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Winchester Rifles and Shotguns was established by Oliver F. Winchester on February 20, 1866. The first model produced under his name was the Model 1866 lever-action rifle .44 caliber rimfire. There had been earlier rifles using lever action including the Rocket Ball and Volition Repeater in 1848, Jennings Rifle (patent 1851), Smith and Wesson pistol, and Volcanic Repeating Arms (New Haven Arms Company and Henry Rifles). When the design was improved by B. Henry Tyler (shop foreman at the New Haven Arms Company), the .44 caliber metalic rimfire cartridge became powerful enough to compete with the single shot rifles of the day. Winchester Repeating Arms Company established itself as one of the world's leading firearms manufacturers of the world, and the subsequent rifles produced by Winchester are highly prized by collectors today... The 1873 Winchester was the most popular lever-action center-fire rifle that Winchester ever produced. It was designed for the more powerful 44-40..