Manufactured in 1896, this Winchester deluxe Model 1886 rifle appears to show the very interesting Winchester factory process of using existing warehouse stock or previously manufactured receivers to be reconfigured or assembled to fulfill special orders. The included factory letter lists the serial number application date as 8 June 1896 and that the rifle was in .33 caliber with a round barrel, set trigger, Lyman receiver "leaf and Jack", half magazine, checkered pistol grip stock with a rubber shotgun buttplate and oil finish, and in takedown configuration when received at the warehouse on 16 October 1903 and shipped the next day in order number 204634. The barrel has the lightweight profile and is chambered in .33 W.C.F. The .33 W.C.F. cartridge was introduced in 1902, and it was the only caliber for the Model 1886 originally introduced as a smokeless cartridge. It is likely that this rifle was sitting in the Winchester warehouse in a configuration that was more difficult to sell, possibly even a previously cancelled special order, when it was pulled and reconfigured by the factory to fulfill this customer's special order. The top of the barrel is marked with the standard two-line address and the caliber marking at the breech, as well as the two-line nickel steel marking offset on the left. The upper tang has the model marking and the two line patent dates and serial number are on the lower tang. The left side of the lower tang "1080 XX 184", with "184" repeated in the stock inlet. It is very possible that the "1080 XX" corresponds to a previous special order which was cancelled before the rifle left the warehouse and that the "184" was added in 1903 when the rifle was reconfigured and sent off to its new home. It is fitted with a Lyman beaded blade front sight, elevation adjustable buckhorn rear sight, Lyman peep sight mounted on the left of the receiver, a half magazine, and a "close-coupled" set trigger. It is mounted with a finely figured, H-pattern checkered forearm and pistol grip stock with a hard rubber grip cap and the "extra lightweight" hollow in the butt concealed by the hard rubber shotgun buttplate.

Fine, retains 50% plus of the original blue finish and faint traces of the original case colors on the hammer and lever with the balance having thinned to mostly a smooth grey patina and a few scattered spots of very light surface pitting. The wood is very good with some scattered minor handling marks, a small spot of age-related grain separation, and a well-defined checkering. Mechanically excellent.