A nice oldie

[MikeS.]

I attended our monthly Izzak Walton League gun club meeting tonight and a member had a new find he was showing around. It's 1907 Winchester in .33wcf caliber. A caliber I'd never heard of. He tells me they made this rifle in .33wcf and in .45-70 gov't. It is in great shape and is beautiful. He generously allowed me to handle it and take this picture.

[lever-4-life]

That is a wonderful rifle! If I am not mistaken it is a lightweight, perhaps one of the winchester guys will chime in.

[Ray Newman]

I do think that the rifle pictured is a M1886.

Don't think that there ever was a “1907 Winchester“ lever action rifle, but there was a Self-Loading 1907 rifle. Maybe the owner meant it was made in 1907??

I think Winchester only offered the 33 WCF & .45-70 in the M1886, along w/ several other heavy .45 & .40 calibres as well as a .50-100/110. Not sure if there was another calibre or two offered.

I can not recall exactly when Winchester introduced the .33 WCF, but it was in the early 1900’s.

& IRC, the .33 WCF & the M1886 were later dropped just about the same time or just prior to when the M71 & the .348 Winchester made their debut.

[MikeS.]

I did word that poorly, it was made in 1907. Thanks for the info.

[Ray Newman]

No problem. Always glad to be of some assistance to a fellow traveling man....

[Pete44ru]

Winchester offered the M-1886 in ten different chamberings, over the years (refer to our home page data) - but not the Lightweights (which were .33WCF or .45-70, as posted), which is what I think that rifle looks like.

That bolt peep, if that's what it is (hard to be sure from the pic), is a real plus on that model.

Thanks for posting the pic.

.

[Cimarron Red]

Yep. That looks like a bolt peep sight, and the gun may be on a take-down frame. Hard to tell for sure.

[Rimfire McNutjob]

It looks like a take-down for sure. I didn't know they ever put bolt-peeps on the '86s but it sure does look like one the way it extends back. Mike D. will know when he sees it.

[Hobie]

Sure looks like a take-down lightweight 1886 with a bolt-peep to me. Neat!

The .33 WCF is the .45-70 necked down to .33 cal. Truly, the .35 Rem could compete with factory loadings of the 200 gr. FP but I think that with that capacity it should do better.

[Mike D.]

I wrote a lengthy reply, but guess that it went to "post limbo", 'cause it never showed up on the board.

Winchester catalogued the extra lightweight guns in caliber 45-70, only. This is because the .33 WCF guns were not really considered as true ELs by them at the time. Don't ask me why because both guns had very little difference in weight. The .33s came with 24" bbls, and the other calibers had 22" barrels. Other caliber lightweights could, and were, ordered but Winchester did their best to discourage it.

Your friend's gun likely has a Lyman Number 21, also known as the "Climbin' Lyman", sight mounted on the left side of the receiver. The Number 98A bolt peep was not offered in the Model '86, although a very few late assembled guns have turned up wearing them. It was offered on the Models 64, 65 and 71.

[Hobie]

Mike,

I looked at the position and shape of the aperture and it doesn't look right for the 21 or 38 sight.

[Mike D.]

My eyes aren't that good enough to judge the angle of the aperture in that photo, Hobie. The peep on a 21 sits further to the rear than does a Lyman 56. It "could" be a Lyman 48W, another sight that was available on the later 1886 rifles. The original poster should be able to clear up any confusion on my part.

[MikeS.]

As to the rear sight it had a thin strip of metal about .25" wide attached to 2 or 3 screws on the left side of the receiver. Including a screw up near the front of the receiver. If that tells you anything. Sorry I didn't take a picture of the other side.

I see this gentleman each month at the meeting, hopefully I'll have a chance to see this lovely rifle again.

[Hobie]

As to the rear sight it had a thin strip of metal about .25" wide attached to 2 or 3 screws on the left side of the receiver. Including a screw up near the front of the receiver. If that tells you anything. Sorry I didn't take a picture of the other side.

I see this gentleman each month at the meeting, hopefully I'll have a chance to see this lovely rifle again.

That sounds like a 21 or 38 to me. I'll be studying your pic for a bit to help me with gunbroker ids...

[Ysabel Kid]

Very nice!