Winchester Model 1886 Lever Action Rifle

Larry Potterfield • March 08, 2022

John Browning designed this rifle for Winchester, but you won't find his name on it anywhere. I've got a Winchester Model 1886 repeating rifle made in New Haven, Connecticut. It has an exposed hammer, which is typical of most lever-action guns. It also has a smooth trigger and, of course, the famous lever. The toe line of the stock is straight from the receiver all the way to the buttplate, but you'll see a few with the pistol grip-style stock. The buttplate is the common crescent metal design typically used on rifles of this era, but you'll also see some 86s with a shotgun-style buttplate and also an occasional carbine style. This has a 26-inch octagon barrel, a standard buckhorn style rear sight, and a German silver tip on the front sight for better visibility in low-light. Winchester made this model from 1886 to 1935 with nearly 160,000 produced. Our gun today is in the 55,000 serial number range, which puts it as 1891 production. It is chambered in 38-56. Winchester hasn't made 38-56 ammunition for many years, so I made my own by necking down 45-70 cases. The magazine holds nine rounds. To load it, simply press the loading gate down with the nose of the bullet, then push the cartridge in with your thumb. For a visual demonstration of the gun's operation, be sure to check out the video above.

--Larry Potterfield