Listed as a Winchester 1877 lever-action shotgun, serial number 12121, this 12-gauge was made in 1888 and carries a 30-inch barrel. It is in very fine condition for its age: roughly 75 percent of the original blue remains on the barrel and magazine tube, the frame still shows bright case colors, and the wood is very fine with a coat of varnish on the buttstock. The action works perfectly and the bore is rated excellent.

A gun like this sits at the collector end of the Winchester lever-action family rather than in a Pennsylvania duck blind. The 30-inch barrel and the surviving finish are the whole point of the piece, and an 1888 shotgun with this much blue and case color is uncommon. Study the photos of the frame colors and the magazine tube, since that is where the condition story is told on these guns.

Key features

• 12 gauge, 30-inch barrel, serial 12121
• Made in 1888
• About 75 percent original blue on barrel and tube
• Bright case colors on the frame
• Action works perfectly, excellent bore

Although it dates from 1888, this shotgun ships to your chosen Pennsylvania FFL dealer, who runs the PICS check before you take it home.