Offered here is a rare factory nickel plated Winchester Model 1892 Lever Action Rifle that was manufactured in 1898 in exceptional condition. This is without question the highest condition factory full nickel plated Model 1892 we have cataloged! The accompanying factory letter addressed to Mr. Felix A. Bedlan is dated September 4, 1984 and lists this rifle with an octagon barrel in .32 caliber, set trigger, flat-top sporting rear, Lyman front combination and Lyman rear cup disc sights, screw eyes and full nickel when it was received in the warehouse on March 26, 1903, and shipped the next day. In a second included letter on famed North Carolina gun dealer Cherry's letterhead, Cherry's vice president and firearms author Gurney Brown references Winchester expert and author George Madis' research that found 1 out of 825 Model 1892s shipped had special order factory plating (silver, gold, or nickel). This would mean that no more than 1,217 Model 1892s had plating of some kind out of 1,004,675 that were manufactured in total. As Madis proclaims, "Needless to say here, not many specially finished arms were ordered and they are rare today" ("The Winchester Book," page 385). The barrel has a Beach combination front sight, pointed filler block in the rear sight dovetail, two-line address/patent date marking and "32 WCF" marking. The receiver is equipped with double set triggers and has a tang peep sight. As stated in the factory letter, sling eyelets are present. Mounted on nicely figured smooth walnut forearm and straight grip stock. Writer believes this rifle was most likely for factory exhibition purposes.

Excellent, retaining 97% plus of the original factory nickel plating with light flaking mixed with a few patches turned to a dark patina on the balance. The wood is also excellent showing minor handling/storage evidence and retaining most of the varnish with a textured area on the left side of the buttstock. Mechanically excellent. An exceptional example of a rare special order nickel plated Model 1892 rifle worthy of the most advanced Winchester collections.