Winchester 1886 Extra Light .45-70 LIKE NEW! 45

The inspiration for the new Winchester Model 1886 Extra Light was the original Model 1886, created by gunsmithing genius John Moses Browning. Unlike the weak toggle-link actions of preceding Winchesters, the '86 incorporated two solid steel locking lugs that slid up on either side of the bolt when the lever was closed, thus making a rock-solid arrangement for the longer-cased big-bore cartridges that were gaining in popularity, specifically the .45-70 Government. An added benefit of Browning's design was the action—smooth as warm butter and faster to cycle than any other Winchester before it. The 86's admirers included such illuminaries as Admiral Perry (who took one to the South Pole), William Chandler (who took one to Africa), and Theodore Roosevelt (who took one everywhere).

The only drawback to the slick and hefty Winchester 1886 is its weight. With its 26-inch barrel and nine-round capacity, the Model 86 rifle tipped the scales at 9 1/2 pounds and the 22-inch barreled carbine didn't do much better, weighing in at eight pounds, unloaded. After a decade of jam-free, bone-crushing success in the big-game fields, Winchester decided to update the famous '86 in order to maintain its popularity into the 20th century. That's when the 1886 Extra Lightweight was conceived.

Basically, the Winchester '86 Lightweight was a sporterized version of the Model 1886, and incorporated some features that were previously factory custom options. As chambered in the ever-popular .45-70 caliber, the straight-gripped Lightweight sported a rapid-taper 22-inch barrel and a half-magazine capable of holding four rounds. With its slimmer shape, the Lightweight weighed in at a more manageable 7 1/4 pounds. The Winchester Lightweight became the coveted choice of serious hunters who wanted a hard-hitting lever-action that could slam-dunk any North American big-game animal and wouldn't jam. But as popular as it was among outdoorsmen, Winchester's '86 Lightweight was a costly gun to produce, and was eventually discontinued in the midst of the Great Depression.

Now, U.S. Repeating Arms, under license from Winchester, has brought the Model 1886 Lightweight back. This time they're calling it the Model 1886 Extra Light, but it is a heavy duty-hunting arm all the way.

The Model '86 Extra Light comes in two versions: Grade 1 is a working gun, with smooth, plainly-grained walnut stocks and a deep, richly blued receiver. Only 3,500 Grade 1s will be made, with a suggested retail price of $1,152. For the hunter and collector who wants a bit more, there will be an additional 1,000 High Grades, featuring a nicely-figured checkered walnut stock and fore-end and a blued receiver highlighted with Victorian-styled engraving and a gold inlaid elk and deer. Suggested retail is $1,440.

Using both Federal and Winchester factory 300-grain jacketed hollow points, I shot 1 1/2-inch groups at 100 yards, open sighted and bench rested. With its shotgun buttplate, recoil of the 1886 Extra Light with these deer loads was negligible. But this rifle is capable of much more. Specifically, I opted for the 350-grain flat point big-game cartridges by CorBon Custom Bullets, a .45-70 loading that sends a semi-jacketed slug thundering out of the barrel at a boulder-crushing 1,850 fps. That's enough to flatten just about anything this side of Mars. We're easily talking elk, moose and bear. Not just black bear, but brown bear and grizzly, all of which demand a more powerful cartridge than the standard 300- and 405-grain factory .45-70 loadings. The new Winchester Model 1886 Extra Light can handle this increased horsepower, but vintage 1886 Winchesters cannot.

These heavy-duty CorBon loads opened my groups up to 2 1/2 inches at 100 yards. Not bad for a brush buster and, frankly, more accuracy than you'll need when hunting hard-to-put-down big game at the close ranges this rifle was designed for. Yes, you can feel the buttstock shove your shoulder with these stoked-up loads, but when pursuing dangerous critters with this combination, chances are you won't be cycling the lever more than once.

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