Winchester 1886 “French Barrel Address”

Description

Model 1886 deluxe, single set trigger. Set trigger is fully functional. Metal restoration and aged to 95%+ condition by Turnbull Restoration. Bore is excellent. Wood is 2X original finish with H-pattern checkering. Forend wood shows slight gap at the forend cap. Wood shows handling marks commensurate with age. Forend has two small gouges on bottom near receiver.

Barrel has five gold lines inlaid in front of sight used as windage reference marks. Barrel address is correct for this vintage rifle with an additional hand engraved address that reads. Fni PAR L CHOBERT AROR 16R LAFAYETTE PARIS. If our translation is correct it reads, End by L. Chobert aRor 16R Lafayette Paris. This could be the person or persons responsible for the gold inlay/line work at the rear sight.

It is possible this was a French dealer who ordered the rifle and did the work on the barrel after the rifle arrived. We can find no proof of this through our research, and it is only a theory. This rifle may be similar to arms here in the U.S. marked by Browning Bros. Or Hartley & Graham”. These sellers/dealers were known to mark arms for for sale in their stores with their own name.