Lot 1012: Winchester 1886 Rifle 45-90 WCF

This outstanding Winchester Model 1886 Lever Action Rifle was manufactured in 1902. Accompanied by a factory letter that describes it as: "Rifle, Caliber 45/90", "Round Barrel" and "Plain Trigger". The letter indicates this rifle was received in the Winchester warehouse on December 24 1902 and shipped on February 20, 1903. The rifle has the Winchester commercial blue finish on the round barrel, full length magazine, forearm cap, receiver, bolt and trigger. The loading gate is fire blue. The hammer, lever and crescent buttplate are color casehardened with vivid case colors. The straight grain American Walnut stock and forearm have a varnish finish. The barrel has a Lyman "Winchester Express" front sight with colored bead and a buckhorn, sporting style, rear sight with screw adjustable center-piece and serrated edges. The upper tang is factory drilled and tapped. The top of the barrel is roll-stamped: "-MANUFACTURED BY THE-/-WINCHESTER REPEATING ARMS CO. NEW HAVEN. CONN. U.S.A.-" in two lines ahead of the rear sight. The caliber, "45-90 W.C.F." is roll-stamped on the top of the barrel just ahead of the receiver. The upper receiver tang is roll-stamped: "-MODEL 1886-". The 1884 and 1885 patent dates are stamped on the lower tang immediately behind the trigger and the serial number, "125662" is stamped in script numerals behind the rear tang screw.

Excellent plus. This rifle is all original and retains 98%plus of the bright original blue and color casehardened finish with minimal handling and storage wear. The barrel, magazine and forearm cap have nearly 99% of the commercial blue finish intact. The barrel markings are perfect. 99% of the bright original blue finish is present on the bolt and trigger. Finish wear on the receiver is limited to several very minor scratches and storage marks. The loading gate retains almost all of the fire blue finish. Nearly all of the vivid case colors are present on the hammer, lever and crescent buttplate. The stock and forearm are both in excellent condition with all of the original varnish finish intact and only traces of handling and storage wear. This is an exceptional example of an early turn-of-the-century Winchester Model 1886 Lever Action Rifle in exceptional, near new condition.