Search the Encyclopedia Mavericana:   ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

Winchester

Lever-action rifle manufactured by the Winchester Repeating Arms Company.[1]

Named for Oliver Winchester and known as "the gun that won the West." Introduced in 1866, it's rugged construction and lever-action mechanism allowed its user to fire a number of rounds without reloading.[1]

Ghost Rider: In June 13, 1872 in White Rock, Texas, Bert Nicholson took a shot at Bret Maverick with a Winchester Model 1866. Being no gunman, Nicholson missed his target and ran away before Bret could catch him. After Nicholson was killed by Felton, Mary Shane took Nicholson's Winchester as protection when she went to the canyon west of town to dig up the Wells Fargo treasure box she had buried there. Bret lassoed the rifle away from her, but emptied it before returning it to her. She held it on him while she believed she was forcing him to dig for the treasure.[4]

The Jeweled Gun: In April of 1876,[3] Henrique Fillipe gave Bart Maverick a Winchester carbine to use as protection as he escorted Daisy Haskell[5] along the Santa Fe Trail,[3] posing as her husband John. Bart used it to kill seven Comanche warriors attacking the stagecoach he and Daisy in which were passengers. Unknown to Bart at the time, the stock had been hollowed out with the intent to conceal Daisy's jeweled necklace and derringer. After Daisy shot Bart to fake her husband's death in La Mesa, New Mexico Territory, the sheriff inspected the carbine and confirmed Bart's report that it held Daisy's necklace and derringer in the stock. Fillipe told Bart the carbine used the same cartridges as his revolver,[6] so it was likely a Model 1876 Winchester chambered for .45 caliber cartridges.[3]

Bret Maverick often carried a Winchester rifle with him on the trail:

0• War of the Silver Kings

0• Ghost Rider