A Rare Winchester Model 1866 "Kings Patent" 1869 Manufactured Second Pattern 44 Henry Center Fire Lever Action Rifle in fair to good condition with a dark bore. The action appears to function with the exception of the brass cartridge elevator having to be manually moved downward to seat the bolt into battery. The original finish has moderate wear and a fairly prominent coat of surface rust across the barrel and feeding tube. The receiver has no original brass luster with some cosmetic blemishes. The muzzle band is cracked, hand guard is cracked, rear sight moves loosely, a large chunk is missing at the top right-hand side of the wrist, and is missing a receiver screw, receiver plate screw, and receiver tongue to stock screw. Manufactured in 1869, this Winchester Model 1866 Second Model .44 Henry centerfire lever-action rifle represents an important period in the development of the American repeating firearm and the expansion of the American West. Known as the “Yellow Boy” for its distinctive brass receiver, the Model 1866 incorporated Nelson King’s patented improvements to the earlier Henry design and provided a remarkable rate of fire compared with the single-shot arms commonly in military and frontier use. Although the specific wartime history of this rifle cannot be established without documented provenance, an 1869 example was contemporary with the Indian Wars and the settlement of the western frontier and could have seen use by soldiers, scouts, lawmen, hunters, or settlers. Model 1866 rifles also found documented military service outside the United States, including French use during the Franco-Prussian War and Ottoman use during the Russo-Turkish War, where Winchester repeaters were notably employed during the defense of Plevna. As an early Winchester dating from only three years after the introduction of the Model 1866, the rifle is representative of a transformative era in American firearms and frontier history. NO COLORADO SALES: Due to the passage of the new Firearms, ammunition and firearms parts tax, we will no longer be able to sell firearms, ammunition or firearms parts to Colorado.