The Winchester Model 1876 is an American lever-action repeating rifle produced from 1876 to 1897 by the Winchester Repeating Arms Company. The third iteration of the Winchester rifle, the Model 1876 was essentially a Model 1873 chambered for more powerful rounds. The rifle never achieved the popularity that its predecessors did; the introduction of the Model 1886 in 1886 did not help its fortunes, leading to its demise by 1897.[1]
History[]
The Model 1876 was first marketed in 1876 as the first rifle he produced specifically for big game hunting; a contemporary advertisement notes that "The constant calls from many sources, and particularly from the regions in which the grizzly bear and other large game are found, as well as the plains where absence of cover and shyness of game require the hunter to make his shots at long range made it desirable to build a still more powerful gun than the Model 1873."[2] The rifle was named the Centennial Model (or Centennial Rifle) as it entered production during the United States' centennial year, 1876. A total of 63,871 were produced.[3]
Over its lifespan, a number of levels of the rifle were produced, including the highly sought after One of One Thousand trim level, which was a highly-accurized versions of a normal 1876 due to special barrels, along with having set triggers and special finishes. The Model 1876 One of One Thousand rifles are easily the holy grail of all Winchester rifles, easily being able to fetch six figures at an auction;[4] between 51 and 54 One of One Thousand Model 1876s were produced (the actual value remains disputed), of which only ten have been located by collectors.[5] The rifles may be differentiated by the One of One Thousand markings stamped on the top of the barrel.[4]
In recent years, the weapon has re-entered production, with replicas being produced by Uberti and Miroku Corp..[6][7]
Design Details[]
The Winchester Model 1876's action is extremely similar to that of the Henry rifle's; the Winchester incorporates a toggle-link bolt which operates like a knee joint. This knee joint is flexed when the lever is pulled down, pulling the bolt back and pulling a fresh round from the tube magazine and into the ejection port; the action is then closed by pushing the lever back into position. After the weapon fires, pulling the lever again causes the cartridge carrier to move up, aligning a fresh cartridge with the ejection port and throwing the just-fired empty cartridge out of the gun; the gun does not have an ejector.
Ammunition[]
Original Model 1876s are chambered for a number of high-powered rifle cartridges such as the .45-75 Winchester and .50-95 Express; most modern reproductions of the rifle may also be chambered in these cartridges.[6]
Variants[]
The Model 1876 has three sub-variants, each with some distinguishing points.[8] The rifle was available in three lengths: rifle, carbine and "musket" (which was mainly used to differentiate longer versions of guns of the same model[9]). Serial numbers for all models are located on the lower tang.[8]
- First model
This version of the 1876 has no dust cover and a lever latch threaded into the lower tang. Approximately 3,000 were produced, with serial numbers ranging from 1 to approximately 3,000.[8][10]
- Second model
This version of the 1876 was very similar to the first model 1876, except that the rifles had a dust cover mounted on a central guide secured to the receiver with the use of two screws; a checkered oval finger guide is stamped on the top of the dust cover on early weapons, while a serrated oval finger guide is stamped on top of the dust cover on later weapons. Approximately 27,000 were produced, with serial numbers ranging from approximately 3,000 to 30,000.[8][10]
- Third model
This version of the 1876 was very similar to the second model 1876, and was the most numerous of all three versions, with approximately 33,871 produced; all had serrated finger grips on the rear of the dust cover and fixed frames. Any rifle with a serial number above 30,000 is a third model 1876.[8][10]
- Northwest Mounted Police carbine
Special variant used by the Northwest Mounted Police. Has a 22 inches (56 centimetres) round barrel, chambered in .45-75 Winchester with a folding ladder sight in the rear calibrated in meters.[10]
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- An engraved Winchester Model 1876 was owned by American president Theodore Roosevelt, which he owned since he was 22. It includes a custom shotgun-style stock, pistol grip and deluxe checkered wood.[11] Turnbull Restoration made twenty-five duplicates of the design in 2005.[12]
References[]
- ā https://www.americanrifleman.org/articles/2014/11/6/i-have-this-old-gun-winchester-1876/
- ā https://outlawswinchesters.jouwweb.nl/winchester-1876
- ā https://winchestercollector.org/models/model-1876/
- ā 4.0 4.1 https://www.rockislandauction.com/detail/74/1009/ultrarare-documented-winchester-one-of-one-thousand-deluxe
- ā https://www.rockislandauction.com/detail/69/3003/winchester-one-of-one-thousand-model-1876-rifle
- ā 6.0 6.1 https://www.uberti-usa.com/1876-centennial-rifle
- ā http://www.winchesterguns.com/support/faq/when-why-did-production-winchesters-historic-designs-move.html
- ā 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 http://homestead-service.com/appraisals/winchester/1876/1876outlinefeatures.htm
- ā https://www.rockislandauction.com/blog/how-to-identify-a-winchester-1866/
- ā 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 http://homestead-service.com/appraisals/winchester/1876/1876Step1_model-configurations.htm#c
- ā https://www.americanrifleman.org/articles/2016/6/2/theodore-roosevelt-s-winchester-rifles/
- ā https://www.turnbullrestoration.com/gun/theodore-roosevelt-winchester-model-1876-sold/