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Winchester Information Please

tomcarrigan
I have a Winchester 1886, in 38-56WCF, Serial #40097 which appears to be a light weight model. The front of the barrel is round, but the back part of the barrel, near the stock is octagon. Can anybody tell me anything about this rifle?
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4 comments

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  • Bert H.
    Hello Tom,

    It is not actually a "Lightweight" Rifle, but it IS a special order Rifle (due to the 1/2 octagon 1/2 round barrel). Without a better description of the rest of your rifle, there is not much else that can be said, other than it was manufactured circa 1889/1890, and it is a blackpowder cartridge rifle. If you intend to shoot this rifle, stick to nothing but cast lead bullets, and smokeless powder loads that approximate the original blackpowder factory loads.

    Bert H.

    Real Men use a SINGLE-SHOT!
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  • tomcarrigan
    I do have some digital photographs if anybody would like to see. It almost looks as though somebody took an octagon barrel and milled it down on a lathe, although I don't know why.
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  • 1KYDSTR
    We WOULD like to see! And the option of half octagon half round was done for, among other things, reduced weight, but as
    Bert mentioned, yours is most likely not a light weight rifle.

    "When I cease learning...I'm dead"(Me)
    "Power corrupts...Absolute power corrupts absolutely"(Descartes?)
    "History is written by winners"(Patton)
    "You get a lot farther with a kind word and a gun than you do with a kind word alone!"(Al Capone)
    "There is nothing lower than the human race...except the French" (Samuel Clemens)
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  • Bert H.
    quote:Originally posted by tomcarrigan
    It almost looks as though somebody took an octagon barrel and milled it down on a lathe, although I don't know why.


    Hello Tom...

    That is exactly what Winchester did... and it was a special order option on the Rifle variant of the Model 1886 (as well as on MANY other Winchester models). Many people liked the looks of the 1/2 octagon barrel. You can send a picture of it to me at Win1885@msn.com if you would like.

    The Model 1886 "Lightweight" Rifle was introduced about 10 years after your rifle was made, and they always have a rapid taper, full round barrel, with a ramp for the front sight. 99% of them are chambered for either 33 W.C.F. or 45-70.

    Bert H.

    Real Men use a SINGLE-SHOT!
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