GunSerialsWinchester Model 1886 (Model 86) serial numbers by year
John Browning designed this lever-action rifle for powerful ammunition such as .45-70 and .50-110. It replaced the Model 1876.
- Produced:
- 1886–1935
- Action:
- lever-action
New to gun terms? Start here
- Model:
- The name of the gun design, such as Model 94. A model name that looks like a year does not tell you when your gun was made.
- Serial number:
- The number stamped on an individual gun. Include letters that are part of the number. A separate letter stamped above it, like the Model 97's C, D or E, is a different marking.
- Receiver:
- The main metal body just behind the barrel. The receiver ring is its front section, where the barrel joins it.
- Tang:
- A strip of metal extending from the receiver into the stock. The lower tang runs underneath, behind the trigger.
- Stock:
- The part you hold against your shoulder, usually made of wood on older Winchesters.
- Forearm or forend:
- The part under the barrel where your forward hand holds the gun.
- Action:
- The mechanism that loads and removes cartridges. Names such as lever action, pump action, and bolt action describe how it works.
- Caliber or gauge:
- The ammunition size or type a gun is designed to use. This marking is different from the model and serial number.
- Takedown:
- A version designed to separate into major sections for storage. A takedown joint is where those sections meet.
- Proof mark:
- A factory testing mark, such as Winchester's oval WP stamp. It is not a serial number or a date code.
- Peep or aperture sight:
- A rear sight with a small hole to look through. A hooded front sight has a cover around it.
What year was your Model 86 made?
Need help finding the serial number?
Look up a serial number and print a one-page record sheet: the date and its sources, the status by age, the model in brief, and the auction price range.
Does the barrel say Made in Japan, or does the serial number have letters in the middle? Then it is a modern reissue with its own numbers. How to tell an original from a reissue.
Winchester Model 86 value: what it sells for at auction
Enter your serial number above to highlight the price categories that fit the estimated date and see recent sales of this model in those categories.
These prices come from 376 Winchester Model 1886s sold individually at Rock Island Auction Company (208), Morphy Auctions (70), Poulin Auctions (58), Redding Auction Services (16), and Amoskeag Auction Company (24) between Sep 2023 and Sep 2026. The age-group rows use the auction companies' categories: antique, curio and relic, or modern.
The typical price is the middle price, also called the median. Half sold for more and half for less. The middle 50% range leaves out the lowest quarter and highest quarter of prices. The wider 80% range leaves out the lowest tenth and highest tenth.
We leave out listings described as deluxe, special-order, engraved, restored, or commemorative, and other exceptions in the value guide. Commemoratives are priced on their own page. Wear, repairs, original parts, and factory upgrades can make a particular gun worth more or less. These figures are a comparison, not an appraisal of your gun.
| Category | Sales | Middle 50% of prices | Typical price | Middle 80% of prices |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antiquemade before 1899 | 258 | $2,115 – $5,406 | $2,890 | $1,762 – $9,988 |
| Curio & Reliccollector category, usually 50+ years old | 118 | $1,645 – $3,864 | $2,256 | $1,292 – $9,256 |
Antique: Rock Island Auction Company typical $2,938 (147 sales); Morphy Auctions typical $2,952 (53 sales); Poulin Auctions typical $3,965 (34 sales).
Curio & Relic: Rock Island Auction Company typical $2,232 (61 sales); Poulin Auctions typical $3,025 (24 sales).
Prices by version
Sales whose listing names a version, grouped by that version, such as rifle or carbine (a shorter rifle). These rows combine all ages.
| Version | Sales | Middle 50% of prices | Typical price | Middle 80% of prices |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rifle | 351 | $1,910 – $4,112 | $2,644 | $1,528 – $8,812 |
| Carbine | 22 | $4,626 – $13,366 | $6,586 | $2,460 – $22,912 |
Prices by caliber
The cartridge or gauge can change what a Model 1886 sells for. These rows use the 256 sales whose listing names one, with old and new names for the same cartridge counted together (the .30 WCF is the .30-30). They combine all ages.
| Caliber | Sales | Middle 50% of prices | Typical price | Middle 80% of prices |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| .45-70 | 45 | $2,125 – $4,700 | $2,644 | $1,880 – $12,925 |
| .40-82 | 38 | $1,880 – $3,746 | $2,291 | $1,493 – $11,339 |
| .33 WCF | 36 | $1,292 – $1,998 | $1,645 | $1,234 – $2,497 |
| .45-90 | 31 | $2,497 – $9,106 | $3,444 | $2,115 – $11,162 |
| .38-56 | 24 | $1,642 – $3,011 | $2,115 | $1,294 – $6,874 |
Recent Model 1886 auction sales
A sample from each age group: sales near its typical price and the newest. Look up a serial number above to see only your gun's group. A lot number identifies an item in an auction.
