C&R · III · 173

Winchester Model 1886 line-throwing gun

Section III: removed from the NFA, curio or relic under the GCA

Official wording

ATF P 5300.11 · APRIL 2025 EDITION · SECTION III · VERBATIM · PDF P. 45 ↗

Winchester, Model 1886 Line Throwing Gun, cal. .45-70 smoothbore, with 14-1/2 inch barrel, S/Ns 153775, 153830, 154228, 154229, 154231, 154232, 154256, 154257, 154258, 154259, 154260, 154262, 154263, 154264, 154265, 154266, 154267, 154268, 154269, 154270, 154271, 154274, 154287, 154301, 154304, 154305, 154308, 154319, 154320, 154321, 154322, 154327, 154328, 154331, 154332, 154334, 154336, 154337, 164338, 154339, 154340, 154342, 154345, 154346, 154347, 154348, 154349, 154350, 154351, 154352, 154355, 154356, 154357, 154359, 154360, 154365, 154366, 154384, 154385, 154388, 154390, 154393, 154396, 154397, 154398, 154402, 154403, 154404, 154406, 154409, 154411, 154413, 154414, 154415, 154418, 154419, 154420, 154422, 154424, 154427, 154428, 154429, 154437, 154438, 154439, 154440, 154450, 154451, 154452, 154453, 154455, 154463, 154464, 154465, 154466, 154467, 154468, 154471, 154476, 154511, 154512, 154514, 154515, 154516, 154517, 154520, 154521, 154522, 154523, 154524, 154525, 154526, 154527, 154528, 154529, 154531, 154532, 154548, 154550, 154551, 154552, 154554, 154555, 154556, 154557, 154558, 154562, 154564, 154565, 154566, 154567, 154568, 154569, 154570, 154572, 154573, 154574, 154588, 154589, 154590, 154591, 154592, 154595, 154598, 154599, 154600, 154601, 154602, 154604, 154605, 154607, 154608, 154609, 154610, 154611, 154612, 154613, 154616, 154617, 154618, 154619, 154627, 154629, 154631, 154633, 154639, 154640, 154642, 154646, 154648, 154650, 154651, 154653, 154654, 154655, 154660, 154661, 154663, 154664, 154665, 154666, 154669, 154671, 154672, 154676, 154677, 154682, 154688, 154689, 154690, 154693, 154694, 154696, 154697, 154698, 154700, 154702, 154704, 154707, 154708, 154709, 154712, 154713, 154714, 154715, 154718, 154719, 154720, 154721, 154722, 154724, 154725, 154726, 154730, 154731, 154732, 154735, 154737, 154739, 154741, 154742, 154744, 154745, 154747, 154749, 154755, 154764, 154768, 154769, 154771, 154773, 154775, 154776, 154777, 154778, 154779, 154780, 154781, 154782, 154789, 154790, 154791, 154793, 154794, 154795, 154797, 154798, 154799, 154800, 154801, 154802, 154803, 154804,154808, 154814, 154820, 154821, 154822, 154823, 154824, 154825, 154826, 154827, 154830, 154831, 154833, 154834, 154853, 154854, 154855, 154856, 154857, 154858, 154860, 154862, 154865, 154866, 154868, 154869, 154870, 154871, 154875, 154878, 154889, 154891, 154892, 154893, 154894, 154895, 154896, 154897, 154905, 154906, 154912, 154913, 154914, 154928, 154942.

One ATF line lists 298 serial numbers (297 in 2018; the April 2025 edition adds S/N 153775) for this configuration.

What this entry requires

ATF REQUIRESConfigured as the ATF wording states: “with 14-1/2 inch barrel”
ATF REQUIRESYour serial number is one ATF listsATF: “S/Ns 153775, 153830, 154228, 154229, 154231, 154232, 154256, 154257, 154258, 154259, 154260, 154262, 154263, 154264, 154265, 154266, 154267, 154268, 154269, 154270, 154271, 154274, 154287, 154301, 154304, 154305, 154308, 154319, 154320, 154321, 154322, 154327, 154328, 154331, 154332, 154334, 154336, 154337, 164338, 154339, 154340, 154342, 154345, 154346, 154347, 154348, 154349, 154350, 154351, 154352, 154355, 154356, 154357, 154359, 154360, 154365, 154366, 154384, 154385, 154388, 154390, 154393, 154396, 154397, 154398, 154402, 154403, 154404, 154406, 154409, 154411, 154413, 154414, 154415, 154418, 154419, 154420, 154422, 154424, 154427, 154428, 154429, 154437, 154438, 154439, 154440, 154450, 154451, 154452, 154453, 154455, 154463, 154464, 154465, 154466, 154467, 154468, 154471, 154476, 154511, 154512, 154514, 154515, 154516, 154517, 154520, 154521, 154522, 154523, 154524, 154525, 154526, 154527, 154528, 154529, 154531, 154532, 154548, 154550, 154551, 154552, 154554, 154555, 154556, 154557, 154558, 154562, 154564, 154565, 154566, 154567, 154568, 154569, 154570, 154572, 154573, 154574, 154588, 154589, 154590, 154591, 154592, 154595, 154598, 154599, 154600, 154601, 154602, 154604, 154605, 154607, 154608, 154609, 154610, 154611, 154612, 154613, 154616, 154617, 154618, 154619, 154627, 154629, 154631, 154633, 154639, 154640, 154642, 154646, 154648, 154650, 154651, 154653, 154654, 154655, 154660, 154661, 154663, 154664, 154665, 154666, 154669, 154671, 154672, 154676, 154677, 154682, 154688, 154689, 154690, 154693, 154694, 154696, 154697, 154698, 154700, 154702, 154704, 154707, 154708, 154709, 154712, 154713, 154714, 154715, 154718, 154719, 154720, 154721, 154722, 154724, 154725, 154726, 154730, 154731, 154732, 154735, 154737, 154739, 154741, 154742, 154744, 154745, 154747, 154749, 154755, 154764, 154768, 154769, 154771, 154773, 154775, 154776, 154777, 154778, 154779, 154780, 154781, 154782, 154789, 154790, 154791, 154793, 154794, 154795, 154797, 154798, 154799, 154800, 154801, 154802, 154803, 154804,154808, 154814, 154820, 154821, 154822, 154823, 154824, 154825, 154826, 154827, 154830, 154831, 154833, 154834, 154853, 154854, 154855, 154856, 154857, 154858, 154860, 154862, 154865, 154866, 154868, 154869, 154870, 154871, 154875, 154878, 154889, 154891, 154892, 154893, 154894, 154895, 154896, 154897, 154905, 154906, 154912, 154913, 154914, 154928, 154942”
INFOATF states no date; production was about 1918.

