VERY INTERESTING CONSECUTIVE NUMBERED PAIR OF WINCHESTER 1876 EXPRESS LEVER ACTION RIFLE.

VERY INTERESTING CONSECUTIVE NUMBERED PAIR OF WINCHESTER 1876 EXPRESS LEVER ACTION RIFLE. SN 7489, 7490. Cal. 50-95 Express. These matching rifles have special 28″ rnd bbls, 1/2 mag, dovetail front sights, checkered side “V” notch sporting rear sights. Top of bbls are marked “WINCHESTER’S-REPEATING-ARMS. NEW HAVEN. CT./KING’S-IMPROVEMENT-PATENTED-MARCH 29. 1866. OCTOBER 16. 1860.”, adjacent receiver “.50 CAL. EXPRESS”. Standard receivers with screwed on rail, dust cover with checkered thumb print, and engraved “WINCHESTER EXPRESS/.50 CAL. 95 GRS.” Bottom of lifters are marked “50-95”. Top tangs are equipped with 4″ sliding graduated peep sights. Mounted with straight grain walnut, uncheckered straight grip, smooth steel shotgun buttplate, standard forend with nosecap. Accompanying guns are two Cody Firearms Museum Winchester letters. Both letters identify as rifle, rnd bbl, plain trigger, shotgun butt, changed to express caliber, 28″ rnd bbl, 1/2 mag, received in warehouse January 28, 1880, shipped from warehouse on July 28, 1880, with one other Model 1876, Order No. 20977. Also accompanying guns is a copy of “Winchester Collector” Volume 23, Issue 1, Winter 2000, where Gun #7490 is the subject of an article titled “The Winchester Trail, A Rare 1876“. In brief, this article explains the likelihood of this gun (and its mate) being some of the very first 50 Express caliber guns produced at Winchester. Inspection of lower tang reveals the following Assembly No’s, 7489 has a “1” and also “3801” and matching 1 can be found in top tang channel of stock. Buttplate was not removed from this gun. Gun 7490, has a “2” and “38006” matching 2 can be found in top tang channel of stock. Buttplate is unnumbered as noted in above mentioned article. This unique pair of express rifles, which may have been trial guns for Winchester on the express caliber with matching factory letters showing change to express calibers, but not identifying orig caliber, and also showing a complete work order. Consignor states that in Herbert Houze’s book “Winchester Centennial 1876” on pg. 121, these two guns are recognized as being the only factory re-bored 50 Expresses. CONDITION: Gun 1 #7489) fine. Bbl retains strong orig blue with some normal minor nicks & scratches and some thinning areas blending with brown patina. Receiver retains about 30% orig blue mixing with silver and brown patina. Dust cover retains thinning orig blue blending with brown patina. Hammer shows fading orig case colors. Lever has fading orig colors in protected areas mixing with brown and silver patina. Stock is sound with some normal minor nicks, dings & bruises, and retains a coat of added finish with some blending of hand worn patina in grip area. Forend is sound with normal nicks, dings & small dents and retains a hand worn patina. Nosecap shows 50% orig blue blending with silver and brown patina. Mechanics are crisp, good bore with some scattered shallow fine pitting. Gun 2 #7490) very good. Bbl retains a smooth gray and silver patina with normal minor nicks & dings, receiver is a matching gray and silver patina with traces of orig blue in the most protected areas. Left side of top tang at receiver has a repaired crack. Stock is sound with some minor nicks & dings, and retains a smooth restored open grain oil finish blending with some hand worn patina. Forend is sound with normal nicks, dings & bruises, and retains a dark oil finish blended with hand worn patina. Nosecap is a silver gray patina with an extra flush screw on bottom center. Mechanics are good with the exception of dust cover needing some adjustment, decent bore with good rifling and some minor scattered pitting. Gun #7490 has an added threaded hole that goes through the back of the “9 & 0” in the serial number. 4-40302 BDT59 (20,000-30,000)

