This is an exceptional example of a Winchester Model 1866 Lever Action rifle that was manufactured in 1885. The rifle has the Fourth Model features which include frame with less pronounced drop at the rear, serial number stamped on the lower tang and casehardened crescent buttplate. The 24-inch round barrel has a sporting style front sight with nickel-silver blade and buckhorn sporting style rear sight with serrated edges. The distinctive brass receiver is factory drilled and tapped for a folding combination rear sight. The buttplate has a sliding brass trapdoor and the butt trap contains a four-piece, jointed, steel cleaning rod. The barrel, magazine and forearm cap are blued and the hammer, trigger, lever and buttplate are color casehardened. The loading gate has a fire blue finish. The stock and forearm are straight grain American walnut with an oil finish. The top of the barrel is roll-stamped with the two-line legend: "WINCHESTER'S-REPEATING-ARMS. NEW HAVEN. CT./KING'S-IMPROVEMENT-PATENTED-MARCH 29. 1866. OCTOBER 16. 1860." in two lines ahead of the rear sight. "44 CAL" is stamped in script across the bottom of the cartridge elevator. The serial number is stamped in script numerals on the lower tang behind the lever latch. Model 1866 rifles were typically purchased as working firearms and saw hard use. High condition Winchester Model 1866 rifles are rarely encountered in very good or better condition let alone excellent condition!

Excellent. This rifle retains 90% plus of the original blue finish. The loading gate retains 95% of the original nitre fire blue finish and a significant amount of blue is present on the bolt. The distinctive brass receiver is in excellent condition with perfect side plate joints and shows minimal handling wear. The receiver and cartridge elevator have an extremely attractive, untouched, aged patina. The hammer, trigger, loading lever and buttplate have 90% plus of the original casehardened finish with strong case colors. The stock and forearm are also excellent. There are remnants of an old period applied coat of protective varnish applied to the wood, buttplate and forend cap. This is an exceptional example of a Model 1866 rifle that would be very difficult to improve upon.