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LOT 1015 Documented Special Order Casehardened Winchester Deluxe Model 1876 Lever Action Rifle with Factory Letter - Serial no. 14449, 45-60 WCF cal., 28 inch octagon bbl., blue/casehardened finish, walnut stock. The Winchester Model 1876 or “Centennial Model” was released as a up sized version of Winchester’s iconic Model 1873. Capable of handling larger and more powerful cartridges, the Model 1876 was intended to be able to handle anything that was thrown at it on the Western Frontier. Manufactured in 1881, this is a very desirable example of a casehardened Winchester deluxe Model 1876 rifle. These large frame, large caliber Winchesters were often viewed as a working gun and valued for their utility, with relatively few being ordered with any extra features. Noted Winchester historian and author George Madis notes that seven out of every eight Model 1876s was a standard rifle. The included factory letter lists the rifle in .45-60 caliber with an octagon barrel, plain trigger, casehardened finish, and a checkered pistol grip stock when received at the warehouse on 30 July 1881 and shipped the same day in order number 26588. Madis also notes that only about one out of every nine Winchester 1876s was casehardened, one out of every 400 had special wood, one out of every 420 had a pistol grip stock, and one out of every 630 had checkered wood, making the combination of features found on this rifle quite scarce. The top barrel flat is marked with the standard two-line address and King’s patent marking, as well as the caliber marking at the breech and repeated on the bottom of the cartridge elevator. The left side of the lower tang is marked “XX 1323”, stock inlet is marked “P 1323”, and inside toe of the buttplate is marked “1323”. It is fitted with a beaded blade front sight, filler in the rear sight dovetail, and a mid-range peep sight mounted on the upper tang. It is mounted with a very finely figured, H-pattern checkered forearm and pistol grip stock with a trapdoor crescent buttplate containing an included five-piece cleaning rod. CONDITION: Very good, retains 30% of the original blue finish and some strong, mostly silvered, traces of the original case colors with the balance having thinned to mostly a smooth dark grey-brown patina and some scattered light surface pitting on the magazine tube. The wood is very good, with some scattered minor handling marks and mostly crisp checkering. Mechanically excellent. This is a rare opportunity at a special order casehardened Winchester deluxe Model 1876 rifle. Do not miss your chance! Estimate: 8,500 - 14,000
LOT 1017
LOT 1016
Desirable Antique Special Order Winchester First Model 1873 Lever Action Rifle with Factory Letter - Serial no. 29352, 44-40 WCF cal., 24 inch round bbl., blue finish, walnut stock. Manufactured as a First Model with integral dust cover grooves on either side of the ejection port and dust cover with impressed checkered “thumbprint” grip area. Only around 31,000 of these First Models were manufactured, with special order examples like this one being even more rare. These early Model 1873 rifles were a workhorse of the American Frontier, and this example certainly shows the specific preferences of a discerning customer, who was willing to sacrifice some ammunition capacity for weight reduction, and without all the fancy frills of a rifle that prioritized form over function. This early production example correctly lacks caliber markings, as .44-40 W.C.F. was the only caliber offered until 1879. The top of the barrel is marked with the two-line address and King’s patent marking. The model designation is marked on the upper tang, and the serial number is on the lower tang. The left side of the lower tang is marked with the assembly number “722”, which is repeated in the stock inlet and inside the toe of the buttplate. It is fitted with a beaded brass blade front sight, an elevation adjustable notch rear sight, and a special order “button” magazine. It is mounted with a smooth forearm and straight grip stock with a trapdoor crescent buttplate (cleaning rod not included). The included factory letter states the rifle was received in the warehouse on July 17, 1878, and shipped on August 28. CONDITION: Fine, retains 50% plus of the original blue finish, faint traces of the original case colors, and 30% of the original nitre blue with the balance having thinned to mostly a smooth brown patina and a few scattered, speckled patches of light oxidation. The wood is also fine with some scattered light handling marks. Mechanically excellent. If your collection is in need of an honest, fresh, special order Winchester First Model 1873, search no further! Estimate: 5,500 - 8,500
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Desirable Framed Original Universal Pictures Co. “Winchester ‘73” Movie Poster Number “50/400” - An official Universal Pictures Co. advertisement for
the 1950 motion picture “Winchester ‘73”, starring James Stewart, Shelley Winters,
Dan Duryea, and Stephen McNally. The film takes place in the American West of 1876 and centers around the journey of a prized “One of One Thousand” Winchester Model 1873 lever action rifle from one ill-fated owner to another. The film also helped to bolster the carrier of James Stewart as an actor, received a nomination for “Best Written American Western” from the Writers Guild
of America, and was added to the National
Film Registry by the U.S. Library of Congress
in 2015. The poster is approximately the size
of large window advertisements featured in
the lobby of cinemas, showcasing upcoming
films, showcasing James Stuart’s character,
grasping the sought after Winchester Model
73, in heroic cowboy posture standing large
over a scene of settlers versus natives above the title line, with a scene of a town shootout and Shelley Winter’s character in distress underneath. The bottom corners of the poster are marked “Copyright 1950 by Universal Pictures Co., Inc.” and “PROPERTY OF NATIONAL SCREEN SERVICE CORP.” along with “40351” and “50/400” written in ink. Encased in an attractive dark walnut display frame measuring 50 x 36 inches.
CONDITION: The poster is exceptionally fine, showing slightly faded color and generally minimal wear. The professionally made custom wood frame is very fine with limited minor handling wear. Estimate: 3,000 - 4,000