GUN FALL 2016
The live portion of this session begins on Tuesday, October 4, 2016.
EXTRAORDINARY WINCHESTER THIRD MODEL 1876 RIFLE WITH 28" ROUND BARREL, FULL MAGAZINE, AND CRESCENT BUTTSTOCK.WINCHESTER18765903140-60 WCFCal. 40-60 WCF. 28" rnd bbl. Full magazine. Blue finish. Straight grain American walnut stocks with crescent buttplate. Bbl shows correct 2-line Winchester address rolled in front of rear-sight with cal mark at breech-end. Nickel silver blade front-sight. Ladder type rear-sight with "1876" stamped at top of staff. Receiver is of the third type with integral guide-rail for dust cover. Top tang is marked 1876 with finials. Lower tang has SN stamped behind lever latch. Elevator is marked "40-60". No assembly nos. were observed. Accompanying this rifle is a Winchester Gun Museum Letter dated April 7, 1975, showing rifle, cal 40-60, rnd bbl, plain trigger and showing shipment on May 10, 1890. CONDITION: Very fine. Bbl shows 90% blue finish with a couple of slight abrasions at mid-point and some slight muzzle wear. Muzzle is drifting to a plumb patina. Magazine tube shows 30-40% blue, turning to a smooth plumb patina, and has some small abrasions on bottom surface. All markings are sharp. Bore is bright with sharp rifling. Receiver shows 90% bright-blue finish, drifting somewhat to a plumb-brown patina on bottom edge. Some small scratches. Dust cover shows 60% blue with balance a smooth plumb-brown patina. Loading gate retains a considerable amount of fire-blue finish. Elevator is a mustard-yellow patina with clear mark and a slight dent at rear. Tang markings are sharp. Hammer retains 80% vivid case color overall. Firing pin also retains considerable blue finish. Lever shows 50% muted case color overall that is vivid toward hinge. Stocks are fine, full-sized, and retain nearly all of varnish finish, with only some small handling marks and a few dents on left side of forend. Buttplate shows 50% blue blending with plumb-brown patina, with some roughness at heel and toe. Forend cap shows 60-70% blue blending with a plumb-brown patina, with some high point wear on left side. A truly wonderful preserved Third Model Winchester 1876 rifle manufactured in 1886. 51079-2 TEP (8,000-12,000)