GUN SPRING 2016
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 3/14/2016
SPECIAL ORDER DELUXE WINCHESTER 1886 LEVER ACTION RIFLE.WINCHESTER18864822245-70IVORYCal. 45-70. Fine deluxe '86 with special order 28" oct bbl, full magazine, Lyman "certifiable antique ivory" bead hunting front sight & 3-leaf express rear sight. Mounted with nicely figured, about 2X American walnut with H-style checkered forearm & black insert, serpentine grip buttstock with silver plated crescent buttplate. Bolt & lever are also silver plated. Left side of lower tang, under the wood is marked with the assembly number "109" & "XX". Matching assembly # is also found in top tang channel of buttstock and inside toe of buttplate. This rifle appears to have been produced in about 1890 at a time when business was still conducted from the back of a horse or wagon and firearms were a way of life. Firearms of that era usually saw continuous daily use, usually under harsh circumstances with very little maintenance and are rarely found today with high orig finish. Deluxe rifles such as this were mostly out of reach for the average working man so it stands to reason that this rifle belonged to someone of a higher social status. PROVENANCE: The Estate Collection of Phil A. Bleakney, Jr. CONDITION: Fine to very fine, all matching. Rifle overall retains a Turnbull quality restoration with strong, bright, Winchester-style blue on the bbl & magazine tube, orig appearing case colors on the receiver and hammer and a lightly restored finish on the wood. Forearm has a repaired sliver on the right side at the forend cap, otherwise wood is sound with nicks & dings and light oil staining around the metal. Checkering has been freshened. Mechanics are crisp. Strong bright bore, dark in the grooves. 49999-3 JR (7,500-10,000)