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LOT 16
Phenomenal, Rare and FRESH Special Order Winchester Deluxe Model 1876 “Centennial” Lever Action Rifle with Factory Letter
- Serial no. 40751, 40-60 WCF cal., 28 inch octagon bbl., blue/casehardened finish, walnut stock. Manufactured in 1884, this is an incredible,
benchmark example of a special ordered Winchester deluxe Model 1876 rifle that is truly capable of raising the bar for even the most prestigious
lever action, Winchester, or 19th century American arms collections. These large framed rifles were introduced by Winchester in the centennial
year of the United States, offering customers a scaled up version of their incredibly popular Model 1873, which was capable of handling larger
and more powerful cartridges, many of which were quite capable of handling the largest and most dangerous game in North America. The Model
1876 is known to have been a favorite of America’s “cowboy in chief”, Theodore Roosevelt, during his time spent in Dakota Territory, prior to being
elected president. In his “Hunting Trips of a Ranchman”, Roosevelt claimed that he used his “centennial” rifle almost exclusively and that it was
“the best gun for any kind of game to be found in the United States, for it is deadly, accurate, and handy as any, stands very rough usage, and is
unapproachable for the rapidity of its fire and the facility with which it is loaded.”
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