large, heavy calibers for big game hunting such as moose, elk and grizzly bear. Color case hardened rifles such as this one are not often found with high original finish because exposure to the ultraviolet rays of sunshine very quickly fades the color to silver. CONDITION: Very fine. Bbl and magazine tube 96-97% strong orig factory blue with only faint sharp edge wear. Receiver retains about 70% orig case colors, strong and bright in sheltered areas, moderately faded elsewhere turned silver on the belly. Hammer retains bright case colors and the lever most of it's orig case colors, lightly to moderately faded. Buttplate has turned dark. Wood is sound with a scratch on right side of buttstock along with a few other very light nicks and scratches and overall retains virtually all of it's crisp orig factory finish. Mechanics are crisp, brilliant shiny bore, shows very little use. 4-49380 JR245