Manufactured in 1871, this Winchester Model 1866 musket was made when large swathes of the American Frontier sat waiting to be tamed. While it is more often the carbine and rifle variations associated with the Wild West, the musket variations such as this would have been of equal use with their ability to fix a bayonet in last ditch defense. In collector's terms, these muskets are also significantly more rare than the other two, with 3/4 of the total Model 1866 production being carbine, and of the remainder, rifles outnumbering muskets two to one. The top of the barrel on this third model is marked with the standard two-line address and King's patent marking and the serial number is on the lower tang just behind the trigger in block numerals. The partial matching serial number, "6898", is marked in the stock inlet and inside the buttplate. It is fitted with a set of period replacement sights including a blade front and an unidentified combination notch and folding ladder rear sight. It is mounted with a smooth forearm and straight grip stock with filler screws in the sling swivel plate on the bottom and a trapdoor military style buttplate containing an included four-piece cleaning rod.

Fine, retains 60% of the original blue finish, mostly on the barrel, with some scattered small patches of light pitting. 40% of the nitre blue remains on the loading gate. The lightly polished brass is also fine and shows an attractively aged tone with brighter polishing near the wrist. The lightly sanded and reoiled wood is very good with some scattered minor handling marks. Mechanically excellent.