September 20th 2015 Premier Firearms Sale
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 9/19/2015
Features a 28" barrel in .45-75 WCF. The second offering in this trilogy of rare Winchester lever actions with the factory seven leaf express sights is this fine all original Model 1876. Factory research lists this rifle as follows: Type: rifle; Barrel type: octagon; Trigger: plain; Sights:six-leaf and Winchester combination, reversible express. Shotgun butt; Engraved: engraved A. Zirnogel & Co.; Received in warehouse May 20th, 1881 and shipped May 27th, 1881. Not mentioned in letter is the caliber which is .45-75, the only caliber available at the time. Also not mentioned is the magazine because it is the standard full magazine. Winchester combination refers to the Winchester combination folding front sight. The engraving mentioned on letter is on the dust cover. The sight blades have the platinum lines but do not have the numbers. Sharp barrel legend that was factory placed, beginning at the end of the folding express sight. Brass lifter is a dark mustard untouched hue. Traces of fire blue on loading gate. All other metal surfaces have turned a lovely blue-brown-grey soft patina with some strong factory high polish blue on left side plate, frame recess, and on left side of nose cap. The barrel has high edge wear at flats with age freckling as does top of frame. There are a couple of light spots of minor abrasion on right side of forend cap with a 1/4" spot on barrel and a 1/2" spot on tube. Excellent original dark walnut stocks, proud to metal, never refinished, with right top side of forend has a very closed evidence of grain separation, a couple of minor dents, buttstock has a 3/4" grain separation at butt and some darkening of oil at plate. "C74P" is stamped on the left barrel flat 2" from breach. Fine action and a very strong rifled bore with usual minor black powder abrasion. Another very rare extremely handsome special order Model 1876 with the shotgun buttplate and the impossibly rare seven-leaf rear express sight. If research could be found on the company engraved on dust cover, it could add great historical significance.