Winchester Model 1866 SRC Carbine 20” .44 Henry Lever Action Rifle Antique
SOLD FOR: $3,913.00
LSB#: LSB250927CP005
Make: Winchester
Model: 1866 Carbine
Serial Number: 80172
Year of Manufacture: 1871
Caliber: .44 Henry
Action Type: Lever Action with Tubular Magazine
Barrel Length: 20″, Round
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a blade integral to the barrel band. The rear sight is a folding 2 position for short and long range
Stock Configuration & Condition: The stocks are two-piece walnut with one barrel band, straight grip, straight comb, rifle-style brass buttplate with flip up door. 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 is a chip on the top by the buttplate. The stocks appear to have been swapped and refinished, sanded undersized in a few spots. The forend is cracked in a couple spots. The LOP measures 13 1/4″ from the front of the trigger to the back of the buttplate. The plate has some patina and age darkening. Overall, the stocks rate in -Poor condition as refinished Antique.
Type of Finish: Blue & Brass
Finish Originality: Original.
Bore Condition: The bore is dark and the rifling is faint. There is extensive pitting and scratching throughout. The rifling is barely discernible. It is not recommended to shoot this rifle. In this writers opinion this bore rates about a 2/10
Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 10% of its metal finish. The steel surfaces were extensively corroded and buffed off. There is extensive pitting throughout all of the steel. The brass has been polished but still shows some deeper scratching from previous use. The action shows operational wear. The screw heads are marred from use but mostly serviceable. There are no markings on the barrel that are legible. Overall, this rifle is in Poor condition as Antique.
Mechanics: The action functions incorrectly. The hammer has a half-cock safety position. The firing pin is rusted in place. The bolt may have been changed at some point but we are not certain. We have not fired this rifle. We do not recommend this rifle be fired. 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 stands as one of the foundational rifles of the American West, the first true Winchester and an evolutionary successor to the Henry rifle. By 1871, when this carbine was manufactured, the ’66 had already earned its reputation for reliability, rapid fire, and a rugged brass frame that resisted corrosion in the field. Carbines such as this one—light, quick to the shoulder, and issuing the soft-recoiling .44 Henry rimfire—were widely carried across frontier trails, military posts, ranches, rail lines, and expeditions where compactness and fast repeat shots were valued. Even in heavily worn condition, an early-1870s carbine represents a tangible piece of the era when lever-action repeaters reshaped personal armament in North America.
The .44 Henry cartridge—introduced with the Henry rifle in 1860 and retained through the Model 1866—was among the first commercially successful metallic cartridges. Though modest by later ballistic standards, its reliable rimfire ignition and compatibility with a fifteen-shot tubular magazine gave riders, scouts, and homesteaders a decisive advantage in volume of fire. Surviving today, rifles originally chambered for .44 Henry often exhibit significant wear from hard use and corrosive priming, and this example follows that pattern with a heavily worn bore, buffed and pitted steel surfaces, and refinished, replaced, or repaired furniture. The carbine configuration with a barrel-band front sight, folding rear leaf, and brass buttplate with trap is still fully evident, preserving the recognizable silhouette of Winchester’s second-generation lever gun.
While the bore, metal, and wood reflect a long working life, the rifle retains the presence and character collectors seek in authentic frontier-period Winchesters. The mellowed brass frame, the correct carbine features, and the verified 1871 production date make this piece a representative artifact of early lever-action history, long past any shooting role but carrying strong display value and historical interest. For those who appreciate the story of America’s first widely used repeating rifle—its engineering roots in the Henry, its evolution through the 1860s, and its widespread service across the expanding frontier—this Model 1866 carbine offers a direct connection to that influential chapter. Please see our photos and good luck on your bid. MF/MA