Auction: Firearms - Spring 2011

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
	2056	$11,500.00	VERY INTERESTING CONSECUTIVE NUMBERED PAIR OF WINCHESTER 1876 EXPRESS LEVER ACTION RIFLE. SN 7489, 7490. Cal. 50-95 Express. These matching rifles have special 28″ rnd bbls, 1/2 mag, dovetail front sights, checkered side “V” notch sporting rear sights. Top of bbls are marked “WINCHESTER’S-REPEATING-ARMS. NEW HAVEN. CT./KING’S-IMPROVEMENT-PATENTED-MARCH 29. 1866. OCTOBER 16. 1860.”, adjacent receiver “.50 CAL. EXPRESS”. Standard receivers with screwed on rail, dust cover with checkered thumb print, and engraved “WINCHESTER EXPRESS/.50 CAL. 95 GRS.” Bottom of lifters are marked “50-95”. Top tangs are equipped with 4″ sliding graduated peep sights. Mounted with straight grain walnut, uncheckered straight grip, smooth steel shotgun buttplate, standard forend with nosecap. Accompanying guns are two Cody Firearms Museum Winchester letters. Both letters identify as rifle, rnd bbl, plain trigger, shotgun butt, changed to express caliber, 28″ rnd bbl, 1/2 mag, received in warehouse January 28, 1880, shipped from warehouse on July 28, 1880, with one other Model 1876, Order No. 20977. Also accompanying guns is a copy of “Winchester Collector” Volume 23, Issue 1, Winter 2000, where Gun #7490 is the subject of an article titled “The Winchester Trail, A Rare 1876“. In brief, this article explains the likelihood of this gun (and its mate) being some of the very first 50 Express caliber guns produced at Winchester. Inspection of lower tang reveals the following Assembly No’s, 7489 has a “1” and also “3801” and matching 1 can be found in top tang channel of stock. Buttplate was not removed from this gun. Gun 7490, has a “2” and “38006” matching 2 can be found in top tang channel of stock. Buttplate is unnumbered as noted in above mentioned article. This unique pair of express rifles, which may have been trial guns for Winchester on the express caliber with matching factory letters showing change to express calibers, but not identifying orig caliber, and also showing a complete work order. Consignor states that in Herbert Houze’s book “Winchester Centennial 1876” on pg. 121, these two guns are recognized as being the only factory re-bored 50 Expresses. CONDITION: Gun 1 #7489) fine. Bbl retains strong orig blue with some normal minor nicks & scratches and some thinning areas blending with brown patina. Receiver retains about 30% orig blue mixing with silver and brown patina. Dust cover retains thinning orig blue blending with brown patina. Hammer shows fading orig case colors. Lever has fading orig colors in protected areas mixing with brown and silver patina. Stock is sound with some normal minor nicks, dings & bruises, and retains a coat of added finish with some blending of hand worn patina in grip area. Forend is sound with normal nicks, dings & small dents and retains a hand worn patina. Nosecap shows 50% orig blue blending with silver and brown patina. Mechanics are crisp, good bore with some scattered shallow fine pitting. Gun 2 #7490) very good. Bbl retains a smooth gray and silver patina with normal minor nicks & dings, receiver is a matching gray and silver patina with traces of orig blue in the most protected areas. Left side of top tang at receiver has a repaired crack. Stock is sound with some minor nicks & dings, and retains a smooth restored open grain oil finish blending with some hand worn patina. Forend is sound with normal nicks, dings & bruises, and retains a dark oil finish blended with hand worn patina. Nosecap is a silver gray patina with an extra flush screw on bottom center. Mechanics are good with the exception of dust cover needing some adjustment, decent bore with good rifling and some minor scattered pitting. Gun #7490 has an added threaded hole that goes through the back of the “9 & 0” in the serial number. 4-40302 BDT59 (20,000-30,000) Auction: Firearms - Spring 2011 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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