144 of 1000 Winchester 1886 Extra Light High Grade .45-70 22″ Lever Rifle

SOLD FOR: $1712

LSB#: 210831RL09

Make: Winchester

Model: 1886 Extra Light High Grade, No. 144 of 1000

Serial Number: 0ESLRH0144

Year of Manufacture: 2000-2001

Caliber: .45-70 Government

Action Type: Tubular Magazine Fed Lever Action Rifle

Markings: The left side of the barrel is marked “U.S. REPEATING ARMS CO. INC., NEW HAVEN, CT U.S.A. / JAPAN/MIROKU” and at the rear with “CAL. .45-70 GOVT.”. The top-rear of the barrel is marked with the ovalled “WP” proof. The top of the chamber ring is marked with the ovalled “WP” proof. The top tang is marked “WINCHESTER / MODEL 1886”. The right side of the barrel is marked “WINCHESTER MODEL 1886 EXTRA LIGHT RIFLE. WINCHESTER LICENSEE”. The bottom front of the receiver is marked “0ESLRH / 0144”. The sides of the receiver have game scenes surrounded by scroll engraving, the left side features two gold elk and the right side has a gold whitetail deer.

Barrel Length: 22?

Sights / Optics: The front sight is a brass beaded blade dovetailed into a small base at the front of the barrel. The rear sight is a “U”-notch semi-buckhorn leaf and elevator sight dovetailed to the rear of the barrel.

Stock Configuration & Condition: The stocks are 2-piece checkered walnut with capped forend, straight grip, straight comb and blued steel shotgun-style buttplate. There is a light mark on the left side of the buttstock at the buttplate. There is some dried oil residue on the side of the buttstock at the buttplate. The checkering is sharp. There are no chips or cracks. The LOP measures 13 1/4? from the front of the trigger to the back of the buttplate. The plate has some scattered small spots of oxidation. The plate reates in about Fine condition. Overall, the stocks are in Excellent condition.

Type of Finish: Blue

Finish Originality: Original

Bore Condition: The bore is bright with sharp rifling. There are one or two little spots of faint surface erosion, hardly noticeable.

Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 98% of its metal finish. There are no major defects, just light handling marks. The screwheads are sharp. The markings are clear. Overall, this rifle is in about Excellent condition.

Mechanics: The action functions correctly. The hammer has a rebounding hammer and there is a tang-mounted safety. The lever lock-up is tight and the trigger is crisp. We did not fire this rifle. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.

Box, Paperwork & Accessories: Included is a factory box and paperwork including the manual. The box label has worn and the markings are illegible. The box has some creases, scratches, scrapes, and a couple of punctures. There is edge wear and the box rates in about Very Good condition.

Our Assessment: This is a Winchester Model 1886 made in 1997 or 1998. The 1886 followed up the 1876, providing a much stronger action which was able to withstand larger and more powerful cartridges such as the .45-70, the issued rifle cartridge of the U.S. Army at the time. The design would later be shrunk for the model 1892. This modern reintroduction has the same action with a tang-mounted safety. This one is a limited edition of which only 1000 were ever made. It has engraved game scenes on the receiver and has checkered walnut stocks. It retains 98% of its metal finish with a great bore, strong mechanics, and would make a great addition to a collection. If you’re looking for a .45-70 lever gun, you can’t do much better than this. Please see our photos and good luck!