Item Description
Original Item: Only One Available. Every Schoolboys dream! A genuine M-1866 YELLOW BOY, the legendary Brass-framed first Winchester Saddle Ring Carbine. First introduced in 1866, having taken over the Henry Rifle Company, Oliver Winchester launched one of the iconic Firearm names in the history of THE OLD WEST.
This Brass-Framed Beauty is in .44 Henry Rimfire with a 20" round barrel and full-length magazine tube. Features the standard carbine front sight attached to the front band and a simple fixed rear sight. The serial number is 96818, denoting the year of manufacture as 1872, just one year before be superseded by the
Model of 1873.
The engraving on the top of the barrel is mostly clear, and indicates improvements made shortly after the model was launched:
WINCHESTER'S REPEATING ARMS. NEW HAVEN. CONN. U.S.A.
- KING'S-IMPROVEMENT-PATENTED-MARCH 29.1866. OCTOBER 16.1860. -
Stocks are in good condition, a with a few dings, small chips, and minor imperfections but retains much of the original finish, and are the dark red-brown color of aged oiled walnut. The action has a beautiful patina on the "gunmetal" frame, which we have left intact. Barrel has some original brown/blue finish, with small areas of light peppering. Features a "hook" butt plate with working storage compartment. The rifle is in overall very nice condition. Very crisp tight action in fully functional condition with the original dust cover. The five-groove rifled bore has clear lands and grooves, with the expected patina of age.
A great example of an iconic gun. The first that we have ever offered for sale!
The first Winchester rifle – the Winchester Model 1866 – was originally chambered for the rimfire .44 Henry. Nicknamed the "Yellow Boy" because of its receiver of a bronze/brass alloy called gunmetal, it was famous for its rugged construction and lever-action "repeating rifle" mechanism that allowed the user to fire a number of shots before having to reload. Nelson King's improved patent remedied flaws in the Henry rifle by incorporating a loading gate on the side of the frame and integrating a round, sealed magazine which was partially covered by a forestock.
France purchased 6,000 Model 1866 rifles along with 4.5 million .44 Henry cartridges during the Franco-Prussian War. The Ottoman Empire purchased 45,000 Model 1866 rifles and 5,000 carbines in 1870 and 1871. These rifles were used in the 1877 Russo-Turkish War, causing much surprise when outnumbered Turks at the Siege of Plevna inflicted many times more casualties than their opponents armed with single-shot Krnka and Berdan rifles. The Model 1866 compelled Russians to develop a new rifle, the Mosin–Nagant, after the war.
The Swiss Army initially selected the Model 1866 to replace their existing single-shot Milbank-Amsler rifles. However, ensuing political pressure to adopt a domestic design resulted in the Vetterli Model 1867, a bolt-action design utilizing a copy of the Winchester's tubular magazine, being adopted instead.
Due to public demand, the Model 1866 continued to be manufactured and sold until 1899, mainly because they were less expensive than the later steel-framed centerfire models. Later models were chambered for the .44-40 Winchester cartridge.
Specifications-
Year of Manufacture: 1872
Caliber: .44 Henry
Cartridge Type: Rimfire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 20 Inches
Overall Length: 39 Inches
Action type: Lever Action Repeater
Feed System: 13-round tube magazine
Note: Please note that for international shipping, these MUST be shipped using UPS WW Services.
- This product is not available for shipping in US state(s): New Jersey
This product is available for international shipping.
IMA considers all of our antique guns as non-firing, inoperable and/or inert. Title 18, U.S. Code, Section 921(a)(16) defines antique firearms as all guns made prior to 1899. This law exempts antique firearms from any form of gun control or special engineering because they are not legally considered firearms. No FFL, C&R or any license is required to possess, transport, sell or trade Antique guns. All rifles and muskets sold by IMA that were manufactured prior to 1899 are considered Antiques by the US BATF (United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms). Therefore, all of IMA's Antique guns may be shipped to all US States and most nations around the world.
These antique guns are not sold in "live" condition. They are sold as collector's items or as "wall hangers". Any attempt at restoring an antique gun to be operational is strongly discouraged and is done so at the risk of the customer. By purchasing an antique gun from IMA you thereby release IMA, its employees and corporate officers from any and all liability associated with use of our Antique guns.
Pre-1899 Manufacture, no licenses required, allowed to ship to almost any deliverable address across the globe. Please note that for international shipping, these MUST be shipped using UPS WW Services.
- Not eligible for payment with Paypal or Amazon
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