Home Forums Lever Action Central Big Bore Levers 1903 '86 Winchester

That date is according to the serial number. It is rebarreled to around blued barrel in 33 Winchester. What can I do with this as with Turnbull? It needs to be a large bore like the 450 Alaskan or maybe the 50-110? What would you do if it were your canvas to play with? Be Well, RZ.

Are you sure the round 33 Winchester barrel is not factory special order?
Does that change the value of it?

Turnbull can certainly make it into a piece of eye candy.

I don't think it is an old barrel. The rifling looks new. The gun was not properly fixed before blueing. It has prying marks at the loading gate and blued right over them. The tang is bent a bit. I took off a set of peep sights I had installed. It was hard to carry and ate my hand to the point of bleeding. In Misery that year it was quite warm and I used no gloves. Be Well, RZ.

I don't think I'd use a receiver that old to make a .450AK or .50-110. IMO both of those cartridges really want a gun capable of full .348win pressures. While most of that is the barrel I'd be reluctant with an old receiver/bolt and worried that it would develop excess headspace.

The 1903 was made the year they introduced the 33 Winchester. And that caliber was an early modern smokeless caliber. Not one adapted from black to smokeless. Be Well, RZ.

I guess. There's about a 20% bolt thrust increase from .33Win to .348Win. I know I personally would prefer a Miroku receiver to a 118 year old ??? steel Winchester receiver for the higher bolt thrust cartridges.

In terms of what's possible, the OAL and rim diameter are the same(ish) between the 33Win and .50-110. So it seems like all options are on the table without too much work.

I would not load any of the .458 or .510 options with a crescent butt plate. If you've got a shotgun butt stock (especially pistol grip) I'd be more interested in the big stuff.

I would sell the 1886 Win and go with a repro to have converted.
Ask Turnbull?

Maybe I should just sell it but for how much? It has a crescent buttplate and the tangs are bent a bit and the wood wallowed out some. It sure did kill a whitetail fast with a flatpoint cast. 230 gr maybe? I forget things as I get older - PTSD from working almost 25 years at the local prison and married 50 years affects my memory some. Back to the program here I think Turnbull is what it needs but with a shotgun butt instead of crescent. A 50-110 sounds good. Load a cast lightweight HP for plinking and a heavy WLN for serious work. Always interested in your ideas. Keep 'em coming. Be well, RZ.