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. 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.

This Yellow "Gunmetal"-Framed Beauty is in .44 centerfire with a 20" round barrel and full-length magazine tube. These were originally all made in .44 Henry Rimfire, however many Winchester 1866 rifles were later converted to fire .44 Henry Centerfire. These conversions were done both at the Winchester factory, and by gunsmiths using Winchester parts. There is unfortunately no way to tell where this conversion took place, but being made in 1871-1872, this was definitely converted years after original manufacture.

The carbine still features the original front sight, part of the front band, as well as the two leaf "tip up" back sight, which were very often replaced later with more modern sights. It has however seen long use and much cleaning, which has resulted in the original serial number being very faint. Additionally, at some point the number 8010 was stamped over it for some reason. However, close examination shows that the first number is a 9, and the last two numbers are 28, which means it has to be in the 90,000-100,000 range. These were all made during 1872, just one year before the release of the Model of 1873. 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 for other calibers were readily available.

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 lot of use, which has completely removed the address and patent markings on the top of the barrel, which originally would have read as follows:-

The receiver also still has the original saddle ring attached on the left side, which is often missing, however it does show overall wear from use and cleaning, with numerous dents, scratches, and so forth. Also, for some reason, a 1 inch long by 1/2 inch wide slot was cut at the rear of the ejection port over the breech block. We do not know why this was done, but think it was possibly to free up a stuck breech block. Otherwise it looks great, with the pleasing lightly oxidized "golden" color that makes these so desirable.

Stocks are in good condition, showing wear consistent with use on the frontier. Both show a lovely red brown color with great grain, showing some staining from use in service. We can also see that at some point tacks were used to decorate both the fore and butt stocks, with a line previously having been installed near the steel hook butt plate on both sides. The storage compartment on the butt stock is working, though as usual it is empty.

The rifle is in overall very nice condition, though there definitely has been oxidation damage to the steel components, with peppering visible on the saddle ring, trigger, operating lever, and hammer. The action does function, however at present it cannot complete a full cycle. The carrier block is not able to reach the top of travel, so when the lever is closed it drops back down without the bolt passing through, which would feed the next round into the chamber. We also noticed that there is a good amount of wear and past oxidation on the action components, and the extractor pin likes to work its way out, impeding the block from moving back. In contrast, the bore is in very good condition, showing strong rifling throughout and a partly mostly bright finish. The area closer to the breech shows much less oxidation and fouling, while near the muzzle there is more past oxidation, probably from exposure to the elements, not from use. We would probably rate this a 7-8 out of 10. This is definitely a very good bore for an 1866 carbine, as many examples we have seen were completely dark and/or shot out.

A very nice example of an iconic gun. Only one of a few that we have ever offered for sale!

Specifications-

Year of Manufacture: 1872
Caliber: .44 Centerfire
Cartridge Type: Centerfire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 20 Inches
Overall Length: 39 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: This gun is NOT considered obsolete calibre, so we are not able to ship to the United Kingdom. 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.

Note: This gun is NOT considered obsolete calibre, so we are not able to ship to the United Kingdom.

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 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.