Big Larry said
I had to give up a couple of real nice rifles for my one and only M1886. Like the OP’s, it is a 40-65, not my first choice of calibers, but hey. It’s an antique shipped in 1890. My FIL carried one just like it as a young sheepherder back in the old days. Big Larry
Now that’s a nice rifle! Better condition than mine and an octagon barrel, too!
mrcvs said
Big Larry said
I had to give up a couple of real nice rifles for my one and only M1886. Like the OP’s, it is a 40-65, not my first choice of calibers, but hey. It’s an antique shipped in 1890. My FIL carried one just like it as a young sheepherder back in the old days. Big Larry
Now that’s a nice rifle! Better condition than mine and an octagon barrel, too!
Thanks. The last two I had were nice ones like yours. A 33 WCF and a 45-70. Sold them years ago. I traded a near mint, 32 Winchester rifle from 1907?, and a very early M1894 SRC in 25-35, a 98% carbine. The 32 was a round bbl. Eventually, I got the 25-35 back, never to be traded off again. Big Larry
oldcrankyyankee said
Fine looking 86 there Larry.
It sure is – nothing like a full octagon, full mag old 86. And, still a lot of case hardening. The first thing I notice on this gun is the wood to metal fit – superb – this is how Winchester made them. I am so sick of seeing these parts guns where you can put a dime in the gap between the stocks and the receiver. This gun just screams originality and it is better than money in the bank. There always has and always will be a strong market for guns like this. In my mind, caliber (unless a .50 which most have never owned) makes no difference on a gun like this because it is original, correct and has condition.
Burt, you and I are about the same age. I’ll be 73 this year. I also have been trying to get an example of all the 19th century Winchesters. I’m still missing an antique 1897. Found one in Vegas in January but the guy wanted $22,000. Very fancy gun but had a lot of cold blue on it.
Chuck said
Burt, you and I are about the same age. I’ll be 73 this year. I also have been trying to get an example of all the 19th century Winchesters. I’m still missing an antique 1897. Found one in Vegas in January but the guy wanted $22,000. Very fancy gun but had a lot of cold blue on it.
Chuck – we are the same age – I will be 73 in June. So far I have been pretty content with the downsizing of my Winchester collection. For now I am glad I kept the ones I did because I still have a passion for the old levers. What I have left is at a manageable size for my wife to deal with if something happens to me. Some guys just never get over an old high school girlfriend they let go. I feel the same way about the Model 55 deluxe, serial number 5. It is the only gun I sold for which I have any serious regret. But, I take comfort in knowing it went to a young WACA member who is a really nice guy and who will take care of it – he bought it for his collection and not to try and make a buck. It was the only single digit serial number Winchester I ever owned and as you know, a checkered Model 55, which is right, does not surface very often. Good luck on finding the 1897. Under the right circumstances, I would buy a checkered Model 1887. I have a nice standard grade which still has 95% of the original blue, nice wood and still showing a lot of case coloring on the receiver – I have never owned a checkered one. I will talk to Larry Orr – he knows where they are.
You are 5 months older than me. I talk to Larry each time I see him at a show but have never talked to him about an antique 97.
There was one at Cody 2 years ago. Guy wanted $1,200 but it had problems. He told Bert and I to just find another one and change out the parts. If they were that easy I would have bought one years ago. I chased one as it went through 2 auctions. It had a phony shipping crate that also had Wells Fargo stamped on it. A lot of dumb people out there.
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