So What’s With This Winchester Banner “1866”?

Did not Winchester purchase the Henry rifle rights and company back in the day to which the so named company of 1996 has no historical lineage? So it would seem to me the Winchester offering is legit and claiming rightful heritage the other one is not. And, besides, these are not the only two reproductions. What is in a name, well, they could have named the company manufacturing Ithaca rimfire rifles and reproductions of Marlin and also the Henry rifle Bill or Sue or George or anything for that matter.
 
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It is a modernized version of Winchester's 1866 Yellow Boy, their first commercial market lever action.

73-winchester-golden-boy.jpg
 
3Crows said:
Did not Winchester purchase the Henry rifle rights and company back in the day to which the so named company of 1996 has no historical lineage? So it would seem to me the Winchester offering is legit and claiming rightful heritage the other one is not. And, besides, these are not the only two reproductions. What is in a name, well, they could have named the company manufacturing Ithaca rimfire rifles and reproductions of Marlin and also the Henry rifle Bill or Sue or George or anything for that matter.
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Oliver Winchester actually owned majority stocks in the Vulcan Repeating Arms Co (1857). Henry, Smith and Wesson also owned stock in the company. The name was changed to Winchester Repeating Arms in 1866.
 
bfoosh006 said:
It might be a discontinued model ?

https://stage.winchesterguns.com/products/rifles/model-1866/past.html

And Google had this 2017 article.
https://www.americanrifleman.org/co...ng-arms-announces-new-model-1866-short-rifle/
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Thanks, the Google article mentions they had solid brass receivers, butt plate, and forearm cap like the originals, unlike the current Henry models which have plated sheet metal sides.

They were available in .44-40 and .38Spl. Looks like they were nice guns.
 
The 1866 model was chambered in .44 Henry and the receiver was, in fact, brass. The .44 Henry was a rather anemic rimfire cartridge that was replaced by the .44WCF (.44-40) in the 1873 models.
My 1866 is also a brass receiver rifle made by Uberti and imported by Navy Arms and is chambered in .44-40.
As was previously mentioned, the new Miroku '66 models are probably Winchester re-staking their claim as the original. It's good to see them getting back in the game.
 
If Winchester is going to bring back the '66 as a Winchester branded rifle I hope they offer it in .44 Russian , as that is about as close to .44 henry as you can get with a modern cartridge ( .44 R . was the first modern cartridge) . Or at least in .44 special . It would be cool to have a Yellowboy carbine duplicating actual Henry loads .
 
codytrucker said:
If Winchester is going to bring back the '66 as a Winchester branded rifle I hope they offer it in .44 Russian , as that is about as close to .44 henry as you can get with a modern cartridge ( .44 R . was the first modern cartridge) . Or at least in .44 special . It would be cool to have a Yellowboy carbine duplicating actual Henry loads .
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Miroku has already brought it back.
 
codytrucker said:
Awesome , at one time the model '66 '73 '76 '86 '92 '94 and '95 were all available products in the same catalog . It'd be cool if that happened again , even though Winchester is just a trade name now .
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I just purchased a Miroku 1886 Winchester Deluxe. It's a wonder to behold. The quality and workmanship is definitely there.
Hats off to Winchester for building on their past.
 
codytrucker said:
Awesome , at one time the model '66 '73 '76 '86 '92 '94 and '95 were all available products in the same catalog . It'd be cool if that happened again , even though Winchester is just a trade name now .
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Correct. Henry is just a trade name also; like Winchester. And Marlin for that matter. Funny thing is, I have some of each. And don't give a hoot. I just enjoy them.
 
The Winchester is solid brass. In fact, the only plated guns I know of from any maker are rimfires. The Henry Golden Boy is plated. The Big Boy is solid brass, or maybe ordnance bronze.


3Crows said:
Did not Winchester purchase the Henry rifle rights and company back in the day to which the so named company of 1996 has no historical lineage? So it would seem to me the Winchester offering is legit and claiming rightful heritage the other one is not. And, besides, these are not the only two reproductions. What is in a name, well, they could have named the company manufacturing Ithaca rimfire rifles and reproductions of Marlin and also the Henry rifle Bill or Sue or George or anything for that matter.
Click to expand...
Yep! There was never a Henry company historically. Benjamin Tyler Henry was an employee of what became Winchester.


codytrucker said:
If Winchester is going to bring back the '66 as a Winchester branded rifle I hope they offer it in .44 Russian , as that is about as close to .44 henry as you can get with a modern cartridge ( .44 R . was the first modern cartridge) . Or at least in .44 special . It would be cool to have a Yellowboy carbine duplicating actual Henry loads .
Click to expand...
Uberti has made them in .44Special for years. Mine will run on .44Colt as well. I just wish somebody would order a batch of 1860's in .44Spl.
 
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