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I’m currently a student at the Colorado School of Trades (just started) and I have this rifle which appears to be a re-barreled 1866 Winchester. The thing is missing some parts but more important, I’m unsure of what I actually have here. The barrel is marked 44WCF with the Winchester double proof marks for factory barrels they sold to gunsmiths back in the day. What puzzles me is the serial number location behind the lever on the lower tang which also matches the one inside the buttplate. There is also a series of x’s I believe four of the on the side of the lower tang as well. I’m also stumped by the leather glued to the left side of the buttstock and have never seen that before. If this thing is in fact a real 1866, someone made a poor attempt to polish it and scratched it to hell unfortunately. Since damage has already been done to it, I’d like to find all of the missing parts and polish it properly, restore the wood, and make it functional once again as my capstone project. I have 14 months to do a restoration job but I’ll also need those parts. Any help with identification, and locating parts would be greatly appreciated.[Image Can Not Be Found] [Image Can Not Be Found] [Image Can Not Be Found] [Image Can Not Be Found] [Image Can Not Be Found]
Regards,
Joe Novotny
Joe,
Since you are a guest you can’t directly post photos here , you have to host them on a third party site and link to them or you can send me photos to my address below. If the tang has 4 X’s that would indicate a very fancy grade of wood.
Bob
WACA Life Member--- NRA Life Member---- Cody Firearms member since 1991 Researching the Winchester 1873's
Email: [email protected]
Joe this may be a good project but it most likely can never be or should be fired. The 66 shot 44 rim fire. The 44 WCF is a center fire and much longer cartridge. You have a lot of internal parts that need to be changed/modified to cycle or fire a center fire.
Good project for a wall hanger. I bet the serial number is one that can not be lettered.
Joe,
Here are some of the pictures you sent. I picked the ones that showed important stuff. What I can tell its a combination of different eras of parts from two models. The barrel and tube is from a very late 73 and is going to be chambered for 44-40 which will not feed in a 66 receiver since its too long of shell. It has the mail order proof mark on it. The bolt looks to be a 2nd/3rd model 73 bolt. The number on the lower tang like you were told is not the serial number and if that number is the serial number for the receiver it would of been on the left side of the lower tang for that era. The extra hole on the upper tang was probably added for a sight. The lever is a 2nd/3rd model 73 lever.
Bob
WACA Life Member--- NRA Life Member---- Cody Firearms member since 1991 Researching the Winchester 1873's
Email: [email protected]
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