VERY RARE WINCHESTER MODEL 1876 “1 OF 1000” LEVER ACTION RIFLE.

VERY RARE WINCHESTER MODEL 1876 “1 OF 1000” LEVER ACTION RIFLE. SN 4772. Cal. 45-75. Very rare “1 of 1000″ with 24-1/4” oct bbl, full magazine, half nickel front sight and “1876” marked ladder rear sight. Top flat of bbl, in front of receiver, is marked “1 of 1,000”. Receiver is early 2nd type with screwed on dust cover rail and impressed thumb print dust cover and a sgl set trigger. Mounted with uncheckered straight grain American walnut with straight stock and crescent buttplate with trap. Left side of lower tang has the assembly number “49” followed by a faint second assembly number “140” and “XXX”. Assembly #49 is found in top tang channel of buttstock and inside toe of buttplate. Buttstock has factory sling swivel with the corresponding sling swivel in forend cap missing. Accompanied by a packet of correspondence between the then owner, Mr. Alfred H. Wardle, and Mr. T.E. Hall, the Curator of the Winchester Museum. There is also correspondence between Mr. Wardle and George Madis, author of The Winchester Book. Additionally there is correspondence between Mr. Wardle and R.L. Wilson, author of Winchester The Golden Age of American Gunmaking and The Winchester 1 of 1000. Mr. Wardle reports that he discovered this rifle in Norwich, NY in the 1960s and it has remained in his possession until being consigned to this auction. This rifle is pictured on p. 117 of Mr. Wilson’s book listing its history with credit to the Alfred H. Wardle Collection. This rifle is also pictured on p. 244 of the 1985 printing of The Winchester Book and also on p. 101-102 in the newly published book “Winchester 1 of 1000 and 1 of 100 Rifles” by Dr. Ed Lewis. This rifle was received in stock at the Winchester Factory on June 10, 1878 as a “1 of 1,000″ rifle with 26″ oct bbl, full magazine, case hardened receiver, checkered straight fancy stock with set trigger. It was apparently shipped to J. Skinker, the Winchester West Coast representative and returned by him in May of 1881 for re-work. The orig bbl was replaced with the currently installed 24” octagonal bbl and restocked with standard wood and factory sling & swivels. It was then returned to stock and shipped again on Nov. 14, 1882. According to Mr. Wilson’s “1 of 1000” book, in the chart on p. 110, there were only two 1876 “1 of 1000″ rifles produced with 24” bbl, the least of all fifty-one “1 of 1000” 1876 rifles produced. This one is also special in that it is not engraved. CONDITION: Good to very good. No orig finish remains with the bbl being a medium to dark plummy brown patina and the magazine tube a light plum patina; receiver is a cleaned gray metal patina and the lever & hammer are dark patina. Wood is sound with a few light nicks & dings and retains most of a lightly sanded oil finish. Mechanics are fine, strong bore, dark & lightly pitted in the grooves. 4-46160 (50,000-70,000)

Auction: Firearms - Spring 2013

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
	1211	$43,125.00	VERY RARE WINCHESTER MODEL 1876 “1 OF 1000” LEVER ACTION RIFLE. SN 4772. Cal. 45-75. Very rare “1 of 1000″ with 24-1/4” oct bbl, full magazine, half nickel front sight and “1876” marked ladder rear sight. Top flat of bbl, in front of receiver, is marked “1 of 1,000”. Receiver is early 2nd type with screwed on dust cover rail and impressed thumb print dust cover and a sgl set trigger. Mounted with uncheckered straight grain American walnut with straight stock and crescent buttplate with trap. Left side of lower tang has the assembly number “49” followed by a faint second assembly number “140” and “XXX”. Assembly #49 is found in top tang channel of buttstock and inside toe of buttplate. Buttstock has factory sling swivel with the corresponding sling swivel in forend cap missing. Accompanied by a packet of correspondence between the then owner, Mr. Alfred H. Wardle, and Mr. T.E. Hall, the Curator of the Winchester Museum. There is also correspondence between Mr. Wardle and George Madis, author of The Winchester Book. Additionally there is correspondence between Mr. Wardle and R.L. Wilson, author of Winchester The Golden Age of American Gunmaking and The Winchester 1 of 1000. Mr. Wardle reports that he discovered this rifle in Norwich, NY in the 1960s and it has remained in his possession until being consigned to this auction. This rifle is pictured on p. 117 of Mr. Wilson’s book listing its history with credit to the Alfred H. Wardle Collection. This rifle is also pictured on p. 244 of the 1985 printing of The Winchester Book and also on p. 101-102 in the newly published book “Winchester 1 of 1000 and 1 of 100 Rifles” by Dr. Ed Lewis. This rifle was received in stock at the Winchester Factory on June 10, 1878 as a “1 of 1,000″ rifle with 26″ oct bbl, full magazine, case hardened receiver, checkered straight fancy stock with set trigger. It was apparently shipped to J. Skinker, the Winchester West Coast representative and returned by him in May of 1881 for re-work. The orig bbl was replaced with the currently installed 24” octagonal bbl and restocked with standard wood and factory sling & swivels. It was then returned to stock and shipped again on Nov. 14, 1882. According to Mr. Wilson’s “1 of 1000” book, in the chart on p. 110, there were only two 1876 “1 of 1000″ rifles produced with 24” bbl, the least of all fifty-one “1 of 1000” 1876 rifles produced. This one is also special in that it is not engraved. CONDITION: Good to very good. No orig finish remains with the bbl being a medium to dark plummy brown patina and the magazine tube a light plum patina; receiver is a cleaned gray metal patina and the lever & hammer are dark patina. Wood is sound with a few light nicks & dings and retains most of a lightly sanded oil finish. Mechanics are fine, strong bore, dark & lightly pitted in the grooves. 4-46160 (50,000-70,000) Auction: Firearms - Spring 2013 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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