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https://www.gunbroker.com/item/944674286
This listing brought up a pair of questions…
1) Is the number of 36” barreled lever guns Winchester made known?
2) What is the longest lettered barrel on a lever gun known?
jsgwoodsman said
https://www.gunbroker.com/item/944674286This listing brought up a pair of questions…
1) Is the number of 36” barreled lever guns Winchester made known?
2) What is the longest lettered barrel on a lever gun known?
What about the question, why would a customer want such a freakish thing? For any plausible hunting purpose, I mean. 34″ was the longest brl length offered by Rem & Ballard for their 1000 yd match rifles, intended to be fired prone.
Nobody wanted it for 14Gs, either.
I ended up with the gun in that listing. I have a friend with an 1873 38-40 36″ with a 2″ extra long stock that letters.
jsgwoodsman said
https://www.gunbroker.com/item/944674286This listing brought up a pair of questions…
1) Is the number of 36” barreled lever guns Winchester made known?
2) What is the longest lettered barrel on a lever gun known?
In answer to your first question:
The 1894 and 1892 models are only letterable for the first part of production so nobody knows.
The 1886 according to the William Porter research is 60.
The 1876 is 12 according to Herbert Houze.
The 1873 records have not been completely surveyed so who knows.
The 1866 records are not complete, most are not letterable. Probably not many.
In answer to your second question:
The 36″ length was the longest listed in the catalog.
Many 36″ guns had the barrel cut at some point. An original 36″ gun is RARE! T/R
Not a “lever” gun, but here’s an 1885 high wall with a 36 inch barrel:
https://www.gunbroker.com/item/949800884
Don
Online
Thus far I have verified (621) Winchester Single Shot (a.k.a. Model 1885) rifles with a factory 36-inch barrel. There were (2) manufactured with a 38-inch barrel. I am still in the process of surveying the records looking for more of the “extra” length barrels.
Per the ARMAX survey, there were (22) Model 1894 rifles manufactured with a 36-inch barrel that are letterable. I have surveyed just (1) outside of the letterable range. I suspect that a handful more may exist.
Bert
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
According to Parson’s book on 1866’s on page #107 there are “An extraordinary pair shipped in 1882 with shotgun butts, gilt receivers, nickel-plated magazines, and 38-inch gilt octagon barrels!”
deerhunter said
Not a “lever” gun, but here’s an 1885 high wall with a 36 inch barrel:https://www.gunbroker.com/item/949800884
Don
Some might argue that an 1885 still operates with a lever, although a bit different than the others.
I knew you gents would have the answers!
I can’t imagine a 36 or 38 inch barreled rifle would balance all that well once shouldered.
I have a large frame 1886 oct barrel 36″ in 40-82. The extra 10″ of barrel and tube move the carry point forward 2 inches and it shoulders good. Now if it were a small frame and wood or the magazine full probably not. Other than clumsy and weighing 10# it’s fine. If it is extra heavy, especially with a small caliber, find something to set the barrel on.
It has a Lyman tang sight and I shoot it with smokeless powder, it’s the most accurate 86 I’ve ever owned. T/R
TR said
I have a large frame 1886 oct barrel 36″ in 40-82. The extra 10″ of barrel and tube move the carry point forward 2 inches and it shoulders good. Now if it were a small frame and wood or the magazine full probably not. Other than clumsy and weighing 10# it’s fine. If it is extra heavy, especially with a small caliber, find something to set the barrel on.It has a Lyman tang sight and I shoot it with smokeless powder, it’s the most accurate 86 I’ve ever owned. T/R
That extra 10″ of sight radius does help with the accuracy of the loose nut behind the trigger, especially when using a tang sight 
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
My 36″ model 1895 shoulders very nicely and is quite comfortable to shoot. Of course, there’s no magazine tube full of ammo adding weight out front, so it really doesn’t feel front heavy like one would expect. Bert’ right, with the Lyman model 21 receiver sight, it does make for a very long sight radius. 
