The Cimarron 1866 Yellowboy Sporting Rifle is a lever-action rifle chambered in .44 Special with a 24-inch octagon barrel. It uses the Yellowboy receiver's side-loading gate and a wood fore-end, finished in blue/black with a walnut stock for a period-correct cowboy-action look. The rifle carries a traditional sporting-carbine profile with iron sights for period-correct aiming. 
 

Key Specifications 

• Brand: Cimarron 
• Model: 1866 Yellowboy Sporting Rifle 
• Caliber: .44 Special 
• Action: Lever Action 
• Barrel Length: 24" 
• Finish: Blue/Black 
• Material: Walnut Stock 
• Sights: Iron Sights 
• Loading: Side-Loading Gate 
   

Detailed Features 

• Side-loading gate on the Yellowboy receiver for convenient cartridge loading 
• 24-inch octagon barrel for a traditional sporting-carbine profile 
• Iron sights with a period-correct look 
• Wood fore-end paired with a walnut stock finished in blue/black metal 
• Lever-action manual repeating design for traditional cycling feel

Owners of Cimarron's 1866-pattern reproductions like the Yellowboy generally praise smooth, reliable lever cycling out of the box, though some note the action benefits from a break-in period before it runs its smoothest.

The octagon barrel and traditional receiver give it an authentic cowboy-action look, and the side-loading gate is straightforward once you get used to loading through it. Some competitive shooters upgrade the springs or have a gunsmith tune the action for faster cowboy-action stage runs.

The .44 Special chambering is liked for being easy to reload and pleasant to shoot compared to larger lever-gun calibers. Cimarron's reproductions are a common pick in cowboy action shooting circles, and parts and gunsmith support for the platform is well established within that community.