47

Outstanding Nimschke Style Engraved Winchester 1866 Lever Action Rifle

Currency:USD Category:Firearms & Military Start Price:7,500.00 USD Estimated At:NA
Outstanding Nimschke Style Engraved Winchester 1866 Lever Action Rifle
Please read the terms and conditions carefully in regards to shipping and payment. Please contact us before the auction if you have any questions.
Outstanding Nimschke Style Engraved Winchester Model 1866 Lever Action Rifle, (3rd Model), #23556, 44 RF cal., 24'' blue octagonal barrel, engraved brass receiver, lifter, forend cap and buttplate; standard walnut stock and forend, factory sling swivels, standard front and rear sights. Classic L.D. Nimschke style engraving with double ''dog bone'' side curls, simple fan fillets, and background area filled by crosshatching and dots. Signed ''Nimschke'' in simple ribband surrounded by his classic scrollwork. Sunflower motif to bottom of lifter. Right sideplate with open kidney-shaped space for presentation engraving; left sideplate with simple running buck elk and doe. Mfg'd 1869. Condition is very good to near fine. Barrel shows mostly brown patina with traces of blue finish, spots of dried grease and light pitting. Frame, buttplate and forend cap are in untouched as found condition, with just some very small scratches showing on top of engraving, as well as shallow surface dents and marks to the smooth portions of buttplate and forend cap. Lever is a combination of gunmetal gray and darker spotting with areas of fine pitting. Detail work is excellent. Sideplates fit bank vault tight. Oil-finished stock and forend with nice figure to straight grain, mild to moderate pressure dings and light scratches; wood still fits proud. Forend with two small but slightly deeper dents to left side and an approx. 1'' minor hairline crack near receiver. Front sight blade is missing; rear sight is slightly bent; simple leaf trigger return spring is broken but is an easy fix, otherwise good action and very good bore. Est.: $15,000-$20,000. (Antique)