Early production Winchester Model 1885 High Wall Special Sporting Rifle manufactured in 1886. The rifle is accompanied by a letter from the Winchester Arms Museum dated 1887 that describes it as: "Rifle, 32/40, Plain trigger, checkered stock, Pistol grip, No rear sight, Mid-range Vernier and Wind Gauge sight, Swiss butt plate" and "Marked at 200 yards elevation "see order 6875". The letter states that this rifle was shipped from the warehouse on February 24, 1886. The rifle has a round, #3, 28-inch barrel with matted top. The barrel has no provision for a rear sight and is fitted with a Winchester Wind Gauge front sight with spirit level. A mid-range vernier peep sight is mounted on the receiver tang. Although the Winchester Museum letter states that the rifle was shipped with a "Plain" trigger, the rifle presently has a single set-trigger. The letter also states it was shipped in .32-40 caliber, however it clearly has a .38-55 caliber barrel. The rifle has a blue barrel, color casehardened 'thinwall' receiver, hammer, and trigger. The stock and forearm are deluxe, fancy grain, walnut with fine checkering, ebony inlays on the pistol grip and forearm tip and a high polish piano finish. The stock is fitted with a factory, brass, nickel plated Swiss buttplate. The top of the barrel is roll-stamped with the two-line legend: "- MANUFACTURED BY THE-/-WINCHESTER REPEATING ARMS Co. NEW HAVEN. CONN. U.S.A.-" with arrows on the end of each line of the legend. The barrel mattting was applied by Winchester over the factory legend. The lower tang is stamped: "-PAT. OCT. 7TH 79-" in one line behind the trigger and the serial number, "1599" is stamped with script numerals between the tang screws.

Excellent. The rifle is all original and retains 97% of the blue and 90% color casehardened finish. The receiver, hammer, breech block and lever retain more than 90% of the casehardened finish with very strong case colors. The butt plate retains 96% of the nickel plated finish with some minor handling wear on the upper and lower prong. The deluxe, fancy grain, stock and forearm are in excellent condition with nearly all of the high polish piano finish. The finely cut checkering is sharp. Wear on the stock and forearm is limited to a few, very insignificant, storage and handling marks. This is an exceptional example of a special order, Deluxe Winchester Model 1885 High Wall Sporting Rifle with rare matted barrel and "thin wall".