Editorial facts · Our research

Country: United StatesBasis: outside reference ⁷ ⁸
Manufacturer: Winchester Repeating Arms Co., for William Read & SonsBasis: outside reference ²
Type: OtherBasis: outside reference ⁴ ⁵
Action: LeverBasis: outside reference ⁶
Caliber: .45-70 smoothboreBasis: the ATF wording
Made: Listed serials only · c. 1918production; ATF states no dateBasis: outside reference ¹
Service: Military

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Source

Official wording

ATF P 5300.11, April 2025 edition · Section III · PDF p. 45 ↗ · ATF original ↗

Entries

1 line

Verbatim check

Checked against the PDF text before every release

Editorial facts

Confidence: High · Last revised 18 October 2026 (Evidence pass) · How we rate confidence

References

1. winchestercollector.org ↗, years: Known line throwers fall in S/N 153391–154942, shipped September–October 1918
2. forgottenweapons.com ↗, maker: William Read & Sons bought 497 Model 1886 .45-70 rifles bored smooth, barrels cut to 14.5 inches
3. forgottenweapons.com ↗, service: Used by the US Coast Guard and Navy as well as private ship owners
4. forgottenweapons.com ↗, type: William Read & Sons bought 497 Model 1886 .45-70 rifles from Winchester 'specifically bored smooth and with barrels cut down the 14.5 inches' and packaged them as line-throwing kits (type Other).
5. americansocietyofarmscollectors.org ↗, type: p. 18: Winchester agreed with William Read & Sons 'to manufacture Model 1886 Rifles modified for use as Lyle Life Line Throwing Guns'; 261 shipped 5 Oct 1918 as 'Lifeline, 14½ inch, smooth bore'.
6. forgottenweapons.com ↗, action: '497 Model 1886 Winchester lever action rifles'.
7. forgottenweapons.com ↗, country: made at the Winchester factory for the U.S. line-thrower market after the 1918 law change; used by the US Coast Guard and Navy.
8. Wikipedia, “Winchester Model 1886” ↗, country: infobox origin United States; manufacturer Winchester Repeating Arms Company.

Fact tags

ATF the ATF wording states it.
REF ¹ an outside reference supports it; the number points to the list of references.
ESTIMATE an approximate or indirect reading, for example the production range of the base model.
NO CITATION we haven’t attached a reference for this fact; it’s our editorial reading, not ATF’s.

Source checked

20 October 2026: ATF’s page still lists the April 2025 edition

Corrections

5 changes · see below

Correction history

18 October 2026Update to the April 2025 editionNote on the ATF wording updated
17 October 2026Data-trust reviewEditorial confidence: Low → High. Re-rated after supporting references were added or re-checked.
17 October 2026Data-trust reviewService: Commercial → Military. Used by the Coast Guard and Navy (Forgotten Weapons)
17 October 2026Data-trust reviewYears: 1886–1935 → 1918. The serial block shipped in Sept–Oct 1918 (WACA historian)
17 October 2026Data-trust reviewMaker: Winchester Repeating Arms Co. → Winchester Repeating Arms Co., for William Read & Sons. Made for William Read & Sons, Boston

All corrections · How corrections work

Historical context

Line thrower (base model shown for Winchester Model 1886 line-throwing gun) — Shown: a decorated Winchester Model 1886 takedown rifle, the action this line-throwing gun was built on; not the line-throwing gun itself.

Image: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, “Winchester Model 1886 Takedown Rifle (serial no. 125176)” by Winchester Repeating Arms Company, Public domain (The Met Open Access, CC0). Retrieved October 2026.

Summary: Wikipedia, “Line thrower”. Text CC BY-SA 4.0.

FROM WIKIPEDIA

A line thrower is a device that casts a line to a remote position. It is used in rescues as well as marine operations. A line thrower may employ a variety of launching methods including guns, rockets, and pneumatics.