Mark
The standard 26″ 86 measures 21 3/4″ sight radius, the 36″ measures 43″ to the Lyman tang sight. That’s almost double, really helps old eyes focus.
Mark, good point, the magazine on a 95 makes a huge difference. T/R
Mike Venturino did some test shooting with long barrel 1873 rifles and found they actually lost muzzle velocity over shorter barrel rifles. In essence, the pistol caliber rounds start to “run out of steam” in the long barrel. I hope that makes sense.
Probably not such a big deal for the rifle caliber cartridges.
I call myself a collector as it sounds better than hoarder
clarence said
jsgwoodsman said
https://www.gunbroker.com/item/944674286
This listing brought up a pair of questions…
1) Is the number of 36” barreled lever guns Winchester made known?
2) What is the longest lettered barrel on a lever gun known?
What about the question, why would a customer want such a freakish thing? For any plausible hunting purpose, I mean. 34″ was the longest brl length offered by Rem & Ballard for their 1000 yd match rifles, intended to be fired prone.
Nobody wanted it for 14Gs, either.
Marlin held the line at 32 inches, except for very few one-off exceptions.
Bill Hockett said
Mike Venturino did some test shooting with long barrel 1873 rifles and found they actually lost muzzle velocity over shorter barrel rifles. In essence, the pistol caliber rounds start to “run out of steam” in the long barrel. I hope that makes sense.Probably not such a big deal for the rifle caliber cartridges.
It would have been interesting to do the test on rifle cartridges with 36 inch barrels. I’m referring to Models 1876, 1886, 1894 and 1895’s made with 36 inch barrels. Come to think of it, Mark Douglas was shooting a 36 inch barreled M1895 in fairly recent times. It would be interesting to take the same identical cartridge and chronograph it in a 26 inch barreled M1895 and a 36 inch barreled M1895. And were it me, I’d want to try several different powders.
steve004 said
Bill Hockett said
Mike Venturino did some test shooting with long barrel 1873 rifles and found they actually lost muzzle velocity over shorter barrel rifles. In essence, the pistol caliber rounds start to “run out of steam” in the long barrel. I hope that makes sense.
Probably not such a big deal for the rifle caliber cartridges.
It would have been interesting to do the test on rifle cartridges with 36 inch barrels. I’m referring to Models 1876, 1886, 1894 and 1895’s made with 36 inch barrels. Come to think of it, Mark Douglas was shooting a 36 inch barreled M1895 in fairly recent times. It would be interesting to take the same identical cartridge and chronograph it in a 26 inch barreled M1895 and a 36 inch barreled M1895. And were it me, I’d want to try several different powders.
Hmmmm. That got me scratching my head a little. I’ve got 38-72’s in 26″, 28″, 30″, 32″ and 36″. Can anybody fill in a short-barreled or 34″ 1895 in 38-72? 
Mark
Bill Hockett said
Mike Venturino did some test shooting with long barrel 1873 rifles and found they actually lost muzzle velocity over shorter barrel rifles. In essence, the pistol caliber rounds start to “run out of steam” in the long barrel. I hope that makes sense.Probably not such a big deal for the rifle caliber cartridges.
I wonder if he used some fast or slow burning powders during the testing? Short barrels may need a faster powder and long barrels might be better with a slower powder?
I never compared the velocity of the 36″ 86 to a 26″ with the same load. I did compare a 45/90 26″ to a 32″ with 3031 and they were about the same. With smokeless powder range of the bullet is probably the same but accuracy is improved by sight radius and maybe the factory did a better job of straightening the barrel because it was special ordered by a person who wanted accuracy. Why else would you pay extra? T/R
nanzca said
I ended up with the gun in that listing. I have a friend with an 1873 38-40 36″ with a 2″ extra long stock that letters.
This rifle is pictured and discussed in Gordon’s book – correct? And he states it is the only 36″ barreled M1873 in .32-20? I remember when Leroy Merz had this rifle a couple decades ago – he stated it was the one in Gordon’s book.
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