I think its a model 1886 lever action

[Link2]

Name here is Link from Lakewood WA.
A fellow boater from Iboats recommended this site.
http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=212223

History:
A friend inherited this rifle a month ago from his mother. May she RIP
At 95 she was still doing medical home care, and one person for years. He was a retired lawyer and gun collector from Seattle. That has to be rare in its self! Pun intended. J
He gave her this rifle to pass on to her son. In 2007 he is 58 years old.
Nobody even knew she had it until her will was read.

He called me last week and said he had no idea of what he had.
This is NOT a money thing.
He just wants to know if he should just enjoy and shoot the thing, or not, (either way) to pass it on to his son or daughters to preserve for history.

He gave me the following information.
Ser NM 99444
Pat: 141884
Oct 14 1884 – Jun 20 1885
45-90 WCF

I have not seen the rifle.
But he says it looks like new.
From what I have been able to look up it looks like a Winchester lever action model 1886. Serial nm 99444 so I think it was made in 1895. ??
Chambered in 45-90.

For insurance reasons value does it have a value?
For History: Should it not be shot?

Thanks for your help.

Link

 

[McCall911]

I'm no expert, just a collector, but...

Well, if it is a Winchester with lever action and is in .45-90 caliber, then it is for sure a Model 1886. This site also agrees that the rifle was made in 1895, according to that serial number:

http://armscollectors.com/sn/windates.htm

The .45-90 is of course an obsolete caliber, however the obsolete caliber business is booming (no pun intended.) It has been suggested that .45-90 rifles also shoot the more readily-available .45-70. Someone else could probably enlighten you as to whether that's safe to do or not.

In general, just about any Winchester lever action is supremely collectible (and consequently pricey), but value will depend on condition and whether the gun has been tampered with or not.

 

[Titan6]

All things being relative if that gun is in great shape it is worth a bit of money. Your friend can shoot it if he wants to of course but the more he shoots it the lower the value will likely go.

It is really a personal decision. You can shoot the .45-70 in that chamber but accuarcy will likely be poor.

 

[mpmillen]

Your friend should have the rifle inspected and appraised by a reputable dealer that focuses on old Winchesters. An auction house like Bonham and Butterfields or Rock Island Auction could do this for free or for about 50 bucks.

If the rifle is original and in excellent condition it could be worth 10's of thousands. You should also suggest that your friend obtain 100 - 200 rounds of new factory ammo for this rifle while it is available.

Good luck and great story.

Mark

 

[Jim Watson]

All of the above.

"Looks like new" is kind of an elastic description by non-enthusiasts, it ought to be looked at by a knowledgeable person. Dollar appraisals are really only good for bragging and insurance, the only real measure of value is an actual sale. Which I understand him not wanting to to.

If truly like new, I would be inclined to oil it up and display it proudly.

If it shows any degree of wear, or if it has been refinished to look nice, or modified in any way, then it is a strong substantial rifle well worth the shooting. A friend has one with a lot of finish wear but in original configuration and mechanically sound that is a very fine shooter. His is probably worth about $3000.

.45-90 ammunition is rather expensive, $43 a box from Buffalo Arms, $60 from Ten-X; but Ten-X will reload your brass for $26 a box (of 20).
http://www.buffaloarms.com/browse.cfm/4,3876.htm
http://www.tenxammo.com/

You can safely fire standard .45-70 in a .45-90, just as you can .38 special in a .357 magnum, but accuracy may not be very good with the bullet jumping an extra quarter inch, and what with most .45-70 being loaded with 405 grain bullets and the .45-90 rifled to handle the 300 gr.