Interesting history behind rifle

[JayHHI6818]

Winchester Model 1886 "The Cleveland", .45-70 cal. lever action rifle, 26" octagon, Case-Colored, Letter, 1891, Antique

Winchester Model 1886 "The Cleveland", .45-70 cal. lever action rifle. Serial #56992, mfg. 1891. Excellent condition. One of the most outstanding Model 1886's offered in today's market with nearly 100% original case-color on the receiver and 99% blue! A true survivor that was always kept in...

auctions.thegunrunner.com

Claim is that this is all original -- gun stored for 100+ years:

Winchester Model 1886 "The Cleveland", .45-70 cal. lever action rifle. Serial #56992, mfg. 1891. Excellent condition. One of the most outstanding Model 1886's offered in today's market with nearly 100% original case-color on the receiver and 99% blue! A true survivor that was always kept in the dark and not handled for over 100 years. We are calling this remarkable Winchester lever "The Cleveland" as it spent most of its life in a house on 150th street in downtown Cleveland - perhaps unfired, never hunted (there were no big game animals in northern Ohio at the turn of the century). The rifle is well documented: It was acquired by a professor at Case Western University in Cleveland where it remained in a dark closet along with four other Winchester levers. The professor was a World War I veteran and acquired the rifle before the War.

 

[Spoonbill]

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[ebb]

I bet Mark Douglas (the Cinabar) is foaming at the mouth over this one

 

[mtncwru]

...perhaps unfired, never hunted (there were no big game animals in northern Ohio at the turn of the century).

I dunno, some of those white tails can be pretty intimidating.

Awesome story and a terrific find; wonder if the professor was on the CIT side of Euclid, or the WRU side (CWRU wasn't a thing until 1967). Also wonder who on Millionaire's Row was the original owner...