First Model Winchester 1890 Slide Action 22 Short Solid Frame Mfg 1891 Antique

Serial #6978, .22 Short, 24 inch octagon barrel with a good dark bore with fair rifling and overall roughness.  This is a Winchester Model 1890, 1st model built in 1891 in the second year of production.  The desirable solid frame, slide action rifle is well marked and shows about 20-25% of the original blue on the barrel fading to plum brown and silvering along the edges with scattered freckling, dings and contusions.  The frame is mostly pewter-gray to plum-brown as is the steel butt plate.  The walnut forearm remains in very fine condition with the stock showing an old shallow crack extending from the tang about two inches having small chips missing on either side but is otherwise solid with old contusions and is slightly loose at the tang.  Mechanically it functions properly with a tight lock up and crisp trigger.  This is an honest desirable 2nd year model 1890 in very good condition.  Antique