Original Item: Only One Available. This is a rare treat! A genuine M-1866 YELLOW BOY, the legendary Brass-framed first Winchester Repeating rifle! First introduced in 1866, having taken over the Henry Rifle Company, Oliver Winchester launched one of the iconic Firearm names in the history of THE OLD WEST. Many refer to the Winchester repeating rifle as the "GUN THAT WON THE WEST"! While the Model 1873 improved on many aspects of the Model 1866, it lacked the beautiful lines and lovely "gunmetal" frame that its predecessor had.

Both models were made concurrently for decades, however this example was made in 1870, before production o the 1873 started. Not only that, it is the rarest of all variants, the "Infantry Rifle", often called the "musket" by modern day collectors. This variant was intended for possible use by the military, and as such it has a full length stock, sling swivels, and a front sight designed to take a socket bayonet. Of the 160,000 or so Model 1866's made, only 15,000 were the Infantry Rifle, making it by far the scarcest when compared to the rifle and saddle ring carbine. The only thing scarcer is the bayonet, which unfortunately has been lost over the years. This is a fantastic collector's opportunity!

This Yellow "Gunmetal"-Framed Beauty is still in the original .44 Henry Rimfire chambering, with a 27" round barrel and full-length magazine tube. These were originally all made in .44 Henry Rimfire, however a few late production Winchester 1866 rifles were configured to fire .44 Henry Centerfire. There were also many period conversions to other centerfire cartridges. We checked the end of the breech block, and it definitely has the double sided rimfire striking system, with no evidence of a center fire conversion.

These rifles were originally fitted with a round-based ladder sight, however as we often see, that was replaced with a simple rear notch sigh, and the front sight was also replaced as well. The rear sling swivel was removed from the base, and the front sling swivel was removed and the base ground off. The name R.W. Neese is engraved into the front right of the receiver, and we were not able to find any information regarding anyone in military service by this name. We assume it was added after these were sold off. The serial number is 32098 B, denoting the year of manufacture as 1870, three years before the release of the Model of 1873.

Model 1866 Winchesters with serial numbers in the range 25,000 – 149,000 are considered the "Third Model", which is the most produced model of all, made during the 1869 - 1878 period. By this point most of the issues with the design had been ironed out, and there would only be incremental changes for the rest of the production. The only real difference between the later "Fourth Model" introduced at serial 149,000 is the "script-like" italicized serial number font, which replaced the "Block" style letters on the third model, and was also moved from under the lever to the rear of the tang, the same location as the Model 1873. After this production slowed down, with the total production numbering 170,100.

This example has seen a good amount of use, however it was well cared for, and the original barrel address markings are still almost fully legible, something very rare to see on a model 1866!:-

The action has a beautiful patina on the "gunmetal" frame from long years of careful cleaning. We do not see any signs of the metalwork being refinished, and it displays a lovely dark gray patina overall, which is mottled where it is worn. Stocks are in very good condition, looking to have been probably refinished at some time in the past. They display the lovely red brown color of aged and oiled walnut, without any major damage such as missing chunks, cracks, or repairs. There is a working storage compartment on the lovely correct flat "gunmetal" butt plate, which is unfortunately empty.

The rifle is in overall very nice condition, with a fantastic look. The action cycles well, and does not have any issues that we can see, though we did not do any tests to see if it can still feed correctly. The bore is in actually in EXCELLENT condition, something that is virtually unheard of on a Model 1866. It shows a bright finish with strong lands and grooves. There is a bit wear as well as past fouling and oxidation, now removed, but no major rust issues. We would rate it an 8-9 out of 10.

A great example of the rarest variant of an iconic and historically significant gun. This is only the fifth example of the "Yellow Boy" Infantry Rifle that that we have ever offered for sale! Ready to research and display!

Specifications (Rifle):-
Year of Manufacture: 1870
Caliber: .44 Centerfire
Cartridge Type: Rimfire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 27 Inches
Overall Length: 46 Inches
Action type: Lever Action Repeater
Feed System: 17-round tube magazine

The first Winchester rifle – the Winchester Model 1866 – was originally chambered for the rimfire .44 Henry. Nicknamed the "Yellow Boy" because of its receiver of a bronze/brass alloy called gunmetal, it was famous for its rugged construction and lever-action "repeating rifle" mechanism that allowed the user to fire a number of shots before having to reload. Nelson King's improved patent remedied flaws in the Henry rifle by incorporating a loading gate on the side of the frame and integrating a round, sealed magazine which was partially covered by a forestock.

France purchased 6,000 Model 1866 rifles along with 4.5 million .44 Henry cartridges during the Franco-Prussian War. The Ottoman Empire purchased 45,000 Model 1866 rifles and 5,000 carbines in 1870 and 1871. These rifles were used in the 1877 Russo-Turkish War, causing much surprise when outnumbered Turks at the Siege of Plevna inflicted many times more casualties than their opponents armed with single-shot Krnka and Berdan rifles. The Model 1866 compelled Russians to develop a new rifle, the Mosin–Nagant, after the war.

The Swiss Army initially selected the Model 1866 to replace their existing single-shot Milbank-Amsler rifles. However, ensuing political pressure to adopt a domestic design resulted in the Vetterli Model 1867, a bolt-action design utilizing a copy of the Winchester's tubular magazine, being adopted instead.

Due to public demand, the Model 1866 continued to be manufactured and sold until 1899, mainly because they were less expensive than the later steel-framed centerfire models. Later models were chambered for the .44-40 Winchester cartridge.

NOTE: International orders of antique firearms MUST be shipped using UPS WW Services (courier). USPS Priority Mail international will not accept these. International customers should always consult their country's antique gun laws prior to ordering.

IMA considers all of our antique guns as non-firing, inoperable and/or inert. Title 18, U.S. Code, Section 921(a)(16) defines antique firearms as all guns made prior to 1899. This law exempts antique firearms from any form of gun control or special engineering because they are not legally considered firearms. No FFL, C&R or any license is required to possess, transport, sell or trade Antique guns. All rifles and muskets sold by IMA that were manufactured prior to 1899 are considered Antiques by the US BATF (United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms). Therefore, all of IMA's Antique guns may be shipped to all US States and most nations around the world.

These antique guns are not sold in "live" condition, and are not tested for the ability to feed or load any type of cartridge. They are sold as collector's items or as "wall hangers" not for use, and we make no guarantees regarding functionality aside from what is stated in the description. Any attempt at restoring an antique gun to be operational is strongly discouraged and is done so at the risk of the customer. By purchasing an antique gun from IMA you thereby release IMA, its employees and corporate officers from any and all liability associated with use of our Antique guns.

Pre-1899 Manufacture, no licenses required, allowed to ship to almost any deliverable address across the globe. Please note that for international shipping, these MUST be shipped using UPS WW Services. International customers should always consult their country's antique gun laws prior to ordering.