Model 1866 No. 36033

Engraved Winchester 1866 Third Model SRC .44 Henry Flat s/n 36033 mfg 1870 – 20” round barrel; full mag; crescent buttplate; silver wash receiver is engraved with a Mexican eagle on left side and inscribed “Pedro G. Blanco” on the right side and is stamped “W. Y. DE G.” on the right rear side for the legendary Mexico City gun dealer, Wexel & DeGress.

This is the only (known to this writer) Mexican Eagle Winchester with “REPUBLICA MEXICANA” engraved inside the banners below the eagle. Also, there are two rivet or screw holes at the ends of the banner “Pedro G. Blanco”, presumably indicating the banner was covered with a plate, perhaps to conceal the name. .

This gun shows a classic “south of the border” look with heavy dark taffy colored patina to brass frame and traces of silver wash in protected areas, dark bore, good action, heavy brown patina to barrel, loading tube, lever, barrel bands, etc.; stocks are well-worn with pommel wear to fore stock and heavily worn, period-replaced butt stock with classic period Mexican frontier repairs and re-working of shape. Documentation is a letter from noted Western author and collector Lee Silva indicating the carbine turned up on a ranch outside of Guadalajara, Mexico, in 2007, and has been in his personal collection since that time. .