The Factory letter describes this Winchester Model 1886 as: "Rifle, 38/56, Octagon barrel" and "Plain trigger". The letter further states that this rifle was received in the Winchester warehouse on January 10, 1888, and shipped on January 11, 1888. The rifle has a 26-inch full-octagon barrel with full-length magazine. The barrel has a custom, dove-tail mounted, brass bead front sight and sporting style buckhorn rear sight with solid back and knurled edges. The upper receiver tang is factory drilled and tapped. The barrel and magazine have a blue finish. The bolt and loading gate are bright blue. The forearm cap, receiver, hammer, trigger, lever and crescent buttplate are color casehardened. The stock and forearm are straight grain American walnut with a semi-gloss oil or varnish finish. The top barrel flat is roll-stamped with the two-line legend: "-MANUFACTURED BY THE-/-WINCHESTER REPEATING ARMS CO. NEW HAVEN CONN. U.S.A.-" ahead of the rear sight. The caliber designation "38-56 W.C.F." is roll-stamped on the top barrel flat between the rear sight and the receiver. "-MODEL 1886.-" is roll-stamped on the upper tang. The lower tang is marked with the 1884 and 1885 patent dates immediately behind the trigger and the serial number in script numerals between the tang screws.

Excellent. The barrel and magazine have 95% original blue finish intact. There is some slight finish loss on the magazine band. The Winchester legend and caliber designation are crisp. The bolt retains nearly all of the bright blue finish. The blue on the loading gate has faded but is 80% intact. The case colors on the receiver remains at least 90% intact. Nearly all of the case colors are present on the forearm cap, hammer and trigger. The receiver has strong case colors on the top and sides with a small spot of discoloration on the right side ahead of the loading gate and some fading on contact points on the bottom. The case colors on the sides and bottom of the lever show some handling wear and have faded to a mottled brown patina. The crescent buttplate retains half of the faded case colors with silvering and traces of light pitting on the toe and heel. The stock and forearm are in excellent condition and have nearly 95% of the original finish. Wear is limited to several shallow bruises along the left side of the forearm near the receiver and a few scattered and very minor handling marks on the forearm and stock. This is an excellent original example of a Winchester Model 1886 Lever Action Rifle with very desirable casehardened receiver.