GUN SPRING 2017
The live portion of this session begins on Tuesday, April 11, 2017.
RARE WINCHESTER MODEL 1886 DELUXE SHORT RIFLE.WINCHESTER18867097540/65Cal 40-65. Fine rare rifle with 24-1/4" oct bbl, full magazine, 1/2 nickel front sight, semi-buckhorn rear sight & Lyman tang sight with combination aperture. Receiver is color case hardened with single set trigger. Mounted with about 3-X American walnut that has "H" style checkered forearm and black insert, serpentine grip buttstock with smooth steel shotgun buttplate. Left side of lower tang, under the wood is marked with the assembly number "529", "XXX" & an "S". Matching assembly number is also found in top tang channel of buttstock & inside toe of buttplate. Accompanied by a Cody Firearms Museum letter which identifies this rifle with 24" oct bbl, set trigger, checkered pistol grip stock with shotgun butt. Received in warehouse January 27, 1893 and shipped the next day to order number 13731. Almost certainly this would have been someones prized hunting rifle from an era when hunting and carrying a gun on a daily basis was a way of life. Most arms of that era saw very hard service under adverse conditions and are rarely found today with any orig finish. Deluxe special order examples are extremely rare. CONDITION: Very fine, all matching. Bbl retains about 95-96% strong orig blue with only sharp edge wear and some thinning near the muzzle. Magazine tube retains about 95-97% orig blue, thin towards the muzzle end. Receiver retains 60-65% orig case colors, moderately faded and turned silver over the top & bottom. Lever & hammer retain faded case colors and the buttplate shows 60-70% thin orig blue turning brown. Buttstock has a hairline back of the top tang and is missing a couple small chips at the receiver, otherwise wood is sound with a few light nicks & scratches and retains most of its bright orig piano varnish finish on the buttstock and about 80-85% orig finish on the forearm, showing wear on the bottom at the carry point. Mechanics are crisp, strong bore with good shine & light to moderate pitting. 51621-1 JRL (10,000-15,000)