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Winchester 1866 Musket .44-40 Win NVSN

Currency:USD Category:Firearms & Military Start Price:3,000.00 USD Estimated At:6,000.00 - 9,000.00 USD
Winchester 1866 Musket .44-40 Win NVSN
'Yellow Boy' Scarce late production brass frame lever action repeating rifle chambered in .44 Rimfire, presumably manufactured circa 1877-1898. The Winchester company termed these long-barreled 1866s as infantry rifles because the name musket evoked visions of the unwieldy long barreled large bore rifles produced during the Civil war. Despite their marketing efforts the musket had the lowest sales of any of the 1866 models and is consequently the rarest today. It is estimated that only 14,000 muskets were produced which only accounts for 8.23% of the total 1866 model production. This rifle features a blued 27" round barrel, fixed post front sight, removed rear sight, 14 round tubular magazine, three barrel bands with a sling swivel on the middle band, brass frame, smooth trigger, knurled hammer spur, blued loading gate, smooth walnut forend with brass tack embellishments, and straight grip shoulder stock with leather wrapped wrist/comb & trapdoor crescent metal buttplate. The leather wrapped around the stock is covering the serial number and shows a morning star cutout on the right side. Rifle bears minor traces of it's blued finish with the majority of the barrel & magazine tube displaying a smooth aged grey patina with some brown tones and scattered old pitting. The hammer shows a small amount of finish retained on the back side, the loading lever has turned dark brown and the brass receiver exhibits a nice aged patina. Action is mechanically sound, the bore is very good, no markings are visible beside a "S" on the top of the barrel near the receiver and the wood stocks are good with cracks in the forend, small losses on the buttstock and a few repairs. Condition is near NRA Good. ***Antique Firearm***