William Sheard Retailed Winchester-Lee Straight Pull Sporting Rifle with Cody Data Sheet

Serial #10895, 6mm Lee (.263 Caliber), 24" barrel with a fine, bright bore that has a very small amount of freckling within the grooves at the muzzle.  This is an 1898-made rifle that has about 60-70% of the original blue remaining on the barrel and receiver, with silvering at the muzzle, along the sides of the front sight ramp, and a plum-brown patina on the balance.  The bolt is correct for a sporting rifle (two gas escape vents instead of one) and retains about 80-85% of the original blue, with some fading and freckling on the handle.  The left side of the receiver has two later addition screw holes for what was probably a side scope mount, and two additional screw holes added to the top of the barrel breech.  Light, but fully legible William Sheard retailer markings are present above the Winchester roll marking: "FROM W.F. SHEARD TACOMA, WASH."  William F. Sheard (1861 - 1932) was a gunsmith and designer, most famous for his sight designs.  He was active in the gun trade in Montana from 1884 - 1895, after which he moved to Tacoma, WA.  Guns retailed by his shop were often marked in this manner.  The walnut stock has a schnabel-tipped, grooved forend and checkered pistol grip with hard rubber Winchester grip cap.  Numerous small handling marks and surface blemishes are present, as well as some wood repairs on the left side where the scope mount was once installed, along the left rear of the barrel channel, and another repair at the toe of the butt.  A finely checkered original steel buttplate is present.  At some point, the stock was converted to two-piece with the addition of a contoured steel plate just ahead of the magazine housing.  The rifle has a non-original, period sporting front sight blade, a BSA rear barrel sight (missing the elevation riser), and the rear of the bolt has a period dovetail plate added in order to mount an aperture rear sight.  The action requires some attention as the bolt will not lock closed unless the trigger is depressed.  The rifle is accompanied by 2019 Cody Data Sheet that confirms the rifle was built as a sporter and lists reception in the warehouse on June 6, 1898.  The rifle was eventually shipped on January 15, 1908 as order number 136453.  Original Winchester-Lee sporting rifles are not often encountered, especially examples marked with W.F. Sheard's retail stamp, and this example rates good-near very good condition overall.  Antique