Theodore Roosevelt’s 1886 Winchester

NRANews continues their look at the NRA National Firearms Museum’s soon to be displayed exhibit on the Theodore Roosevelt collection this week with a Winchester – an 1886 Winchester rifle to be exact. One owned, and used, by Roosevelt before, during and after his presidency. And this was a man who liked his Winchesters:

“The Winchester stocked and sighted to suit myself is by all odds the best weapon I ever had, and I now use it almost exclusively … .” — Theodore Roosevelt, Hunting Trips of a Ranchman

According to Senior Curator Phil Schreier, this Winchester comes with more than just the usual bells and whistles … a routine request for Mr. Theodore. Everything from the Monte Carlo cheek piece to the pistol grip, flat metal buttstock along with the incredible bluing was more than what the average customer received.

Now some might take a look at this rifle and think there’s no way President Roosevelt used that rifle — it looks too shiny and new. There’s a reason for that — he kept sending it back.

Records show that Roosevelt’s rifle went back to the Winchester plant on five separate occasions. Each time to be refit, refinished and rejiggered to the President’s specifications. That’s why she looks so good.

To hear more about Theodore Roosevelt’s 1886 Winchester Rifle, tune in tonight as Phil joins NRANews producer John Popp from an undisclosed location inside NRA Headquarters for another episode of Curator’s Corner on NRANews.com and Sirius/XM Patriot Satellite Radio.

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