Make: Winchester
Model: 1886 Carbine
Serial Number: 81799
Year of Manufacture: 1893
Caliber: .38-56 WCF
Action Type: Lever Action Tubular Magazine Fed Rifle
Barrel Length: 22", Round
Sights: The front sight is a german silver blade pinned to a slotted base fixed to the barrel in front of the forward band. The rear sight is a folding ladder-style sight presenting a fixed "U"-notch when down and with a "U"-notched slider on the ladder graduated from 0-2,000 yards.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The stocks are two-piece smooth walnut with banded forend, straight grip, straight comb and steel carbine-style buttplate. The stocks have light nicks, scuffs and scratches with some more notable dings, mostly at the toe. There is a crack in the bottom-front of the forend in front of the band. There is a tiny loss in the bottom-front corner of the wrist on the right. The LOP measures 13 3/8" from the front of the trigger to the back of the buttplate. The plate has gone to a moderate patina with wear at the heel and toe. Overall, the stocks are in about Very Good condition as refinished Antique.
Type of Finish: Blue and Casehardened
Finish Originality: Original
Bore Condition: The bore is gray. The rifling is worn, but generally well defined. There is erosion and pitting scattered through the bore. In this writer's opinion, the bore rates about 5/10.
Overall Condition: The rifle retains approximately 3% of its metal finish. There is only a little finish remaining in well protected areas. The metal surfaces have mostly worn to white or gone to patina. There are some scattered nicks, scuffs and scratches. The receiver has streaking, as is common. There is scattered light surface erosion. The left of the receiver has wear from the saddle ring. There are tool marks at some screw heads. The action shows operational wear. The screw heads range from sharp to tool marked with usable slots. The markings are clear. Overall, this rifle is in Very Good condition as Antique.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. We did not fire this rifle. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.
Box, Paperwork and Accessories: Included is a Cody Firearms Records Office search indicating that this serial number was produced as a Carbine, caliber .38-56, received in warehouse July 8, 1893 and shipped August 28, 1894 on order number 19975.
Our Assessment: The 1886 is another of John Browning’s industry-changing designs. It is our favorite Winchester here, certainly the strongest built at the time and function leads to beauty. The 1886 was available in a variety of cartridges over its nearly 40 years of production and, while there were standard configurations, there were also special-order features which led to a wide number of variations available to the collector today.
This example is interesting for a couple of reasons. First, and perhaps most important to the collectors, it is in a saddle ring carbine configuration chambered for .38-56 WCF, confirmed as its original configuration in the Winchester factory records. Today, the Winchester 1886 carbine is one of the most sought-after versions of this model. As George Madis stated in The Winchester Book, "One of the rarest carbines in the Winchester line is the Model '86". This saddle ring carbine in caliber .38-56 was made in 1893 and has developed an age-worthy patina while retaining generally defined rifling and legible markings. It also comes from the personal collection of noted gun writer, NRA Field Editor and winner of the John T. Amber Literary Award, Rick Hacker. Altogether, this is a neat example of a Winchester 1886 which should display well in a collection missing a Carbine. Please see our pictures and good luck!
