Guns International #: 101985581
Seller's Inventory #: 215000

Category - Winchester Rifles - Model 1866 - Winchester Rifles

Category
Winchester Rifles - Model 1866
Winchester Rifles

c1870 Winchester YELLOWBOY Model 1866 “MUSKET” Rifle in .44 HENRY Rimfire With Likely Ties to Reconstruction Era South Carolina

Description:
c1870 Winchester YELLOWBOY Model 1866 “MUSKET” Rifle in .44 HENRY Rimfire  

With Likely Ties to Reconstruction Era South Carolina

Here we present an antique Winchester Model 1866 “Yellowboy” Musket, manufactured in New Haven, Connecticut in 1870. After the close of the American Civil War, the New Haven Arms Company became the Winchester Repeating Arms Company. One of its first orders of business was in revising and improving the Henry Rifle, which proved revolutionary to understate it. A new rifle was envisioned and patented by Winchester’s shop superintendent Nelson King in 1866 and became the lever-action repeating Winchester Model 1866. Known as the Yellowboy, due to its brass frame and hardware, this was the first Winchester lever action rifle. It remains absolutely iconic as the “gun that won the West”, being used by pioneers, Native Americans, cowboys, lawmen, and ne'er-do-wells alike. It is the cornerstone for many a historical collection.

It was revolutionary for its time, though it was based on the Henry Rifle that saw limited use during the American Civil War. Winchester improved upon the weaknesses of that design to make a very reliable, sturdy, and accurate rifle with a high volume of fire. The magazine tube became totally enclosed from the elements and the frame-mounted loading gate was introduced, allowing quick reloads and the ability to top off the magazine. The Model 1866 proved an immediate success for Winchester, with around 170,000 guns going on to be manufactured. The 1866 appeared in three forms for the mass market. They were the carbine, rifle, and the musket. The musket, as is this rifle, made up only 15,000 of the guns produced, making it by far the scarcest.

This rifle bears some interesting markings. “SC” is marked atop the receiver tang. “CSA” is marked on the top of the receiver. There is also a name on the left side of the butt stock that is not quite legible but is something like “G.H. J­_NAH_M”. We have found two other Winchester Model 1866 “musket” rifles associated to South Carolina with close serial numbers—this rifle is serial #31694. One of the others is #32363, which is marked “SC” and is purported to have been used by the South Carolina Militia. The second, #32198, has provenance to an ancestor that carried that rifle with Hampton’s Red Shirts, a post-Civil War Democratic militia in South Carolina.

The overall condition is good. The action remains strong. The lever does hang a bit if not secured by the turn-screw keeper as these toggle design lever rifles tend to do. Very good bore for the age and black powder use: somewhat reflective of light with good rifling. The walnut stock is smooth and solid; it is a little shy to the frame from some past sanding around the wrist. There is a hairline split on the right side of the wrist that goes below the comb and appears as a darker line—it is stable and not moveable.

Own the original! This is a legitimate antique and not a reproduction.

Barrel is 27 inches.

Caliber: .44 Henry Rimfire

Overall condition as seen in photos.

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ancestryguns

$5895

#215000
 

SOLD

Antique: Yes