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Winchester 1886 Modification

stevemm
I have the chance to purchase a Winchester 1886 with an interesting modification. The barrel is 23.5 inches long and is octagonal from the receiver to the end of the magazine tube (short version). At that point, the barrel is turned down to a smaller diameter and is round. The last inch or so of the barrel is the same diameter as the portion near the receiver and is octagonal. It looks as if the front site was re-set on this portion of the barrel. The modification work looks to be the same age as the gun. It was manufactured in 1888, is .40-65 caliber, and has a serial number in the 26,000 range.

Any information on this modification would be appreciated.[?]
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7 comments

Date Votes
  • Bert H.
    Hello stevemm,

    It is highly unlikley that the modification work to the barrel is original Winchester factory work, but you can verify it through the Cody Firearms Museum - http://www.bbhc.org/firearms/index.cfm

    Are you sure the barrel is only 23.5" and not 24" (did you include the section of the barrel screwed into the receiver frame)[?] I have looked at several thousand special order Winchester lever action firearms in the past 30 years, and I have never seen what you are describing. My guess is that some semi-skilled gunsmith turned down the barrel, but did not have the means to properly recut a new front sight dovetail slot, so he just left that section of the barrel untouched. What is the distance from the muzzle to the forward edge of the dovetail slot for the front sight?

    Bert H.

    Real Men use a SINGLE-SHOT!
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  • stevemm
    The 23.5" measurement does include the portion of the barrel screwed into the receiver. I didn't measure the distance to the front site, but the site did not look like a factory installation. The end of the barrel is slightly rounded (crowned). The barrel also had a groove machined into it for clearance for the cap on the end of the magazine tube.

    The quality of the machining was good, but not quite as good as that done by Winchester. What is not obvious is the purpose of the modification. It has reduced the weight of the gun, but not by very much.
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  • Bert H.
    Steve...

    It appears as if the barrel was cut down a bit at the muzzle end. Winchester lever action Rifle barrels (regardless of which Model) were never crowned. I am with you... I don't understand why the work would have been done either. It would be interesting to see a few pictures of it though.

    Bert H.

    Real Men use a SINGLE-SHOT!
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  • stevemm
    I will try to get some pictures and post them. The owner of the gun said that he thought that the modifications had something to do with buffalo hunting. I don't know what these mods would do to enhance the use of the rifle for hunting.
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  • Bert H.
    The buffalo were wiped out long before the Model 1886 was introduced, so that story is suspect at best.

    Winchester did make special order barrels that were truly 1/2 octagon 1/2 round, but they were round all the way to the muzzle. A Model 1886 with such a barrel is worth a considerable premium, and over the years, many "not so honest" people have tried to duplicate (fake) those special order barrels. The problem lies in the ability to properly or correctly recut the front sight dovetail slot after turning a full octagon barrel down to a round barrel on the muzzle end. Winchester used a special machining jig to accomplish it, and it is not easy to duplicate it by an average or even a really good gunsmith. There are also a few other indicators (if one knows what to look for) that will tip off the savy Winchester collector to a "faked" barrel. I don't necessarily believe that this one was done in an attempt to fool anyone, more likely someone just wanted a 1/2 octagon barrel and did not have the ability to recut the dovetail slot, so they just left that part of the barrel alone. I am looking forward to seeing the pictures.

    Bert H.

    Real Men use a SINGLE-SHOT!
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  • stevemm
    The curator of the Cody Firearms Museum informed me that this 1886 left the factory as an octagonal barreled rifle with a full length magazine. The modifications were not done by the factory and appear to him to be an attempt to lighten the gun or perhaps a failed effort at faking a half octagon/half round barrel.

    I don't think this rifle would be a valuable addition to a collection.
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  • 4C_Ranch
    Bert you are correct. Madis in the Winchester book says 1886 barrels always measured 1/4 inch less than advertised. Steve, depends on the price on that gun, even butchered 1886s are worth quite a bit these days. You can still find unaltered ones but its getting harder and the asking prices are getting pretty high.
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