The rifle in the pictures was found on our place at an abandoned old homestead. About 6 inches of the barrel was sticking out of the ground and we dug the rest out. Any guess of what it might be?

Let me know if the pictures work. I'm trying a new picture hosting site. Thanks

I got the pictures, but I don't know what it is.

Cool find!

looks like a 92

Loading gate is to large for a '92 and appears to be two piece. That and the screw hole location makes me think it's an 1886.

Much longer lower tang than the lever, and the boss on the tang for the mainspring.

It is a Win 1886

JW

I have found a local antique dealer that knows rifles really well and we are going to take it to him to find out for sure. I was just wanting everyone's opinion and to show it to some gun nuts who might enjoy seeing it.

don't clean it.

That's one of the coolest things I seen in a long time.

And to think I got a thrill just finding .40-82 and .250-3000 brass at a Montana homestead. I may have to go metal detect some more...

I did find half of a sword blade.

A little more background for you guys. This was found on our ranch that my family purchased in 1978 and is about 5 miles from where my family originally homesteaded on the Little Missouri River in the late 1800s in Northwest South Dakota. It is about 7 miles from Camp Crook South Dakota. That is were Gen. George Crook wintered with his men and horses while fighting Indians. He was supposed to meet up with Gen. Armstrong Custer to help at the Little Bighorn Battle. My nephew that found it is the 7th generation of my family that has lived in this county. The old homestead is in the side of a bank on a draw. We are going to the courthouse to see who might of homesteaded there and if there are any records to help piece it together.

Randy,
Do you think with some GENTLE cleaning you could get the serial number? The Buffalo Bill Museum in Cody has the factory records for Winchester 1886 rifles. I think it's about $50 but they'll do a research and send you a letter with all the rifle's info - warehouse, specs, etc.

75. I just e-mailed the museum as matter of fact and I am waiting for a reply. I don't want to touch it in fear of damaging it until I talk to some top-notch experts. Thanks for the advice.

The serial number on these is on the lower tang, which you have. It is often very lightly engraved so might not have survived the rust. The museum will need a serial number to determine anything.

Here is a reply from the Cody, Wyoming gun Museum.

Hi Randy;


It appears to be a Winchester Model 1886 rifle. The serial number would be on the lower tang between the end of the finger lever and the screw hole at the end of the lower tang. If it is a later version, the serial number was stamped deeper and in block numbers. It may be readable after a little clean-up.



The Winchester Model 1886 Lever Action Repeating Rifle was manufactured from 1886 until 1935, with a total of 159,994 produced. Winchester developed this model for the use of the more powerful centerfire cartridges that were being produced at the time. The Model 1886 was produced in 10 different chamberings: .45-70 U. S. Government, .45-90 W.C.F., .40-82 W.C.F. (in 1886); .40-65 W.C.F., .38-56 W.C.F., .50-110 Express (in 1887); .40-70 W.C.F., .38-70 W.C.F. (in 1894); .50-110-450 (in 1895); and .33 W.C.F. (in 1903). The most popular caliber was the .45-70 Gov’t.



The Model 1886 was the first repeating rifle of John M. and Matthew S. Browning design to be adopted by Winchester. That design, and subsequent modifications by William Mason of Winchester, made it a vast improvement over the Model 1876. There were several variations: sporting rifle, fancy sporting rifle, takedown rifle, extra lightweight takedown rifle, extra lightweight rifle, carbine and musket.



The Model 1886 had a walnut stock, case hardened frame, and blued barrel and magazine tube. Winchester discontinued the case hardened frame on all of their rifles in 1901 and used blued frames instead. Factory options were available at extra cost. Standard barrel lengths were; rifles 26 inches, carbines 22 inches, and muskets 30 inches. Extra lightweight rifles in .45-70 were standard with a round rapid taper 22 inch barrel. Rifles in 33 W.C.F. were standard with a rapid taper, round barrel, 24 inches long.



The early Model 1886’s had the serial number stamped lightly into the lower tang. These serial numbers had a tendency to wear off if the gun was well used. Around serial number 120,000 the numbers were stamped deeper into the lower tang and the wear on the tang was not such an issue. The Model 1886 had a detachable lower tang and if the gun was returned to the factory for repair and the lower tang was replaced, the replacement tangs did not have a serial number on them. As a result, it is possible to have a Model 1886 with no serial number.

There is a fellow that use to be on this forum that I'd bet he had at least three of them in the same condition and took over 6 Boone & Crockett elk with them.

Wow makes you wonder what the story was.

quote:

Originally posted by carpetman1:
There is a fellow that use to be on this forum that I'd bet he had at least three of them in the same condition and took over 6 Boone & Crockett elk with them.

That's funny!

Cool! I dream of finding stuff like that.

BH63

I was able to find the serial number and it was made in 1889.

Randy, that's a wonderful find. Your people have been in that country long enough that they probably knew the original owner.

I am sure going to try my best to find out.

Randy,
Was it too corroded to determine the caliber marking?

I received the certified letter back from the Cody, Wyoming Museum.

The caliber is 38/56
The barrel type is octagon.
The trigger is plain.
Received in warehouse on February 12, 1890 and shipped from the warehouse on February 26, 1890.
Order number 9583.
No other information was available for this serial number.

Shipped out of the warehouse on my birthday! Only 93 years before I came along. Still a really neat find Randy!

The sheriff of El Paso county, Bob Baily was working cattle, and rode across Salt Flat, it had a huge rock in the middle of it and the sheriff crawled up on top of it and pretty quick he called the others over, on top of the rock in a little shallowed out spot was a human skelton and a cap and ball pistol, the hammer was cocked and it had 4 emptys and 2 loaded rounds in it and it was terribly corroded probably due to the salt air..It was determined at some point he got in a fight with the Indians..neat find.