This Winchester Model 1866 rifle was manufactured in 1882. The rifle has the Fourth Model receiver profile, iron crescent buttplate and forearm cap and serial number stamped in script numerals on the lower tang. The rifle has a round barrel and full-length magazine. The barrel has the standard sporting style front sight with nickel-silver blade and buckhorn sporting rear sight with serrated edges. The upper receiver tang is factory drilled and tapped for a tang sight. The buttplate has a sliding brass trap door and the butt trap contains a four-piece, jointed steel cleaning rod with brass tip. The top of the barrel is roll-stamped: "WINCHESTER'S-REPEATING-ARMS. NEW HAVEN. CT./KING'S-IMPROVEMENT-PATENTED. MARCH 9. 1866, OCTOBER 6. 1860." in two-lines ahead of the rear sight. The serial number "161325" is stamped in script numerals on the lower tang behind the lever latch. The stock and forearm are straight grain American walnut.

Very good plus. The rifle is all original and shows moderate handling wear. This is a working rifle that was used but not abused. The barrel, magazine and forearm cap have a dark brown patina with a light age texturing. The barrel has been lightly cleaned above the legend. The Winchester legend is light but legible. The buckhorn rear sight has a flat top and has been period modified by adding a brass insert with larger sighting notch. The brass receiver has a deep, untouched patina. The receiver is in good condition with scattered, minor, dents and scratches. The side plate edges are tight but the hammer and lever screws show screw-driver wear. The hammer, trigger, lever and buttplate have a dark brown patina with some very light pitting. The stock and forearm show moderate handling wear but remain in good overall condition. The forearm shows a number of small dents and scratches but remains in good overall condition. The stock has less handling wear but has a hair-line crack in the left wrist that extends about 2 1/2 inches from the end of the receiver and has a shallow 1/2-inch dent in the left side of the stock. Model 1866 Winchester rifles and carbines were working guns that were used on the frontier. They typically show the effects of hard use in a hostile environment. This is a great example of an 1882 production Winchester Model 1866 lever action rifle.