1886 Winchester rifle sells for $1.2 million at auction
ROCK ISLAND, Ill. >> An 1886 Winchester rifle that once belonged to a man who helped capture Apache leader Geronimo has sold for $1.2 million at an auction.
The Rock Island Auction Co., of Illinois, says it became the most expensive single firearm ever sold at auction when it was presented for sale in late April. It went to an undisclosed buyer.
George Albee was working for Winchester and was able to secure serial No. 1 of their newest rifle design in 1886. He presented the rifle as a gift to a Civil War buddy, U.S. Army Capt. Henry Ware Lawton, who had just led the operation that captured Geronimo.
The auction company says other guns have sold higher as a pair, but the Winchester brought in the highest price for a single firearm.
3 responses to “1886 Winchester rifle sells for $1.2 million at auction”
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The Winchester 1886, one of many sound designs from the fertile mind of John Moses Browning. Not only was it a well-regarded big game rifle in its heyday, it also saw limited military service in World War I. You can still see one shot at Koko Head Range once in awhile.
And a presentation piece too by the sound of it. I wonder how she was decked out.
Actually, except for the tasteful engraving on the top of the barrel reading “ALBEE TO LAWTON 45-70” it’s just a plain production-grade 1886, albeit one bearing serial number 1. It was obviously a prized possession of Lawton’s and remains in excellent condition with the case hardening colors on the receiver, lever, hammer and butt plate still vibrant after well over a century.