Home Login Signup Catalog My Account Browse Links Logout How to Consign   Rules

Winning Bid US $7245 First bid $5000 Quantity 1 # of bids 6 Time left Auction has ended   Started 2022-11-03 00:00:00 Ended 2024-12-05 17:00:00

EXTREMELY RARE Winchester, Model 1866 Saddle Ring Carbine, Second variation, Marked. 44 RUSS Cal., MFG. 1869, SN: 22531, Lever Action Rifle, 20'' Round barrel, Full mag. This is an extremely rare & possibly one of a kind early 1866 SRC. This carbine is chambered in 44 Russian & a chamber cast done by a previous selling auction house confirmed the dimensions of a 44 Russian cartridge case. The casting showed that the bbl chamber has a rim diameter of .520", a base diameter of .460" & an overall case length of .960", which conform to the dimensions of the 44 Russian case. A 44 Russian cartridge functions through the actions & chambers without binding. A 44 American cartridge will not chamber or eject through the ejection port. The bolt & bolt face are blued as has been observed on other, later center fire 1866 bolts. When the rifle was originally sold by James Julia Auctions, it was accompanied by a 2-page letter by well known Winchester collector & authority, the late Lewis E. Yearout, which unfortunately is now missing. The letter stated that after having examined this carbine that he finds it completely original & authentic. He justified the finding with the information that this SN receiver would have been produced around 1869-70 & that the development of the 44 Russian cartridge by Smith & Wesson was around 1870, which is substantiated in several books on cartridges. Smith & Wesson developed the 44 Russian cartridge to facilitate a contract with the Russian government for their large frame No. 3 revolvers. It stands to reason that this information would have come to the attention of Winchester who would have wanted to pursue a contract with the Russians for rifles & carbines of the same caliber. In the same year of 1870 Winchester filled a contract with the Turkish Ottoman Empire for 15,000 1866 muskets & 5000 1866 carbines. With that success Winchester would have been eager to follow up with a Russian contract for a companion rifle, musket or carbine to the Smith & Wesson No. 3 revolver. Such a contract apparently never materialized, probably something the Russians would live to regret because in 1877, at the Battle of Plevna, the Turks decimated the Russian Army using their 1866 muskets & carbines. The likelihood is that this carbine is one produced as a sample or test piece for the Russians. It is also possible that this carbine was intended as an ammunition test bed for the development of the 44 Russian cartridge. Regardless this is a very special & most unusual 1866 carbine. The address atop the barrel is in 2-lines ''HENRYS PATENT- OCT. 16 1860 / KINGS PATEN- MARCH 29. 1866''. The American walnut stocks are excellent, with nearly all their original oil finish. Buttstock has the early feature of a perch belly. The stocks have very few tiny handling marks. Barrel, mag tube, bbl bands, rear sight, bolt, trigger & lever lock along with the loading gate retain about 99% plus bright, high polish blue. The screws also retain bright blue. The receiver, side plates & buttplate have sharp edges, with a beautiful aged mustard patina & no evidence of having been cleaned. The case-hardened lever & hammer retain most of their strong, bright case-colors. Bore is nearly mint. The barrel carries the original 2-leaf 2-position rear sight, with marking at 100, 300 & 500 YDS & standard pinch blade barrel band front sight. Stock carries a smooth trapdoor crescent brass buttplate. SN is stamped on the bottom tang between trigger & hammer spring tension screw. Top tang channel of buttstock is marked ''X22531'' & inside toe of buttplate is marked ''2531''. A staple mounted saddle ring is located on the left side of the receiver. Tight smooth action & mechanically sound. The overall condition of the rifle is excellent. Although it was authenticated by the late Lewis E. Yearout as being 100% original, the gun appears almost too new. The wood & finishes may have been replaced & professionally restored, possibly at the Winchester factory at a much later time before being divested & sold from Winchester. The metal finish does not appear to be the type used in the late 1860's & yet it appears to be the original finish from the factory, but of a more modern formula. This makes sense if the factory chose to divest themselves of older archived or prototyped guns, which were then prepared for sell in more modern times & was sold with the finishes we see on this rifle today. This is a very rare, possibly one of a kind & extremely collectible carbine in extremely high condition. Antique, No FFL Req. - Value: 10000 to 25000

(Move around the image by clicking and dragging. Zoom with your scroll wheel)

Payment Details See Payment Instructions and item description, or contact seller for more information.

Payment Instructions See item description or contact seller for more information.

Price

EXTREMELY RARE Winchester, Model 1866 Saddle Ring Carbine, Secon... Item # 4013 This auction is over. No new bids can be placed. Price: US $7245

How to Pay If you would like to expedite your payment, please send us an email or give us a call informing us that you would like your invoice emailed to you. If we do not hear from you one of two things will happen: A.) If you signed up and asked us to bill your credit card & ship all items ASAP then that is what we will do. No further notice will be sent. B.) If you signed up and wanted to send us a check, then your invoice will be mailed to you after we figure the shipping. (Please note: If you want to speed this up just send us an email after the auction)

Questions or comments? email us! Return to Home Page