| Sold | Gun | Auction company | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2025 | Antique · Model 1886 · Rifle · 45-90 | Redding lot 6R | $2,900 |
| Aug 2026 | Antique · Model 1886 · Rifle · 40-65 Win | Rock Island lot 20 | $2,938 |
| Aug 2026 | Antique · Model 1886 · Rifle · 38-56 WCF | Rock Island lot 3084 | $2,938 |
| Mar 2026 | Curio & Relic · Model 1886 · Rifle | Amoskeag lot 1287 | $2,178 |
| Oct 2025 | Curio & Relic · Model 1886 · Rifle · 40-82 WCF | Rock Island lot 3115 | $2,350 |
| Aug 2026 | Curio & Relic · Model 1886 · Rifle · 50-110 Express | Rock Island lot 1005 | $10,575 |
Prices are in US dollars and include the buyer’s premium, the auction company’s fee added to the winning bid, where the house charges one; Redding charges none. They are not the amount the seller receives. A dealer’s offer or private sale price may differ. The full picture, model by model →
Where the serial number is
On the lower tang, the metal strip underneath and behind the trigger, on original-production rifles.
Where these dates come from
The table on this page comes from one source: George Madis's published tables. Use its dates as estimates for groups of serial numbers, and check the notes for its limits.
Sources for this model: Madis/legacy annual table · CFM/Polishing Room antique cutoff · Winchester customer-service list (2012)
How long from numbering to shipping? Half the Model 1886 guns in our sample shipped within 73 days →
How accurate are these tables?
We compared numbering dates from published factory letters with the table years. Each table is checked only against serials it covers, so the sample sizes differ. Here is how often each table matched the year in those records:
- George Madis's published tables and Winchester's own customer-service list (2012) (they print the same year-end figures): 84 of 106 recorded years match the table year (105 match or differ by no more than one year).
These checks describe the letters in our sample, not every gun made. Exceptions to number order and gaps or errors in records can affect individual dates.
Winchester Model 1886 serial numbers by year
The full Model 1886 serial number chart, one table for each source available here. Each row gives the numbers that source assigns to a year. Both the first and last numbers are included.
The tables agree with each other for every serial range. A row marked “approximate” is a figure we trust less than the rest of its table: a boundary the sources put a few serials apart, or a figure a later record corrects.
George Madis's published tables
George Madis compiled Winchester reference books years after production. His tables estimate the last serial number reached each year.
Cited as: Madis/legacy annual table
| Year | Serial numbers |
|---|---|
| 1886 | 1 – 3,211 |
| 1887 | 3,212 – 14,728 |
| 1888 | 14,729 – 28,577 |
| 1889 | 28,578 – 38,401 |
| 1890 | 38,402 – 49,723 |
| 1891 | 49,724 – 63,601 |
| 1892 | 63,602 – 73,816 |
| 1893 | 73,817 – 83,261 |
| 1894 | 83,262 – 94,543 |
| 1895 | 94,544 – 103,708 |
| 1896 | 103,709 – 109,670 |
| 1897 | 109,671 – 113,997 |
| 1898approximate | 113,998 – 119,192 |
| 1899approximate | 119,193 – 120,571 |
| 1900 | 120,572 – 122,834 |
| 1901 | 122,835 – 125,630 |
| 1902 | 125,631 – 128,942 |
| 1903 | 128,943 – 132,213 |
| 1904 | 132,214 – 135,524 |
| 1905 | 135,525 – 138,838 |
| 1906 | 138,839 – 142,249 |
| 1907 | 142,250 – 145,119 |
| 1908 | 145,120 – 147,322 |
| 1909 | 147,323 – 148,237 |
| 1910 | 148,238 – 150,129 |
| 1911 | 150,130 – 151,622 |
| 1912 | 151,623 – 152,943 |
| 1913 | 152,944 – 152,947 |
| 1914 | 152,948 – 153,859 |
| 1915 | 153,860 – 154,452 |
| 1916 | 154,453 – 154,979 |
| 1917 | 154,980 – 155,387 |
| 1918 | 155,388 – 156,219 |
| 1919 | 156,220 – 156,930 |
| 1920 | 156,931 – 158,716 |
| 1921 | 158,717 – 159,108 |
| 1922 | 159,109 – 159,337 |
| 1923 | 159,338 – 159,360 |
| 1924 | 159,361 – 159,408 |
| 1925 | 159,409 – 159,412 |
| 1926 | 159,413 – 159,420 |
| 1927 | 159,421 – 159,440 |
| 1928 | 159,441 |
- 1898: The factory records at the Cody Firearms Museum give 118,646 as the last receiver numbered in 1898. George Madis's tables give 119,192. The 546-number gap comes from two different record systems.
