This is a nice example of a special order Winchester Model 1886 Fancy Sporting Rifle manufactured in 1895. The top barrel flat ahead of the rear sight is marked "-MANUFACTURED BY THE-/-WINCHESTER REPEATING ARMS CO. NEW HAVEN. CONN. U.S.A.-" and "45-70" is on the top flat at the breech. The upper tang marking is covered by a tang mounted short range peep sight. The lower tang is marked with the two line 1884/1885 patent dates and the serial number at the rear. The barrel is fitted with a blade with a bead and a folding ladder rear sight graduated to 300 yards. Blue barrel and half magazine tube, niter blue bolt and loading gate, and casehardened remaining parts and mounted with a deluxe nicely figured multi-point checkered walnut forearm with a steel end cap and pistol grip stock with ebony insert in the bottom of the grip and a checkered hard rubber Winchester shotgun buttplate. This rifle will letter as, 45/70 caliber, 1/2 Octagon barrel, 1/2 magazine, "4 cartridges", plain trigger, checkered stock with pistol grip, shotgun butt with rubber buttplate, and that it was received in and shipped out of the warehouse to order number 6054 on January 22, 1895.

Very fine. The barrel and magazine tube retain 95% of the original blue finish. The only discernable wear is a 1/4-inch spot of pitting on the left side of the barrel. The bolt has almost all of the original bright niter blue and the niter blue finish on the loading gate is thin on the high points. The receiver retains 40% of the original case colors. The casehardened finish on the bottom of the receiver has silvered slightly from handling and there is some silvering in the case colors along the top edges of the receiver. There is a very small (1/8-inch) spot of pitting on the left side of the receiver. The balance of the case colors on the receiver, hammer and lever are strong. The markings are crisp and clear. The highly figured re-oiled walnut buttstock and forearm are both fine. The checkered panels on the pistol grip and forearm are sharp. Handling wear is minimal and is limited to some small scratches and minor finish wear on the left side of the forearm at the junction with the receiver. The buttplate screws are slightly pitted but the buttplate is excellent. This is a very nice Deluxe Model 1886 Winchester Fancy Sporting Rifle with many special order features.