SCARCE WINCHESTER MODEL 1876 OPEN TOP LEVER ACTION RIFLE.

SN 2437. Cal. 45-75. Standard grade rifle with 28″ oct bbl, full magazine, broken front sight and very rare platinum line, 7-leaf express rear sight. Receiver is open top style made without provision for a dust cover. Mounted with uncheckered, straight grain, American walnut, straight stock and early style crescent buttplate with trap and thick heel. Lever is also early style with a pin on top of the front web which passes through a hole in the lower tang to engage the trigger safety to ensure the bolt is closed before the rifle can be fired. Forend cap has a factory sling eye and the buttstock has a hole on the bottom where the corresponding sling eye was removed. Open top rifles in both models 1876 and 1873 were produced for a very short period of time. It is reported that at that time there was a weakness in cartridge cases which caused them to rupture and if the dust cover was closed, would bulge the side plates. Apparently Winchester produced these rifles without dust covers which would allow escaping gases to blow upward instead of outward. After many complaints the ammunition problem was corrected and Winchester returned to supplying rifles with dust covers. Any rifle or carbine with an open top could returned it for a dust cover. This rifle was recently discovered in South Africa where many of the known rifles with 7-leaf sights have been found in recent years. Undoubtedly this rifle would have been some white hunter’s medium game rifle in the late 19th & early 20th Centuries. CONDITION: Fair to good. No orig finish remains, being an overall medium silver brown patina consistent with long exposure to the outdoors. Wood is sound, showing heavy wear and retains a cleaned, hand worn patina with a few black streaks down the right side of buttstock. Mechanics are fine; worn dark bore with good rifling. 4-50390 JR435 (3,000-5,000) – Lot 1132

Auction: Firearms - Spring 2014

Please Note: All prices include the hammer price plus the buyer’s premium, which is paid by the buyer as part of the purchase price. The prices noted here after the auction are considered unofficial and do not become official until after the 46th day.

Image	Lot	Price	Description
	1132	$6,612.50	SCARCE WINCHESTER MODEL 1876 OPEN TOP LEVER ACTION RIFLE. SN 2437. Cal. 45-75. Standard grade rifle with 28″ oct bbl, full magazine, broken front sight and very rare platinum line, 7-leaf express rear sight. Receiver is open top style made without provision for a dust cover. Mounted with uncheckered, straight grain, American walnut, straight stock and early style crescent buttplate with trap and thick heel. Lever is also early style with a pin on top of the front web which passes through a hole in the lower tang to engage the trigger safety to ensure the bolt is closed before the rifle can be fired. Forend cap has a factory sling eye and the buttstock has a hole on the bottom where the corresponding sling eye was removed. Open top rifles in both models 1876 and 1873 were produced for a very short period of time. It is reported that at that time there was a weakness in cartridge cases which caused them to rupture and if the dust cover was closed, would bulge the side plates. Apparently Winchester produced these rifles without dust covers which would allow escaping gases to blow upward instead of outward. After many complaints the ammunition problem was corrected and Winchester returned to supplying rifles with dust covers. Any rifle or carbine with an open top could returned it for a dust cover. This rifle was recently discovered in South Africa where many of the known rifles with 7-leaf sights have been found in recent years. Undoubtedly this rifle would have been some white hunter’s medium game rifle in the late 19th & early 20th Centuries. CONDITION: Fair to good. No orig finish remains, being an overall medium silver brown patina consistent with long exposure to the outdoors. Wood is sound, showing heavy wear and retains a cleaned, hand worn patina with a few black streaks down the right side of buttstock. Mechanics are fine; worn dark bore with good rifling. 4-50390 JR435 (3,000-5,000) – Lot 1132 Auction: Firearms - Spring 2014 Please Note: All prices include the hammer price plus the buyer’s premium, which is paid by the buyer as part of the purchase price. The prices noted here after the auction are considered unofficial and do not become official until after the 46th day.

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SCARCE WINCHESTER MODEL 1876 OPEN TOP LEVER ACTION RIFLE.