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Okay, I wrote the follow many years ago. Since then I have learned from you all how wrong Madis can be on some of his information so take that with a grain of salt. You guys know better than me. My skin is thick. Please advise me what you think I could get off Gunbroker or wherever, what I should ask and the logistics of how I should best go about asking. Should I try to find a guy with feed back to do it for me? I want to avoid getting ripped off by a thief, broken weapon, etc. while maximizing the amount I can get for it. I’m in no hurry and have sat on it for years. I could sit on it for many more. I’d hate to see my son inherit it and sell it at a pawn shop for chump change. LOL!
1866 Winchester Saddle Ring Carbine, .44 Henry Rim Fire, Full Nickel Plated, Fourth Generation. The letter from Cody has it as a carbine, nickeled, Received in the warehouse on November 13, 1883, Shipped from the warehouse on August 16, 1898. Madis has this serial number manufactured in 1886 (The Winchester Book, p. 620).
I received it in south-west Idaho as an unexpected gift in the mid- to late-1990s, as a “thank-you” for doing some pro bono environmental legal work.
The following is my understanding, but not guaranteed. It sat in the Winchester warehouse for almost 15 years. The man I received it from received it in south-east Idaho as a gift from a childhood friend. His childhood friend received it in south-east Idaho as a gift from his father. His father bought it, new in box, from a retailer in Salt Lake City, Utah. It apparently sat on the retailer’s shelf for quite some time.
It is obvious that it was used after original purchase. I don’t know what, if anything has been done to this weapon since it was originally purchased. I have not done anything to it.
Madis states that 170,100 model 66 Winchesters were made. The Winchester Book, p.620. He believes “no less than 90,000 models 66 were exported, and the number is probably closer to 75% of prosecution, or approximately 127,000 guns. For this reason, the model 66 is becoming increasingly difficult to add to a collection.” The Winchester Handbook, p.15.
I understand that plated 66s are of greater rarity than inscribed or engraved guns. I understand there were approximately 567 plated 66s made. Full plating is rarer than partial plating. The Winchester Book p. 126.
I’ve seen three others identical to it, all within 13 serial numbers; one is in the The Winchester Book, page 75, another is in the Cody museum, and yet another is or was for auction on Antiqueguns.com. This one has Assembly Number “CF 758” and a “C” on tang; “758” on stock under upper tang, “758” on bottom inside butt plate; “00” on bottom inside butt plate.
It is as the pictures show it to be; nothing more, nothing less. The action is tight, smooth and flawless, in my lay-opinion. It feels better than any 1886 or 1894 that I have ever thrown the lever on. The springs feel strong.
I am no expert on the terms of art that are used to describe weapons so you must rely upon the pictures. The picture of the bore is the best I could do. The cleaning rod compartment is empty.
I’ve been told full nickel 66s were made for the Indians. I’ve also be told some of these late 66s ended up as the boy’s bb gun of the day since the 73, 76, 86, 92 and 94 had come out by the time this one left the factory. That may be what happened in this case.
Thanks for any input. Pictures broken up into several posts:
James,
You have to remember that there is only about 45,000 records for 66 so that number of plated guns is going to be bogus. The number is going to a lot higher so having a plated gun is not going to be rare.
I looked at your gun when it was first posted and for its condition I thought it was priced too high. You have sling eyes that do not letter and the rear one is missing. I don’t hold that against it since many of the early guns had them or were added just like sights were changed by the user. What really caught my eye and that the front sling eye was not properly installed so it would damage the forearm wood. The major problem I saw with the gun was the wrench mark on the barrel. What reason would someone have to screw the barrel off. As a collector you are looking for original condition and when it looks like the barrel was screwed off you wonder if its original. You add up all the little problems and the barrel, that is what is hurting the value.
Bob
WACA Life Member--- NRA Life Member---- Cody Firearms member since 1991 Researching the Winchester 1873's
Email: [email protected]
Thanks, 1873man. So, with all that taken into consideration, what do think is a *reasonable* price to ask?
James Riley said
Thanks, 1873man. So, with all that taken into consideration, what do think is a *reasonable* price to ask?
James,
I would guess $10,000 to $12,000. If the steel parts had as much nickle as the brass then you would have no problem getting what you want.
Bob
WACA Life Member--- NRA Life Member---- Cody Firearms member since 1991 Researching the Winchester 1873's
Email: [email protected]
Yea! The wife freed me up to go to Reno so the road trip with an old friend is on, FINALLY, after all these years! I will be trying to unload this thing and hope, of course, that I can get maximum dollar for it. If anyone has any wisdom not already provided, I’d love to hear it (price, logistics on payment, marketing, etc.).
Thank you all for your input to date. I feel like I’m going in knowing what I have, good and bad. If all goes well, maybe I’ll find that nasty looking, dust-covered, dark old barn 1873 I’ve always wanted, just as a treat for having gotten rid of nickel SRC. (I like crescent, octagon rifles). If not, I guess it goes back in the closet. 
78CJ said
Is it possible that this gun was apart to re-nickel?
I can’t answer that question. What little I know about the people who owned it, they didn’t strike me as the kind of people who would re-nickel anything. They’d just use it like most folks would use a regular gun. In fact, they would view this as a regular gun, the way I view my Remington 700BDL.
I doesn’t appear to have been re-nickeled and, as I understand it, nickel stays with "brass" better than it does with steel, thus the receiver has more of it than the barrel, etc.
The wrench (?) marks on the barrel and the scraped wood on the forearm are intriguing though. Obviously an amateur, but why and what were they doing? The barrel and magazine seem to go with the gun.
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