GUN FALL 2017
The live portion of this session begins on Tuesday, October 31, 2017.
SCARCE WINCHESTER MODEL 1876 OPEN TOP SADDLE RING CARBINE WITH ENGLISH PROOFS AND FACTORY LETTER.WINCHESTER1876283845-75Cal. 45-75. Standard Grade carbine with 22" rnd bbl that has Metford style rifling, barleycorn front sight and 1866 style 2-position flip rear sight graduated 100, 300 & 500 yds. Bbl has standard Winchester and King's patent roll marking with British proofs on the top left over the chamber area and a corresponding proof mark on the receiver ring. Receiver is 1st type, open top without provision for a dust cover. Left side of frame has a stud & ring. Left sideplate is hand engraved "LONDON ARMOURY / JAS. KERR & CO. / 54, KING WILLIAM ST. E.C.". Mounted with uncheckered straight grain American walnut with full length forearm that has special blued steel nose cap and one bbl band secured with a spring keeper. Buttstock has a straight grip with carbine buttplate without trap. Left side of lower tang, under the wood is marked with the assembly no. 1563 with matching assembly no. inside toe of buttplate. Top tang channel of buttstock has matching SN "2838" to this carbine. Very few 1876 carbines were produced in the open top configuration and many of those were later returned to the factory to have a rail and dust cover added. Accompanied by a Cody Firearms Museum letter which identifies this firearm as a carbine, received in the warehouse March 19, 1878 and shipped July 10, 1878 to order no. l2311 with four other 1876 arms (probably also carbines). Additionally accompanied by copies of pages of the Winchester ledger book which lists this carbine along with the SN's of those other four 1876 arms, which are 2836, 2837, 2839 & 2840. CONDITION: Very good, all matching as noted above. Bbl retains about 50% orig blue mixed with fine surface etching. Receiver and side plates also retain about 50% thin orig blue with most of the losses from flaking, showing light sharp edge wear, turning plummy brown over the top and bottom edges. Bbl legend and side plate engraving are sharp and clear. Hammer retains strong case colors, turned dark on top edge. Lever retains dark case colors on the sides turned dark on outer faces. Wood is sound with a few light nicks and scratches and retains most of an old lightly added finish. Mechanics are crisp. Bright shiny bore. 52506-3 JRL (10,000-12,000)