Winchester Model 1886 Takedown 24″ .33 WCF Lever Action Rifle MFD 1907 C&R
SOLD FOR: $1,554.99
LSB#: LSB260707JR002
Make: Winchester
Model: 1886
Year of Manufacture: 1907, C&R
Caliber: 33 WCF
Action Type: Lever Action, Tubular Magazine Fed Rifle
Serial Number: 144659
Barrel Length: 24″, Round
Sights: The front sight is a Lyman’s beaded blade dovetailed to a base soldered to the barrel. The rear sight is a Marbles U notch adjustable dovetailed into the barrel. The upper tang is drilled and tapped for a peep sight.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The stocks are two-piece smooth walnut with capped forend, capped semi pistol grip, straight comb and a smooth steel buttplate. The LOP measures 13? from the front of the trigger to the back of the buttplate. The stocks have been refinished. There are a few scattered scratches and handling marks. There are sanding marks and spots of proud wood from the refinish. There is oil darkening around the receiver. The upper left corner by the tang is chipped away. There is a chip at the heel. Overall, the stocks are in Good condition as refinished.
Type of Finish: Blued
Finish Originality: Refinished
Bore Condition: The bore is gray and the rifling is distinct. There is minor erosion and pitting in the bore. In this writer’s opinion the bore rates 7/10.
Overall Condition: The rifle retains approximately 95% of its current metal finish. There is light handling and operational wear. There are scattered scratches and light corrosion freckling throughout. The screw heads are tooled but serviceable. The markings are legible. Overall this rifle is in Good condition as refinished.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly and smoothly. The Half-cock safety functions properly. The lever locks up solidly. 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: None.
Our Assessment: The Winchester Model 1886 was one of John M. Browning’s strongest and most important lever-action designs, created to handle the powerful big-bore cartridges that exceeded the practical limits of Winchester’s earlier toggle-link actions. The .33 WCF was added to the Model 1886 line in the early 20th century as a smokeless-powder sporting cartridge, and rifles in this chambering were standardized with a 24″ round tapered barrel rather than the heavier 26″ barrels associated with many earlier Model 1886 chamberings. Takedown rifles were particularly common among .33 WCF production, and surviving factory-recorded examples demonstrate considerable variation in magazine length, stock configuration, and buttplate style. Serial number 144659 falls within 1907 production, between Winchester’s recorded year-end serial numbers 142249 for 1906 and 145119 for 1907.
This 1907 Model 1886 has been refinished and retains approximately 95% of its current blue finish, with scattered scratches, light corrosion freckling, and normal handling and operational wear. The refinished walnut furniture shows sanding marks, oil darkening, scattered handling wear, chipped wood near the upper tang and heel, and areas where the refinish has affected the original wood-to-metal fit, but remains in Good condition overall. The gray bore retains distinct rifling with minor erosion and pitting and rates 7/10. The action functions smoothly and correctly, the lever locks up solidly, the half-cock safety operates properly, and the trigger is crisp. With its desirable .33 WCF chambering, 24″ round barrel, takedown configuration, and pistol-grip stock, this remains an appealing early-20th-century variation of Winchester’s classic Model 1886 despite the later refinish. Please see our photos for a better understanding of the condition and good luck with your bids! MF