Winchester Model 1866 Musket 27” .44 Henry Lever Action Rifle Antique
SOLD FOR: $4,475.00
LSB#: LSB250528XX003
Make: Winchester
Model: 1866 Musket
Serial Number: 3274
Year of Manufacture: 1866-1898, Antique
Caliber: .44 Henry Rimfire
Action Type: Lever Action with Tubular Magazine
Barrel Length: 27″, Round
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a blade integral to a rectangular base fixed to the front of the barrel. The rear sight is a folding ladder-type with “V” notch when folded down and a “V”-notched slider on a ladder marked from “2” to “8” when folded up. There is a small “V” notch in the top of the ladder marked “900”.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The stocks are two-piece walnut with two barrel bands, straight grip, straight comb, carbine-style brass buttplate with sliding door, a sling swivel in the belly and another mounted to the forward forend band. The stock has a storage compartment behind the sliding door in the buttplate (nothing in the compartment). The stocks have scattered nicks, dings, scuffs and scratches. There are no cracks. The LOP measures 13 3/8″ from the front of the trigger to the back of the buttplate. The plate has gone to a mustard patina with scattered discoloration, nicks and scratches. Overall, the stocks rate in Good-plus condition as refinished Antique.
Type of Finish: Blue & Brass
Finish Originality: Refinished. The stock tang inlet and buttplate toe are not serial-matching.
Bore Condition: The bore is semi-bright and the rifling is defined. There is erosion and pitting throughout. In this writer’s opinion the bore rates 4/10.
Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 15% of its metal finish. The steel surfaces have gone to a moderate-dark patina with even scattered erosion. There are scattered light nicks, scuffs and scratches. The action shows operational wear. The screw heads range from sharp to disfigured with usable slots. There are no markings on the barrel. The serial number on the receiver is not original. Overall, this rifle is in Very Good condition as Antique.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. The hammer has a half-cock safety position. We have not fired 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 1866, often referred to as the “Yellow Boy” for its distinctive brass frame, was the direct successor to the Henry rifle and the first to bear the Winchester name. This musket configuration, with its full-length 27” barrel, three bands, and military-style ladder rear sight, was designed for export contracts and militia use rather than the civilian market. Produced between 1866 and 1898, these muskets represent Winchester’s early efforts to supply not just settlers and frontiersmen, but also governments and military forces abroad with a repeating rifle chambered in .44 Henry Rimfire. Today, the 1866 musket variant is far scarcer than carbines or rifles, making it especially desirable to collectors.
This example shows the honest wear of a 150-year-old firearm, with refinished surfaces, mismatched parts, and a bore that rates 4/10. Even so, it remains mechanically sound and retains its distinctive brass frame, ladder rear sight, and carbine-style buttplate with trapdoor. The musket style configuration, combined with its antique status, gives it significant historical value as a piece tied to Winchester’s earliest production era and its push into both military and civilian markets worldwide. For collectors of early American repeaters or anyone seeking a representative example of Winchester’s first lever-action under its own name, this 1866 musket offers both history and rarity in one of the most iconic forms of the “Yellow Boy.” Please see our photos and good luck on your bid! – L.S.
