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LOT 3040
Incredibly Scarce Turnbull Restored Documented “One of One
Thousand” Winchester Model 1876 “Centennial” Lever Action
Rifle with Factory Letter - Serial no. 10094, 45-60 WCF cal., 28 inch
octagon bbl., blue/casehardened finish, checkered walnut stock. No
other Winchester name carries with it more appeal or notoriety than
the “One of One Thousand.” Since their inception in the 1870s, these
rifles have been recognized as among the finest and most desirable of
all Winchesters. However, the program for producing rifles advertised
as among the most accurate ever made was short lived owing to the fact that these rifles were expensive and due to the fact the program suggested Winchester’s regular rifles weren’t accurate even though
they were. These rifles, manufactured in both the 1873 and 1876 models are the crown jewel of Winchester collectors who have been fortunate enough to acquire one and sit at the top of the wish list for any collector still “in the hunt.” With less than 200 “One of One Thousand” rifles ever made, even many of the most dedicated Winchester collectors do not have a “One of One Thousand” in their collection, let alone a particularly rare “One of One Thousand” 1876. This is a beautiful example of a highly desirable Winchester “One of One Thousand” Model 1876 rifle that was manufactured in 1880. This rifle is one of only fifty-five “One of One Thousand” rifles manufactured in the Model 1876 series over just four years and one of just twenty-two in .45-60 making it significantly rarer than its Model 1873 counterparts
(136 recorded in total). The Model 1876 debuted for the U.S. Centennial and is also one of the rarer Winchester models in general with only 63,871 manufactured in 1876-1898.
The 2021 factory letter lists this historic rifle in .45/60 with an 26 inch octagon barrel, set trigger, checkered pistol grip stock, casehardened finish, and as a 1 of 1,000. It was received in the warehouse on September 4, 1880, and shipped on September 11, 1880, in order 21393. This rifle is also recorded on page 89 of “The Story of the Winchester 1 of 1000 and 1 of 100 Rifles” by Lewis. The ledger information shows that this rifle was part of a shipment of four consecutive One of One Thousand rifles (10093-10096) in identical configuration shipped in 1880 at the very end of the “One of One Thousand” program.
The rifle features inlaid silver bands at the muzzle and breech, scroll engraving by the dovetail mounted Rocky Mountain blade front sight, additional scroll engraving flanking the “One of One Thousand” inscription at the breech end, “WINCHESTER’S-REPEATING ARMS. NEW HAVEN. CT./KING’S-IMPROVEMENT- PATENTED-MARCH 29. 1866. OCTOBER 16. 1860.” followed by “CAL. 45-60” ahead of the adjustable sporting rear sight, full-length magazine, second model screw affixed dust cover guide rail and blued cover with knurled “thumb-print,” casehardened frame with niter blued loading gate, casehardened hammer and lever, “MODEL 1876.” on the upper tang, “45-60” on the brass cartridge elevator, adjustable single set trigger, “10094” on the lower tang behind the lever latch, “XXX 1019” on the left side of the lower tang, “number “92” stamped under the right side plate, and modern custom made replacement fancy grade walnut forearm and pistol grip stock (numbered “1019” internally) with multi-point checkering, horn grip inlay, sling swivel stud on the casehardened forend cap, sling swivel on the bottom of the buttstock, and casehardened rifle buttplate with brass compartment door (cleaning rod absent) and numbered “1019.” Lever is also numbered “1019” internally”. The original stock and forearm are also included. The stock has
44 “1019” in the upper tang mortise and is marked “WINCHESTER 1876 #10094 1 OF 1000” on the butt.
Only fifty-five Winchester
Model 1876
"One of One Thousand" rifles were manufactured, compared to one hundred thirty-six "One of One Thousand" Winchester
Model 1873s.