1305

Extraordinary "One of One Thousand" Winchester First Model 1876 Lever Action Rifle with Winchester F

Currency:USD Category:Antiques / Firearms & Armory Start Price:120,000.00 USD Estimated At:300,000.00 - 500,000.00 USD
Extraordinary  One of One Thousand  Winchester First Model 1876 Lever Action Rifle with Winchester F
Winchester Deluxe, "One of One Thousand", First Model 1876 Sporting Rifle manufactured in 1876. The "One of One Thousand" Model 1876 Rifle is one of the most desirable of all Winchester firearms. This rifle has a blue, full octagon, barrel and full-length magazine. The forearm cap, receiver, hammer, loading lever and crescent buttplate are color casehardened. The loading gate, trigger and bolt are niter blue. All of the components have the special "extra finish" found on "One of One Thousand" or "One of One Hundred" firearms. The stock and forearm are highly figured, fancy grain, walnut with fine checkering and a varnished "piano" finish. The top of the barrel is engraved "One of One Thousand" between the rear sight and the receiver in an engraved panel with scalloped borders. The adjacent barrel flats are decorated with open scroll engraving on a punch-dot background. The barrel muzzle is engraved with scrollwork on a punch-dot background. The barrel muzzle and breech are inlaid with gold bands. The barrel is fitted with a fixed, dovetail mounted, front sight with nickel-silver blade and a sporting style rear sight. A graduated peep sight is mounted on the receiver tang. The rifle has a single set-trigger. The receiver is the early First Model style with no dust cover rail or dust cover. The buttplate has a sliding brass trapdoor and the butt trap contains a jointed steel cleaning rod. The top of the barrel is roll-stamped "WINCHESTER'S-REPEATING ARMS. NEW HAVEN. CT./KING'S-IMPROVEMENT-PATENTED-MARCH 29.1866. OCTOBER 16. 1860". The serial number, "1216" is engraved on the lower tang behind the loading lever latch. The rifle has a .45 caliber bore but has no visible caliber markings. The "One of One Thousand" barrel markings, script engraving and inlays on the barrel and muzzle, select walnut stock and forearm, "extra finish" bluing and case colors and set-trigger are typical features of Winchester Model 1876 "One of One Thousand" rifles. Provenance: A. I. McCroskie Collection. The accompanying factory letter dated April 17, 1989 verifies the rifle configuration, octagon barrel, set trigger, checkered stock, long range sights, casehardened, "1 of 1000" and that it was shipped with one other gun on December 28, 1877 to order number 10889. There is also a Winchester Museum letter dated April 28, 1966 that verifies the same information, and one dated May 14, 1959 on Olin Mathieson Chemical Corporation letterhead, signed by the Winchester Gun Museum Curator, T.E. Hall, with the addition of 45-70 caliber and states "plain trigger". There are also two other letters of correspondence in reference to the rifle, one makes reference to an individual having a detailed letter from the Museum stating that this rifle was the 12th 1876, 1of 1,000 made.
BBL: 28 inch
Stock: walnut checkered
Gauge: 45
Finish: blue/casehardened
Grips:
Serial Number: 1216
Condition: Excellent. The rifle retains 95% of the original blue and 90% plus casehardened finish. The barrel has some very minor edge wear along the flats. The engraving and barrel markings are extremely crisp. The receiver case colors are vivid; wear is limited to some silvering on the bottom of the loading lever. The case colors on the forearm cap and buttplate have faded to a mottled dove-gray. The stock and forearm are in excellent condition with nearly all of the original piano finish, crisp checkering and only scattered and very minor storage wear. This is a magnificent example of a rare and highly desirable Winchester Deluxe, "One of One Thousand" First Model 1876 Sporting Rifle.