This Winchester Model 1866 carbine was manufactured in 1867. The left side plate is engraved with an inscription: "CORONEL BORGONO/with Complements of/JUAN G. MEIGGS." Justiniano Borgono, (1836-1921), was a Peruvian military officer and politician. He enlisted in the army in 1856 with the rank of lieutenant and fought in the Civil War initiated by General Manuel Ignacio de Vivanco’s in 1856-1858. He left the army after the civil war only to return to service at the beginning of the Pacific War, also known as the Guano and Salitre War (1879-1883). Borgono was promoted to the rank of colonel and was wounded in the right leg and taken prisoner while fighting in the Battle of San Juan and Chorrillos. Despite promising his captors to never again take up arms against the Chileans in exchange for being released, he nevertheless returned to the battlefield under the command of General Andre Caceres and was wounded again at the Battle of Huamachuco (July 10, 1883). Over the next several years, Borgono held several government positions, including minister of War and Navy. After the sudden death of President Morales Bermudez, Borgono assumed the presidency after the suspension of general elections on April 1,1894. As acting president, Borgono called for new elections for the office of president as well as all members of congress. The sole presidential candidate was Borgono’s old war buddy, General Caceres, who easily won and assumed power on August 10, 1894. For his efforts, Borgono was promoted to brigadier general. The elections were later seen as unconstitutional, and the election results were challenged by the opposition parties, thus initiating a civil war. Borgono fled to Argentina and took up farming. In 1901, he returned to Peru to participate in the Council of General Officials. The American brothers Juan and Henry Meiggs came to Peru in 1868 to build a railroad. Already successful railroad builders in Chile, the Meiggs brothers built several railway lines in Peru before Henry died in 1877. In Peru, the brothers were in over their heads and found themselves facing bankruptcy at the time when Henry suffered a stroke and died a few months later. Struggling to find a way out, they proposed printing their own money called “Meiggs’ bills.” A skeptical public rejected the idea. Before Henry’s death, the brothers published a book detailing the Peruvian railways from 1826 to 1871. It is therefore plausible that this carbine was given to Borgono by Juan Meigss as return for a favor or to elicit a favor. This early production carbine has the Second Model features which include: flared receiver at the junction with the forearm, single upper tang screw and internal receiver serial numbers. The top of the barrel is roll-stamped with the first style legend "HENRY'S-PATENT-OCT. 16. 1860/KING'S-PATENT-MARCH 29.1866" between the lower barrel band and the rear sight. In addition to the early Henry markings, this carbine has numerous early features which include: uncrowned muzzle, threaded magazine cap, barrel band with integral front sight, two-leaf rear sight with "5" and "3" elevation markings, unmarked cartridge elevator, indented loading gate secured by a single screw, small loading lever latch and Henry style buttplate with hinged trap. The hammer has borderless knurling on the spur, and the left side of the receiver has a staple mounted saddle ring. The barrel, magazine and barrel bands are blued, and the rear sight, hammer, lever and trigger are color casehardened. The stock and forearm are oil finished, straight grain American walnut. The serial number "17470" is stamped on the left side of the lower tang beneath the stock, in the upper tang inlet of the stock and on the inside of the buttplate. The left side of the lower tang also has the letters “CO.” A non-Winchester number "11431" is stamped on the bottom of the lower tang behind the trigger; the significance of this number is unknown. A small slashed out “BP” crest is stamped on the lower tang just ahead of the lever latch.

Extremely fine. This carbine is all original and remains in exceptional condition for a early production Winchester Model 1866 saddle ring carbine. The barrel and magazine retain 75% of the original blue finish with traces of plum patina. The metal surfaces are smooth and the barrel legend is sharp. The upper barrel band has 70% of the bright original blue finish intact while the lower band has a silver-gray patina. The rear sight has crisp markings and retains nearly all of the case colors. The loading gate has 85% of the original nitre blue finish. Substantial amount of blue are present on the extractors. The hammer, trigger and lever retain 60% of the original muted case colors. The distinctive brass receiver and buttplate are in very fine-excellent condition. The brass has a very attractive, untouched patina. The side plate joints are in perfect condition. The inscription on the left side plate is extremely crisp. The buttplate remains in the same excellent condition as the receiver. The stock and forearm remain in very fine-excellent condition and retain nearly all of the original oil finish. Wear is limited to a few very minor storage marks. This early carbine is in exceptional condition and shows only limited storage wear.