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Greetings! (In advance of my question, I am new to ownership of my antique 1886 Winchester, and new to the world of Winchesters in general. Please forgive any ignorance I display as I learn my way. Thank you!)
I am ISO an appraiser for my Model 1886 rifle. What distinguishing qualifications would you like to see an appraiser hold? Are there specific experts in the U.S. considered the foremost expert in antique Winchesters or the model 1886? Does there exist a list of recommended antique Winchester firearms appraisers in the U.S.?
Thank you for all your help!
Annie
Annie,
Just post good clear pictures of the gun on here and we can tell you what its worth. Pictures of all the marking and general pictures so we can see tell its configuration and condition. The only thing is being a guest is you have to post your pictures to a third party site and link to them on here or email them to a member and they can post them. We have Bert who is a Administrator on this site that authored a Winchester value book
Bob
WACA Life Member--- NRA Life Member---- Cody Firearms member since 1991 Researching the Winchester 1873's
Email: [email protected]
Thank you! I created a new topic titled “Model 1886 …”
Here are the photos for anyone interested: https://akbbrown4060.wixsite.com/winchester1886
My rifle is an 1886 40-82 30″ barrel. The CFM letter indicates the rifle should be 45-90 caliber and makes no statement regarding the barrel, which I take to mean that it was standard length.
Is there some way to determine when the rifle barrel grew 4″ and changed its caliber?
I appreciate everyone’s input.
Regards,
Annie
Hello Annie,
There really is no good way to say this, so here it is… Your Model 1886 rifle is in rough shape. In addition to having the wrong barrel (and magazine tube) on it, the rear sight is damaged (broken), the upper tang has an extra (non-factory original) hole drilled in it, the stocks have been sanded, and there is almost none of the original finish remaining on the various steel surfaces. It is best described as a “brown” gun, with warts. Accordingly, it has very little if any value in the collector market, and maybe $1,000 if it has a decent (shootable) bore.
Bert
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
Aw, that’s okay. It is an heirloom and is still the longest living member of our family! I have a few warts myself! Thanks for looking at it for us! It will go back into our safe happily.
Regards,
Annie
Personally, I like it. If I were you, it would be priceless because of the heirloom aspect. But if it were not an heirloom, I’d still like it. It could be darker, for my tastes, and, based upon what I’ve heard of late on this board, I’d probably get it darker with some cosmoline. 
That gun would look great on a wall, especially *my* wall. But it would look horrible in a safe. I think $1k is reasonable.
For you experts, just curious: Do you think the barrel and magazine came together off the same rifle? Also, how many 30″ 40-82s were there? Or is that unknowable?
I wonder what happened to the rifle they came off of. That is probably unknowable.
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