GUN FALL 2015
The live portion of this session begins on Monday, October 5, 2015.
SCARCE WINCHESTER MODEL 1886 SADDLE RING CARBINE.WINCHESTER1886 SRC10671445-70Cal. 45-70. Standard grade carbine with 22" rnd bbl, full mag, square base front sight and 900 yd carbine ladder rear sight. Left side of receiver has a stud and ring. Mounted with uncheckered straight grain American walnut which includes a carbine forearm with bbl band and straight stock with carbine buttplate. Bottom of buttstock is inlaid with a small silver shield which is engraved with a crest consisting of a shield surrounded by laurel leaves with a crown above and four sections engraved with a rearing lion in the top left and bottom right and a castle in the top right and bottom left. This crest resembles the Spanish crest with reversed sections. Accompanied by a Cody Firearms Museum records office information request which identifies this carbine in cal 45-70, received in warehouse May 25, 1896 and shipped November 2, 1896 to order #22871. This carbine was produced when virtually every cowboy on the Western frontier carried a saddle gun and the 1886 carbine was extremely popular for its heavy, high velocity, hard hitting cartridge. These carbines were usually exposed to the harsh elements on a daily basis, often with little or no maintenance and are rarely found today with orig high finish. Color case hardened arms of that era were very susceptible to fading from their exposure to ultraviolet rays of sunshine. CONDITION: Very fine. Bbl and mag tube retain about 95-96% strong orig factory blue,turning slightly plum on the bbl. Receiver retains about 75-80% orig case colors, bright to brilliant on the sides, moderately faded over the top and top tang, turning silver on the bottom. Hammer retains dark case colors turned silver on top edge. Lever retains bright case colors on the sides, turned silver on outer faces. Buttplate retains about 60% strong case colors turned silver on heel and toe, faded on the tang. Wood is sound with light nicks, dings and scratches, primarily on right side of buttstock, probably from being carried upside down in a saddle scabbard which would have exposed the right side to brush and other contacts. Forearm shows only a few minor, small nicks and wood overall retains as much as 80-85% orig oil finish with the balance a light hand worn patina. Mechanics are crisp. Brilliant shiny bore. Shows very little use with the wear more from carrying. 49622-4 JRL (17,500-27,500)