EXTREMELY RARE 1ST MODEL FLATSIDE WINCHESTER MODEL 1866 LEVER ACTION RIFLE.

SN 15052. Cal. 44 RF Henry. Standard rifle with 24-1/4″ oct bbl, full magazine with screwed-in cap and attached magazine spring follower stop. Bbl band is attached to the bbl with two screws and has a thru-pin securing the tube. Front sight is German silver with a 1000 yard Henry-style ladder rear sight. Top flat of the bbl has the 2-line Henry’s & King’s Patent markings. Bbl & forearm are probably modern replacements by the late Ron Kudrick of Reno, NV. Receiver & buttstock are orig. Receiver has a staple & ring attached to the left side which is not uncommon for early ’66 rifles. Mounted with nicely figured, uncheckered American walnut with straight stock and crescent buttplate with trap containing an orig 4-pc brass & iron wiping rod. Forearm is matching figured wood of the earliest type without forend cap having a sgl screw through brass escutcheons to retain the forearm through a hole in the bottom of the bbl. Tip of the forearm has dimpled ends. Serial number is found on left side of lower tang under the wood, in top tang channel of buttstock, inside toe of buttplate and bottom flat of bbl. Bottom flat of the bbl also has two small crosses which signify proof testing, along with three small punch dots. Bottom tang also has the tiny assembly numbers “1676” which are also found inside each sideplate. These early ’66 rifles began production as the parent 1860 Henry rifle was going out of production with the early ’66s having many features of the parent rifle including a sharp radius at the top rear of the receiver, dovetailed sideplates and the small Henry-style finger lever. Accompanied by 5-page hand written letter of authentication from renowned researcher & author George Madis. This rifle is mentioned by SN on p. 75 of The Winchester Book, Madis, which also lists the assembly number. These rifles held 17-rds and were extremely popular on the American frontier. They are almost never found in orig configuration with any orig finish. This rifle was produced in about 1867 at the height of the Great Westward Expansion and almost certainly would have seen continuous hard service on the American frontier. The fact that it survived at all is a testament to the durability of these rifles. CONDITION: Fine, all matching. Bbl & magazine tube retain a cleaned and artificially aged dark brown patina; receiver, sideplates & buttplate show lightly rounded edges and may have been cleaned a long time ago, retaining a current medium mustard patina; loading gate, lever & hammer are a dark natural patina. Forearm has a repaired crack near the left front tip, otherwise wood is sound with light nicks & scratches and retains an old restored finish. Mechanics are fine, strong dark bore with good rifling & scattered pitting. Cleaning rod is fine. 4-47920 JR3 (25,000-40,000) – Lot 1191

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Auction: Firearms - March 2015

Please Note: All prices include the hammer price plus the buyer’s premium, which is paid by the buyer as part of the purchase price. The prices noted here after the auction are considered unofficial and do not become official until after the 46th day.

Image	Lot	Price	Description
	1191	$35,650.00	EXTREMELY RARE 1ST MODEL FLATSIDE WINCHESTER MODEL 1866 LEVER ACTION RIFLE. SN 15052. Cal. 44 RF Henry. Standard rifle with 24-1/4″ oct bbl, full magazine with screwed-in cap and attached magazine spring follower stop. Bbl band is attached to the bbl with two screws and has a thru-pin securing the tube. Front sight is German silver with a 1000 yard Henry-style ladder rear sight. Top flat of the bbl has the 2-line Henry’s & King’s Patent markings. Bbl & forearm are probably modern replacements by the late Ron Kudrick of Reno, NV. Receiver & buttstock are orig. Receiver has a staple & ring attached to the left side which is not uncommon for early ’66 rifles. Mounted with nicely figured, uncheckered American walnut with straight stock and crescent buttplate with trap containing an orig 4-pc brass & iron wiping rod. Forearm is matching figured wood of the earliest type without forend cap having a sgl screw through brass escutcheons to retain the forearm through a hole in the bottom of the bbl. Tip of the forearm has dimpled ends. Serial number is found on left side of lower tang under the wood, in top tang channel of buttstock, inside toe of buttplate and bottom flat of bbl. Bottom flat of the bbl also has two small crosses which signify proof testing, along with three small punch dots. Bottom tang also has the tiny assembly numbers “1676” which are also found inside each sideplate. These early ’66 rifles began production as the parent 1860 Henry rifle was going out of production with the early ’66s having many features of the parent rifle including a sharp radius at the top rear of the receiver, dovetailed sideplates and the small Henry-style finger lever. Accompanied by 5-page hand written letter of authentication from renowned researcher & author George Madis. This rifle is mentioned by SN on p. 75 of The Winchester Book, Madis, which also lists the assembly number. These rifles held 17-rds and were extremely popular on the American frontier. They are almost never found in orig configuration with any orig finish. This rifle was produced in about 1867 at the height of the Great Westward Expansion and almost certainly would have seen continuous hard service on the American frontier. The fact that it survived at all is a testament to the durability of these rifles. CONDITION: Fine, all matching. Bbl & magazine tube retain a cleaned and artificially aged dark brown patina; receiver, sideplates & buttplate show lightly rounded edges and may have been cleaned a long time ago, retaining a current medium mustard patina; loading gate, lever & hammer are a dark natural patina. Forearm has a repaired crack near the left front tip, otherwise wood is sound with light nicks & scratches and retains an old restored finish. Mechanics are fine, strong dark bore with good rifling & scattered pitting. Cleaning rod is fine. 4-47920 JR3 (25,000-40,000) – Lot 1191 Click here to view provenance Auction: Firearms - March 2015 Please Note: All prices include the hammer price plus the buyer’s premium, which is paid by the buyer as part of the purchase price. The prices noted here after the auction are considered unofficial and do not become official until after the 46th day.

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EXTREMELY RARE 1ST MODEL FLATSIDE WINCHESTER MODEL 1866 LEVER ACTION RIFLE.