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A choice of 1886s

780 views 11 replies 11 participants last post by  cloverleaf 
#1 ·
My winchester rabbit hole continues...

I have an old family friend who passed and have been offered the chance to buy a gun from his collection before it is sold.



He has many very nice guns that are beyond my mwans, but there are 3 1886s that are possibilities and peak my interest.



1. A 1907 33wcf that is round barrel with probably 80 percent condition for 1300.

2. An 1889 45-90 octagon that is restored and now a 50-110 with a lyman peep sight for 3 grand.

3. An 1895 that has been rebarreled to 50-100 and nicely restored with buckhorn sight and 28" octagon barrel for 4200. It also has had deluxe checkering added.



The 33 is more the collector, but the 50s are actually at a price I could afford a shooter 50?
 
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#2 ·
I would think about what I really wanted and decide from there. I like round barrel Winchester rifles, so I would probably go with the 33WCF and have money left for other goodies. Another plus for the .33WCF is it's condition and originality. Only you know what you really like, and it's your money, so it's your pull of the trigger.

I have a similar quandary, I'm thinking of adding to my Civil War collection and right now there's some very nice condition guns at fair prices. What to do-what to do...
 
#6 ·
You are not making things easy, you know?

I would love to have all 3. But since I have to pick one. I would go for the .33WCF. Mainly because it seems to be the one in original condition, and the cheapest too.:rolleyes:. You may call me Ebenezer.:D

And. I also think .33WCF is a very interesting caliber
 
#8 ·
Though I am kind of partial to the short octagonal barrels (up to 24") on these Winchesters, I too look for originality and the patina that goes with it.

Along with all my Colts: Winchester Mod. 73 .32-20 (mfgr'd 1892) w/24" oct. barrel; Mod. 94 .30-30 (mfg'd 1903) w/23" oct. barrel; Model 94 .30-30 (mfgr'd 1952) w/20" round barrel.
 
#10 · (Edited)
If you want to shoot it, buy the .33.

50s' are a headache to reload and shoot. Even the originals. Rebuilt/modified rifles? Depending on where the owner sourced the barrels will depend on how they shoot. 30 years ago there was a barrel maker (in Tenn. iirc) that made exact cosmetic duplicates of the Winchester barrels in .50. My experience was none of them would shoot. Expensive lesson.
 
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