- 1899: This 1898 to 1899 boundary conflicts with the factory records at the Cody Firearms Museum, which give 118,646 as the last receiver numbered in 1898 rather than 119,192.
- 1923–1928: Winchester's own customer-service list agrees through 1922, but it leaves out the small entries for 1923 to 1928.
Factory records (Cody Firearms Museum)
Drawn from Winchester's original factory records. Numbering records date when serial numbers were stamped. The gun could be finished or shipped later; see this model's notes.
Cited as: CFM/Polishing Room antique cutoff
| Year | Serial numbers |
|---|---|
| 1886–1898approximate | through 118,646 |
- 1886–1898: George Madis's tables give 119,192. The factory records at the Cody Firearms Museum give 118,646, which is 546 serials lower.
Winchester's own customer-service list (2012)
A list Winchester prepared to answer owners' questions. It combines records and estimates, as the list itself explains.
Cited as: Winchester customer-service list (2012)
| Year | Serial numbers |
|---|---|
| 1886 | 1 – 3,211 |
| 1887 | 3,212 – 14,728 |
| 1888 | 14,729 – 28,577 |
| 1889 | 28,578 – 38,401 |
| 1890 | 38,402 – 49,723 |
| 1891 | 49,724 – 63,601 |
| 1892 | 63,602 – 73,816 |
| 1893 | 73,817 – 83,261 |
| 1894 | 83,262 – 94,543 |
| 1895 | 94,544 – 103,708 |
| 1896 | 103,709 – 109,670 |
| 1897 | 109,671 – 113,997 |
| 1898 | 113,998 – 119,192 |
| 1899 | 119,193 – 120,571 |
| 1900 | 120,572 – 122,834 |
| 1901 | 122,835 – 125,630 |
| 1902 | 125,631 – 128,942 |
| 1903 | 128,943 – 132,213 |
| 1904 | 132,214 – 135,524 |
| 1905 | 135,525 – 138,838 |
| 1906 | 138,839 – 142,249 |
| 1907 | 142,250 – 145,119 |
| 1908 | 145,120 – 147,322 |
| 1909 | 147,323 – 148,237 |
| 1910 | 148,238 – 150,129 |
| 1911 | 150,130 – 151,622 |
| 1912 | 151,623 – 152,943 |
| 1913 | 152,944 – 152,947 |
| 1914 | 152,948 – 153,859 |
| 1915 | 153,860 – 154,452 |
| 1916 | 154,453 – 154,979 |
| 1917 | 154,980 – 155,387 |
| 1918 | 155,388 – 156,219 |
| 1919 | 156,220 – 156,930 |
| 1920 | 156,931 – 158,716 |
| 1921 | 158,717 – 159,108 |
| 1922 | 159,109 – 159,337 |
What to know about Model 1886 serial numbers
- For the pre-1899 antique cutoff, the factory records at the Cody Firearms Museum give 118,646 as the last receiver numbered in 1898. George Madis's tables give 119,192. The 546-number gap comes from two different record systems. Federal antique status depends on the gun being made in or before 1898.
- Serial 118,646 and below are supported as pre-1899 by the original numbering records. If your serial is 118,647 to 119,192, get a factory record from the Cody Firearms Museum rather than relying on George Madis's year table alone.
- Regular numbering ended in 1932. The model was stated as discontinued in 1935, and guns stayed in inventory until 1936. Do not read those later dates as regular production continuing.
- The highest serial number in the factory records at the Cody Firearms Museum is 156,599. It is not a count of guns made. George Madis's tables end at serial 159,994. The surviving factory records do not cover the whole published range.
- Winchester's own customer-service list is a retyped compilation, not the original records. The list itself says that no complete original serial record from 1866 onward is known to exist, and that some of its figures are estimates.
- Winchester's own customer-service list records no more serial numbers until the model was discontinued in 1935, at 159,994.
Related models, and why
These models share a number sequence, replaced this model, or look similar. Each link explains the connection.
Winchester rifles usually made without serial numbers
These models usually have no serial number. Their pages explain the exceptions and how their features may help estimate age.
Need more detail? Check for factory records
The Cody Firearms Records Office can check for surviving records for your serial number. For a fee, it can issue a letter reporting what they say. Some records contain only dates; others also describe the gun’s original features.
The office’s May 2024 coverage sheet lists these Model 1886 serial numbers: 1–145,999; 150,800–156,599. Check current availability with the office before ordering; a listed range does not guarantee a record for every number.
Order a factory letter from the Cody Firearms Museum →What a factory letter shows, and when one is worth ordering →
What special-order features the Model 1886 records describe →