April 24-25, 2019 Extraordinary, Sporting, & Collector Firearms
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 4/24/2019
Rifle features: full octagon barrel, full magazine, folding ladder rear sight, German knife blade front sight, brass forend cap, frame, and rifle butt, sling swivels, walnut stocks, case colored hammer and lever. The most prolific engravers of Winchesters at the time this rifle was manufactured were L.D. Nimschke and then the Ulrich family. Winchester employed six engraving members of that family, to include Conrad F., John, Herman L., Alden George, Leslie Borden, and Rudolph E. Two of the six also engraved for Marlin. Three brothers working for Winchester at this time included Conrad, John, and Herman. The engraving is defintely the work of L.D. Nimschke and his shop. The left side features a bold eagle head with surrounded by typically scroll and leaf with larged punched out background and circles around the screwheads. The right side is engraved with the initials "H.W.C." (It is purported that this rifle was a gift to Henry W. Corbett, Oregon Senator from 1867 to 1876, from a local constituent seeking political favor) with the heraldic American flag motif with identical scroll engraving surrounding the center image. You will also find similar pattern engraving on the forend cap, lower tang, lower receiver, lifter, and butt plate. Found on page 121 in the Madis book, you will see the exact same pattern of engraving, both left and right side. The panel that holds the initials is blank on the photographed rifle. The pictured rifles are from the collection of Dr. Ed Lewis. There is a an arrow and an "A" stamped on the lower tang. The stock and butt plate were removed to reveal to the last four digits of the serial number "6860". The rear sight is the round top type one seen on page 123. Accompanied by a two page letter from renowned researcher and author, George Madis, wherein he substantiates most of the technical information above. CONDITION: The barrel and tube are a pleasing mix of gray and brown patina with scattered age freckling. The barrel is stamped "Winchester Repeating Arms, New Haven, CT, Kings Improvement Patented March 29th 1866, October 16th 1860". The butt stock is referred to as the second type with the longer grip and rounded comb. Has the small type lever. The hammer and knurling is the third type as seen in page 94, third from the left in the Winchester book by Madis. The barrel marking is readable, but light in areas. The sharp edges of the octagon has softened. The bolt is brown patina. There is traces of case colors on hammer, mostly on the inside. The lever is a brown silver patina mix. Stocks are excellent and are proud to metal, but have had some finish added, but are quite nice. Sling swivels are Winchester original. There is a small chip at the toe of stock where it meets the butt plate. Action is fine. Bore shows well defined rifling, but frosted with minor residue. This is an extremely handsome, factory engraved, fairly early, Model 1866 rifle.
Caliber/Bore
.44 Henry Rimfire