This Winchester Model 1886 Lever Rifle was manufactured in 1909. This rifle was reportedly owned by champion trap and exhibition shooter Jno W. Garrett of Colorado Springs, Colorado. In the included 2008 letter from Ron Peterson of Ron Peterson Guns, Peterson states that he purchased a smoothbore Colt Single Action and a smoothbore Model 1892 Winchester rifle from the Garrett family in the 1980s and that the extended Jno Garrett family also owned this Winchester Model 1886 smoothbore rifle (he does state that it has a round barrel, likely a typo). The documentation also includes copies of two photographs. One photograph is captioned, "JNO. W. GARRETT IN THE CIVIC STREET PARADE/SHOOTING FLYING CLAY TARGETS WITH/A MODEL 1886 WINCHESTER RIFLE" and dated August 1912 and shows Garrett with a Model 1886 rifle. The second photograph shows the window display of "JNO. W. GARRETT SPORTING GOODS" and is dated 1918. Jno W. Garrett held the world record for breaking 961 of 1000 thrown targets in four hours and three minutes. This record was eventually broken by the famous female exhibition shooter "Plinky" Topperwein. The rifle features a 26-inch full-octagon smooth bore barrel with full length magazine. The barrel has a special order dovetail mounted Winchester Express front sight with silver bead and patent date on the left side of the base and a special order Winchester Express rear sight with three folding short yardage leafs. The upper receiver tang is factory drilled and tapped. The rifle has a high polish blue finish on the barrel, magazine, forearm cap and receiver. The hammer, lever and crescent buttplate have a color casehardened finish. The stock and forearm are special order fancy grain walnut with a varnish finish. The upper left barrel flat is roll-stamped with the two-line legend "MANUFACTURED BY THE WINCHESTER REPEATING ARMS CO./NEW HAVEN. CONN. U.S.A. PAT. OCT. 14. 1884. JAN. 20. 1885" ahead of the rear sight. The caliber, "50-EX" is roll stamped on the upper left barrel flat just ahead of the receiver. The oval, "W/P" Winchester proofmark is stamped on the top of the barrel and magazine. "MODEL 1886/-WINCHESTER-/TRADE MARK REG. IN U.S. PAT. OFF." is roll-stamped in three lines on the upper tang. The 1884 and 1885 patent dates are stamped in two lines on the lower tang behind the trigger and the serial number "149906 A" is stamped behind the rear tang screw. Accompanying the rifle is a detailed hand written three page evaluation of the rifle by George Madis, author of "THE WINCHESTER BOOK". The Madis evaluation concludes, "This is one of the rarest of Winchesters and with its condition, age and rarity it will be a star in any collection or museum." On page 350 of "THE WINCHESTER BOOK" author George Madis states, "Smoothbore rifles were made to order, especially in caliber Express, but very few were made and they are therefore very rare".

Excellent. The rifle retains 97% plus of the original blue finish overall. There is very minor edge wear on the receiver and some thinning on the lower tang. The casehardened finish on the sides of the hammer shows function wear and the contact points on the hammer and lever have a silver patina. The balance of the lever and nearly all of the buttplate retain strong case colors. The fancy grain burl walnut stock and forearm are both excellent and retain nearly all of the polished vanish finish. The forearm has some scattered minor handling marks; the stock shows very little handling wear. The markings on the barrel and receiver are crisp. This is an exceptional example of one of the rarest and most desirable special order Winchester Model 1886 rifles.