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LOT 26 Very Fine Winchester Model 1876 Lever Action Rifle - Serial no. 39042, 40-60 WCF cal., 28 inch octagon bbl., blue finish, walnut stock. Manufactured in 1884 when the West remained very much untamed. The Model 1876 was the first Winchester lever action rifle offered in calibers truly suitable for hunting large and dangerous game. The larger caliber Model 1876 was popular among those in the West who believed .44-40 wasn’t quite enough stopping power for whatever they might encounter. With only 63,871 rifles and carbines manufactured between 1876 and 1897, surviving examples of the Model 1876 rifle are scarce. Generally being viewed as a working gun, these rifles saw hard use and thus these lever actions are rarely encountered in high condition such as this example. The rifle is fitted with a Lyman beaded blade front sight, an “1876” marked folding ladder rear sight, and a tang peep sight. The top barrel flat is stamped with the two-line Winchester address/King’s patent marking ahead of the rear sight and “CAL. 40-60” at the breech .The caliber marking is again marked on the bottom of the brass cartridge elevator. The third model receiver features an integral dust cover rail and a dust cover with grip serrations at the rear. The serial number is marked on the lower tang. The buttstock is fitted with a trap door crescent buttplate (cleaning rod not included). The plain forearm and straight grip stock are walnut. CONDITION: Very fine, retaining 75% original blue finish with thinning to brown on the balance. 50% original nitre blue remains on the loading gate. 30% original case colors remain on the hammer and lever. The wood is fine with a number of minor dings and scratches. Mechanically excellent. Estimate: 5,500 - 8,500
LOT 27
Outstanding Winchester 1873 Lever Action Musket with Factory Letter - Serial
no. 570699B, 44 WCF cal., 30 inch round bbl., blue/casehardened finish, walnut stock. This is an exceptional example of a Winchester Model 1873 musket manufactured in 1903.
The included factory letter confirms this musket’s configuration and lists it as being received in the warehouse on August 15, 1903, and shipped from the warehouse on
August 17, 1903, on order number 14281. The musket has the standard
features which include 30 inch round barrel, full-length magazine, three barrel bands
with sling swivel on the middle band, block mounted iron front sight that also serves as a lug for a socket bayonet,
military style folding leaf rear sight rear sight with 900 yard center notch, stock sling swivel and carbine style steel buttplate with sliding brass trap. The butt trap contains a five-piece jointed steel cleaning rod. The upper tang is factory drilled and tapped for a sight. The Third Model receiver has an integral dust cover rail and dust cover with serrated edges. The rifle has a blue barrel, magazine, barrel bands and receiver with niter blue loading gate and casehardened hammer, lever and buttplate. The stock and forearm are straight grain walnut with a varnish finish. The
top of the barrel is roll-stamped “WINCHESTER’S REPEATING ARMS. NEW HAVEN. CT./KING’S IMPROVEMENT PATENTED MARCH 29. 1866. OCTOBER 16. 1860.” ahead of the rear sight. “44 W.C.F.” is stamped on the top of the barrel at the breech. “44 CAL” is stamped in script letters on the bottom of the cartridge elevator. The upper receiver tang is roll stamped “-MODEL. 1873.-” in
script letters with foliate devices at either end of the marking. The lower tang is stamped with the serial number between the lever latch and the tang screw. This musket appears to be part of a group of 700 muskets in the 569,000-571,000 serial number range that were shipped to Central America in September 1903. These muskets were apparently never issued and were re-imported
to the United States in the late 1950s in new un-fired condition.
CONDITION: Excellent plus. The musket retains 98% of the original blue finish on the barrel, magazine, receiver and other components and shows only very limited storage wear. The hammer,
loading lever and buttplate have 97% of the vivid case colors. The loading gate has nearly all of the niter blue finish. The stock and forearm are both excellent plus with wear limited to several very minor storage marks on the stock and some thinning on the finish on the underside of the forearm between the lower barrel band and the receiver. The markings are sharp. Mechanically excellent. This near new example of a
Winchester Third Model 1873 Musket would be extremely hard to improve upon.
Provenance: The Collection of David L. DeLullo.
Estimate: 6,000 - 8,000 39