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January 26, 2011
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To answer a request a couple of you had from another thread where I showed a teaser of this rifle, I took some marginal photos of this very unique 1886 rifle.
Model 1886 #126913 is an ELW 45/70 with an extra length 26″ barrel (22″ being standard for the extra-lights). It’s a 1/2 mag, take-down, deluxe with a Lyman 21 and no rear sight seat. The most interesting feature, and the reason it came home with me is the “G” carved stock. I’ve yet to observe another and have shown this to several respected ’86 collectors who don’t seem to recall seeing one either. I’m guessing it was a very unpopular pattern. When folks bumped up from the “H” checkering we normally observe, I think they went with the “F” most often as you see those now and again on some of the high rent guns.
For the skeptics out there, that will certainly focus on the one anomaly to this rifle rather than the numerous attributes, you will notice the letter shows a silvers pad, which it obviously does not have. With a perfect fit, LOP, matching assembly numbers, and unique checkering pattern, I very quickly decided that it was likely just a mistake in the ledger, but why? Upon digging a little deeper, we found a rifle in the ledgers with an identical configuration as this one that went through the warehouse the same exact day. The only difference was the second one had the previously referenced “F” carving.
It’s my belief, biased as it may be to support my rifle, that the second rifle did, in fact have a silvers pad and someone just entered them both the same, only noticing the checkering difference. Who knows for sure, but I think it’s very likely that the same person ordered both of them as a pair (maybe for father & son or two brothers) and they had the two styles of carving to make them unique for each of the owners? Maybe the son needed a pad on his? …… all speculation, but fun to imagine. If you happen to own the twin to this rifle, we need to talk.
~Gary~
If you could do “likes” on this forum, I would give you a thousand.
You’re not going to believe this, but I owned the rifle immediately following yours, 126914, which I sold last October as I never could get used to the non factory receiver sight on an otherwise phenomenal rifle. Interestingly, mine was received in the warehouse 11June 1903 and shipped the following day, whereas if I had to guess, I might have thought yours would have been later, requiring more time to execute the “G” checkering.
https://www.cowanauctions.com/lot/winchester-model-1886-deluxe-lightweight-take-down-rifle-4094679
What a beautiful 86. I’ve never seen G style on any Winchester. That is a special gun. If I remember from the other thread, did you almost walk by it because you thought the carved stock wasn’t factory original?
Al
January 26, 2011
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tionesta1 said
What a beautiful 86. I’ve never seen G style on any Winchester. That is a special gun. If I remember from the other thread, did you almost walk by it because you thought the carved stock wasn’t factory original?Al
Yes, at first glance it looks wrong, so I hadn’t paid much attention to it. Later on in the show, this fellow wanted a 65 deluxe I had on my table, so I ended up using that gun as trade towards the ’86 ………. after I ran a search with CFM first, of course. I also made him pull the wood off to look for assembly numbers. It has 001 in three places, as I recall, but I dint get any photos at the time. Anyway, it was a good find.
~Gary~
January 26, 2011
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mrcvs said
If you could do “likes” on this forum, I would give you a thousand.You’re not going to believe this, but I owned the rifle immediately following yours, 126914, which I sold last October as I never could get used to the non factory receiver sight on an otherwise phenomenal rifle. Interestingly, mine was received in the warehouse 11June 1903 and shipped the following day, whereas if I had to guess, I might have thought yours would have been later, requiring more time to execute the “G” checkering.
https://www.cowanauctions.com/lot/winchester-model-1886-deluxe-lightweight-take-down-rifle-4094679
Thats quite the coincidence, and yes, that was a nice looking ’86 you had as well.
I think the timing of when the serial numbers showed up in the warehouse as completed guns was simply the order in which the receiver was pulled out of a tray. Mine was closer to the top of the stack than yours was.
~Gary~
I thought my rifle to be quite nice but the receiver sight really hurt it.
Your rifle is quite spectacular, to say the least!
November 7, 2015
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Quite honestly I think it is an exceptional rifle worthy of a ride home with any factory pattern, the “G” checkering makes it even more special. Nice score, good luck finding her sister.
Mike
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Spectacular rifle Gary. Amazing it lasted on the table that long. I can only dream of stumbling across such a rifle. A holy grail in my opinion.
Don
January 26, 2011
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Thanks guys, Its one of my favorites.
~Gary~
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