Relic Winchester 1866

DOUGLAS D

DOUGLAS D

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Posting this for a friend. Rifle is not mine (although I wish it was..)

A relic ground found 1866 Winchester first model rifle.
Turned up by the cultivator while tilling.
No wood remaining. Lever present and open and 44 RF cartridge case still visable.
Trigger still intact although slightly bent.
Magazine tube gone. Remnants of sights still present. Notches in barrel where the forearm cap would have engauged.

Really makes you wonder when a rifle is found with the action open/ half cycled...Surely it never fell off the horse that way nor out of the wagon box.

Sitting Bull's rifle? Gabrial Dumont's Le Petit?

Anyone else with anything like this in the collection? What type of value for insurance, as it is a definite museum piece.
Comments and thoughts welcome.
 
It's worth a pretty penny as it is - there is a certain segment of people out there who like this kind of stuff (dug up). No serials visible? Should be on the lower tang (behind the trigger) IIRC.

You may want to get in touch with the Buffalo Bill Center of the West (Cody Firearm Museum) - they can do some lookups and advise on restoration if there is interest. There is also the Cody Dug Up Guns museum - they know a thing or two about this.

In my opinion the gun is very restorable. And it will be worth an even bigger bundle once restored (it is an antique in the US and many countries in Europe)

I'm sure most have seen this, but just in case - this was a fun article and wouldn't it be great to have your friend's gun featured similarily? https://centerofthewest.org/2015/07...-in-center-of-the-wests-cody-firearms-museum/
 
KotKotofeich said:
It's worth a pretty penny as it is - there is a certain segment of people out there who like this kind of stuff (dug up). No serials visible? Should be on the lower tang (behind the trigger) IIRC.

You may want to get in touch with the Buffalo Bill Center of the West (Cody Firearm Museum) - they can do some lookups and advise on restoration if there is interest. There is also the Cody Dug Up Guns museum - they know a thing or two about this.

In my opinion the gun is very restorable. And it will be worth an even bigger bundle once restored (it is an antique in the US and many countries in Europe)

I'm sure most have seen this, but just in case - this was a fun article and wouldn't it be great to have your friend's gun featured similarily? https://centerofthewest.org/2015/07...-in-center-of-the-wests-cody-firearms-museum/
Click to expand...

Great reply and thank you.
For sure worth a lot more research on this one. I'll post more info and hopefully pictures as I get them.
Definitly not something that turns up every day although not unheard of.
My uncle turned up a Winchester 1890 pump 22 in much the same condition many years ago not all that far from where this one surfaced.
Also I grew up with a story of a Winchester 44-40 (1873? 1892?)that my father found while clearing the fencelines on the original family homestead.
Because of the condition Dad simply threw it away.(This was in the 1930's)
Three "dug up" Winchesters all within a 50-60 mile radius really makes one wonder exactly what was going on back then.
 
DOUGLAS D said:
Great reply and thank you.
For sure worth a lot more research on this one. I'll post more info and hopefully pictures as I get them.
Definitly not something that turns up every day although not unheard of.
My uncle turned up a Winchester 1890 pump 22 in much the same condition many years ago not all that far from where this one surfaced.
Also I grew up with a story of a Winchester 44-40 (1873? 1892?)that my father found while clearing the fencelines on the original family homestead.
Because of the condition Dad simply threw it away.(This was in the 1930's)
Three "dug up" Winchesters all within a 50-60 mile radius really makes one wonder exactly what was going on back then.
Click to expand...

That is odd, like very odd. Since inception guns have always been an expensive venture and not something that is just discarded?
 
Relics.
Sold an 1860 Colt Relic similar cond. Auction Tag attached said from Battle of the Wilderness. It was a hard sell at 800 bucks just couple yrs ago, on this site if I recall.
Still have a Relic Brit Dragoon from Battle of Stoney Creek and a U.S.. 1795 Relic. Relics are around.
Selling a battlefield pick up relic Eaglehead Sword War of 1812 right now Militaria Forum.
Have more coming.
 
Old does not make it valuable. This gun is in very very bad conditions..can hardly be called a gun.
Even receiver is probably scrap metal. I don’t see any value in it other than to a museum like Cody for their dig out collection.
 
I have a Winchester Md. 1886 rifle that was found under the floor boards of a cabin with roof gone.
The cabin was in a wilderness location & found about 1997. Butt stock , lower tang & lever were gone.
All metal was badly rusted & forend badly weathered. I made a floor lamp out of it & it sits beside
my PC desk. Also have the same set up but in a Winchester 1894 rifle that was in a house fire.
Both are lamps.
 
Serial number places it as built in 1876
127###
Will see if Cody can place the original shipping info as no doubt it travelled far.
Regarding repairing or restoring it that isn’t even a question. It is a relic and will remain so.
Nor would I make it into a lamp as it has far more value as is.
 
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