This is the only surviving example of a prototype Winchester Model 1866 Rifle with rare special order 24 inch barrel. The rifle has a the distinctive flat loading gate, two-screw upper tang and "Henry Drop" receiver profile. The rifle has a round, 24 inch barrel with full-length magazine and is fitted with special order carbine upper barrel band with integral front sight blade, lower barrel band with sling swivel and carbine style forearm. The left side of the receiver has a factory mounted saddle ring staple. The barrel is fitted with a dovetail mounted, Henry style adjustable folding leaf rear sight with 900 yard center notch. The stock has a brass crescent rifle buttplate with strap and is fitted with a factory sling swivel. The stock and forearm are deluxe, highly figured, fancy grade walnut with a high polish varnish finish. The barrel and magazine are blued and the hammer, trigger and loading lever have a case-hardened finish. The left receiver side plate is professionally inscribed: "1865/ A B Bennett./ Brantford./Ont." in four lines with Old English lettering. The top of the barrel is roll-stamped with the two-line legend: "HENRY'S PATENT-OCT.16.1860/KING'S-PATENT-MARCH29. 1866" in two-lines between the lower barrel band and the rear sight. The serial number "15047" is stamped on the lower left side of the receiver tang, in the upper stock inlet and on the inside of the buttplate. All of the visible serial numbers match. The assembly number "1572" is stamped in smaller numerals on the left side of the lower tang ahead of the rifle serial number. This early rifle has a unique combination of special order features: fancy walnut stocks and forearm are rarely found on Model 1866 Winchesters and the special order carbine barrel bands and saddle ring staple are very unusual. Author John Parsons states on page 107 of "THE FIRST WINCHESTER" that: "Of unusual barrel lengths, ten carbines are recorded with 24 inch barrels".

Very fine. The rifle retains 75% plus of the original blue finish on the barrel and magazine; the blue has started to fade to a blue-brown patina but metal surfaces are smooth and the barrel markings are crisp. There is three diagona marks on the left side of the barrel that extend from the edge of the forearm to the right side of the rear sight dovetail. The upper and lower barrel bands have traces of the original blue finish. The casehardened finish on the hammer and lever have faded to dove-gray patina with traces of the original case colors. The receiver is in excellent condition. The brass has a mellow, very attractive, un-touched, mustard yellow patina. The side plate joints are tight on receiver. The loading gate retains a considerable amount of the original blue finish. The inscription is crisp. The buttplate is in the same excellent condition as the receiver. The highly figured walnut stock and handguard are in very good condition and retain nearly all of the ''piano finish'' varnish. Wear is limited to scattered and very minor handling marks. This is the only known example of a First Model 1866 Carbine with very unusual 24 inch barrel, deluxe stock and forearm.