Original Item: Only One Available. Every Schoolboys dream! A genuine M-1866 YELLOW BOY, the legendary Brass-framed first Winchester Saddle Ring Carbine. 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.

This Yellow "Gunmetal"-Framed Beauty still appears to be in the original .44 Henry Rimfire chambering, with a 20" 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 period conversions to other centerfire cartridges. This is one of the few unconverted examples we have seen.

The carbine features the correct nose band mounted front sight and a rear "flip" sight, which is currently partially detached and will not move correctly. The stamped block style serial number is 2432?, denoting the year of manufacture as 1869, very early in Model 1866 production, 4 years before the steel frame Model 1873 would be introduced. The last number cannot be read, however we know that this is not a first model, so it must have worn away. At this point the design was undergoing relatively rapid development as issues were noted and reported by workers at the factory and customers. It is important to note that the model 1866 production continued throughout the 1870s and 1880s, as the model 1866 was cheaper, and remained popular. This meant that factory parts were readily available for later modifications.

Model 1866 Winchesters in the 5,500 – 25,000 serial number range are considered the "Second Model", and differ from the "First Model" or "flatside" with the introduction of the flared front end of the receiver to match with the fore stock. Second Models also had a different profile to the upper rear of the receiver by the hammer, with less of the "Henry Drop" at the top. Subsequent models would continue reducing this feature until it was removed. The last major change to the receiver was the attachment method of the side plates, which for First Models had a dovetail on both the front and rear, but for the Second model the rear dovetail was removed, and a screw was used to secure the side plates together at the rear, as they would be with the model 1873.

First Model 1866s all had the serial numbers marked on the side of the tang, so it could not be seen until the rear stock was removed. This continued through Second Model production until serial number 21,000, after which it was stamped in block letters between the trigger and main spring screw. Later, these numbers would become Italicized around serial 25,000, which was the most noticeable difference when the "Third Model 1866" started being produced. During "First Model" production, both the carbines and rifles featured the saddle ring on the rear left receiver, but this stopped with the Second Model, and after that only the carbines had the ring. First models also did not have a half cock position on the hammer, which would continue through the Second Model until serial number 23,000.

There were some additional differences brought in over the years, but this example definitely has all the correct aspects of a Second Model, including the block letter serial number, however as the serial is over 23,000, it has a half cock position, one of the few 2nd Models to feature one.

This example looks to have seen a good amount of time on the frontier exposed to the elements, which along with cleaning has completely removed the original patent markings on the top of the barrel except for a few traces. They originally would have probably read:-

The receiver also still has the original saddle ring attached on the left side, which is often missing, and the loop is still solidly attached to the receiver.

Stocks are in good condition, showing a good amount of wear from service, which has given the butt stock a bit of a "wind worn" look from repeated cleanings. The fore stock is in a bit better shape, though it shows staining near the barrel band and receiver, as well as cracking at the front and back. The butt stock has a stress crack on the right side, which does show some movement, and we can see some nails into that side, possibly where something was attached before. The action has a beautiful patina on the "gunmetal" frame, which we have left intact. The barrel looks to have been cleaned repeatedly over the years, with areas of peppering and staining. There is also some past pitting on the sides of the barrel above the fore stock. The butt stock features a steel "flat" butt plate with a working storage compartment door, though the compartment is empty.

The rifle is in overall very nice condition. 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 on this example is in very good condition, showing a partly bright finish with clear lands and grooves. There is past oxidation and fouling, now cleaned away, but for a Yellow Boy this bore is truly exceptional! Often these look like stove pipes on the inside, so this is really a great bore, which we would rate about a 6-7 out of 10.

A lovely example of an iconic gun, still in the original rimfire configuration. Only one of a few that we have ever offered for sale!

Specifications-

Year of Manufacture: 1869
Caliber: .44 Henry Rimfire
Cartridge Type: Centerfire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 20 Inches
Overall Length: 38 1/2 Inches
Action type: Lever Action Repeater
Feed System: 13-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.