EXTREMELY RARE EARLY 1ST MODEL, OPEN TOP DELUXE WINCHESTER MODEL 1876 LEVER ACTION RIFLE.

EXTREMELY RARE EARLY 1ST MODEL, OPEN TOP DELUXE WINCHESTER MODEL 1876 LEVER ACTION RIFLE. SN 708. Cal. 45-75. Usual configuration with 28″ oct bbl, full magazine, ivory bead front sight, “1876” marked ladder rear sight and an early Lyman tang sight with spiral knurled barrel. Mounted with very nicely figured straight grain American walnut with early style checkered forearm and serpentine grip buttstock with black fleur-de-lis insert and crescent steel buttplate that has sliding trap which contains an orig 4-pc steel & brass cleaning rod. Left side of lower tang is stamped with assembly number “44” and “XXX”. This number is also found inside toe of buttplate with what appears to be pencil numbers in the top tang channel of the buttstock. This is slightly unusual and may be a factory replacement stock but regardless it is orig Winchester equipment. Accompanied by a period heavy, leather lined custom wood casing that is 50-3/8″ long x 9-1/2″ wide x about 2-3/4″ deep, compartmented for the rifle and five boxes of orig Winchester ammunition. The case has been fitted with a block at the muzzle end with a figure-8 recess for the end of the bbl & magazine tube. The butt end is form fitted for the crescent buttplate and the center section, over receiver area, has an attached orig leather covered pad which covers the receiver. Two of the boxes of ammunition are full with orig cartridges. Two other boxes have 10-rds each orig factory ammunition and 10-rds each fired brass. The fifth box has 17-rds of orig ammunition, one dud and two missing. Also accompanied by a Cody Firearms Museum work sheet which identifies this firearm as a rifle with oct bbl, set trigger, case hardened with checkered stock and pistol grip, received in warehouse Nov. 5, 1877 and shipped same day to Order #10347. It seems likely that this was a set created by an Eastern hunter for a safari to the West and saw little, if any, use. PROVENANCE: Wes Adams Estate Collection. CONDITION: Extremely fine. Bbl & magazine tube retain 96-97% strong orig factory blue with a few minor nicks & scratches; receiver & sideplates retain virtually all of their orig factory case colors, brilliant in sheltered areas, moderately faded elsewhere; hammer retains virtually all of its brilliant orig case colors with a small wear spot on left side; lever retains bright case colors in sheltered areas, turned silver on most of outer faces; wood is sound with light handling & use nicks & scratches with a small ding and a few scratches on left side and overall retains just about all of its bright piano varnish finish; checkering shows light to moderate diamond point wear. Mechanics are crisp, brilliant shiny bore. Cleaning rod is fine. Case is sound with nicks, dings & scratches and retains most of its orig finish; leather carrying handle on front is missing; leather lining is solid & clean with light soil; ammunition boxes are generally fine with a couple of small tears in the lids with one box has a detached end flap; two of boxes have crisp labels with the other three moderately soiled; ammunition is all fine with some of bullets showing light oxidation. 4-44546 JR331 (25,000-40,000)

Auction: Firearms - Spring 2012

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
	2009	$66,125.00	EXTREMELY RARE EARLY 1ST MODEL, OPEN TOP DELUXE WINCHESTER MODEL 1876 LEVER ACTION RIFLE. SN 708. Cal. 45-75. Usual configuration with 28″ oct bbl, full magazine, ivory bead front sight, “1876” marked ladder rear sight and an early Lyman tang sight with spiral knurled barrel. Mounted with very nicely figured straight grain American walnut with early style checkered forearm and serpentine grip buttstock with black fleur-de-lis insert and crescent steel buttplate that has sliding trap which contains an orig 4-pc steel & brass cleaning rod. Left side of lower tang is stamped with assembly number “44” and “XXX”. This number is also found inside toe of buttplate with what appears to be pencil numbers in the top tang channel of the buttstock. This is slightly unusual and may be a factory replacement stock but regardless it is orig Winchester equipment. Accompanied by a period heavy, leather lined custom wood casing that is 50-3/8″ long x 9-1/2″ wide x about 2-3/4″ deep, compartmented for the rifle and five boxes of orig Winchester ammunition. The case has been fitted with a block at the muzzle end with a figure-8 recess for the end of the bbl & magazine tube. The butt end is form fitted for the crescent buttplate and the center section, over receiver area, has an attached orig leather covered pad which covers the receiver. Two of the boxes of ammunition are full with orig cartridges. Two other boxes have 10-rds each orig factory ammunition and 10-rds each fired brass. The fifth box has 17-rds of orig ammunition, one dud and two missing. Also accompanied by a Cody Firearms Museum work sheet which identifies this firearm as a rifle with oct bbl, set trigger, case hardened with checkered stock and pistol grip, received in warehouse Nov. 5, 1877 and shipped same day to Order #10347. It seems likely that this was a set created by an Eastern hunter for a safari to the West and saw little, if any, use. PROVENANCE: Wes Adams Estate Collection. CONDITION: Extremely fine. Bbl & magazine tube retain 96-97% strong orig factory blue with a few minor nicks & scratches; receiver & sideplates retain virtually all of their orig factory case colors, brilliant in sheltered areas, moderately faded elsewhere; hammer retains virtually all of its brilliant orig case colors with a small wear spot on left side; lever retains bright case colors in sheltered areas, turned silver on most of outer faces; wood is sound with light handling & use nicks & scratches with a small ding and a few scratches on left side and overall retains just about all of its bright piano varnish finish; checkering shows light to moderate diamond point wear. Mechanics are crisp, brilliant shiny bore. Cleaning rod is fine. Case is sound with nicks, dings & scratches and retains most of its orig finish; leather carrying handle on front is missing; leather lining is solid & clean with light soil; ammunition boxes are generally fine with a couple of small tears in the lids with one box has a detached end flap; two of boxes have crisp labels with the other three moderately soiled; ammunition is all fine with some of bullets showing light oxidation. 4-44546 JR331 (25,000-40,000) Auction: Firearms - Spring 2012 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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