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Excellent Winchester Model 1866 Musket with Socket Bayonet

Currency:USD Category:Firearms & Military Start Price:8,000.00 USD Estimated At:20,000.00 - 30,000.00 USD
Excellent Winchester Model 1866 Musket with Socket Bayonet

Estimate: $20000 - 30000
Third Model Winchester 1866 Musket manufactured in 1869. The Model 1866 musket has the distinctive 27 inch round barrel with 24 inch magazine and 17 inch walnut forearm secured by two barrel bands. The stock has a carbine style brass buttplate with sliding trap door. Factory sling swivels are mounted on the upper barrel band and stock. The barrel has a block front sight base with steel blade that serves as a lug for the socket bayonet and a Henry style folding leaf rear sight with 900 yard center notch. The musket has a blued barrel, magazine, barrel bands and loading gate, brass frame and buttplate and casehardened hammer and receiver. The straight grain, black walnut stock and forearm have a low-luster varnish finish. The top of the barrel is roll-stamped with the two-line legend "WINCHESTER'S-REPEATING-ARMS. NEWHAVEN. CT./ KING"S-IMPROVEMENT-PATENTED-MARCH. 29. 1866. OCTOBER 16. 1860." between the lower barrel band and the rear sight. The serial number, "33387", is stamped on the lower tang behind the trigger. The musket is complete with a bright finish socket bayonet with 15 1/2 inch blade. The bayonet has no markings.
BBL: 27 inch
Stock: walnut
Gauge: 44 rimfire
Finish: blue
Grips:
Serial Number: 33387
Condition: Excellent. The musket is completely original and retains more than 95% plus of the original blue finish. The barrel bands show some handling wear and the blue has faded to a deep plum patina. The sides of the hammer and loading lever have most of the mottled casehardened finish; the bottom and inside of the lever have some age discoloration. The brass frame and buttplate are in excellent condition. The extraordinary brass is untouched and has an attractive patina. The side plate joints are tight and there is no indication that the side plates have been removed from the frame. Wear is limited to a few, very minor handling marks. The stock and forearm are both in excellent condition; most of the original varnish finish is intact and wear is limited to a few minor storage marks. The barrel legend is light but fully legible. The bayonet is in fine overall condition with most of the original polish but has some scattered patches of age discoloration and light pitting. This is an excellent example of a Winchester Model 1866 Musket; one that would be difficult to improve upon!
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