Model 86 comes home

[win40-82]

About 20 years ago I bought a Winchester Model 1886 in 45/70 from a local gun shop. It had JUST come in and was being placed on consignment by a young couple from eastern Washington, a little west of Spokane. It had been his great grandfathers rifle and had been in the family a very long time and perhaps since new. The young wife didn't want guns in the house so to keep peace he had agreed to sell it. Long story short, I bought it right then and there. After several years I sold it to a friend of mine and regretted it ever since. Anyway I finally managed to buy it back but it sure wasn't the bargain I gave him. Its in the 26,000 serial number range with great wood mint bore with lots of blue and case coloring. It is starting to show its age spots but at a 130 years old its to be expected. When I first got it I did fire and it shot extremely well and I'm trying to locate my old targets. Here are a few pictures.

[GunnyMack]

Welcome home old friend!
How about pics of the wood?

[Sixgun]

THATS a nice rifle.....all correct, even the 1886 ladder sight. Notice how I t would be impossible to slip a piece of paper between the wood and metal fit.

If you have not taken off the wood....don't........I've seen some ugly things happen to wood that's nearly glued on the metal from congealed oil. The barrel flats are perfect......barrel legend crisp......early serial number.

Your lucky to get it back...not many around like that anymore. That gun is worth an easy 4 big ones.----6

[AJMD429]

NOW you gotz to find that 'young couple' or their kids, and sell it back to THEM.....

[win40-82]

GunnyMack,
Will get some pictures tomorrow, know I took some but now can't find them - darn computers and phones. The wood is in outstanding shape.

[OldWin]

Wow! Ding, ding, ding. Rifle of the year, right there.
Very, very nice sir.

[Pitchy]

Nice real nice.

[daisygordoninc]

Wow, that is a beautiful gun, anxious to see the wood also. I have a list of guns that
I should never have sold, so I am being more careful these days about selling one that
has personal value or story with it. I don't have family that wants my nice guns after
I'm gone but I just love having them around. That gun you have is part of history for
sure.

[2ndovc]

Very nice!
jb

[gamekeeper]

Beautiful rifle but I hate to hear "the wife didn't want guns in the house" that is divorce talk in my opinion.

[crs]

but I hate to hear "the wife didn't want guns in the house" that is divorce talk in my opinion.

Indeed!
IMHO, such things should have been resolved during the pre marital dating phase of the relationship!

More than one dolly ran me off with such talk. Finally I found one that was simpatico WRT guns and has out shot me on ALL our concealed carry shooting proficiency tests!

[win40-82]

Here are a bunch more pictures - hope you aren't getting bored with them. In this particular case I was glad the young lady didn't want it in the house although I felt sorry for the guy. Couldn't understand how he would allow her to get rid of his family history. Oh well.

[M. M. Wright]

That us an outstanding rifle Win40-82.

[Griff]

That us an outstanding rifle Win40-82.

+1!