Original U.S. Winchester Model 1876 .45-60 Big Game Sporting Rifle Made in 1882 with 28" Round Barrel and Factory Letter - Serial 30109

Original Item: Only One Available. If you were looking to do some big game hunting with Teddy Roosevelt out in the "Old West", this is just what you need! This very fine example of the "Second Model" Winchester Model 1876 repeating rifle is in the "big game hunting" .40-60 Winchester caliber, with a 28" round barrel and full length magazine tube. This barrel length identifies it as the "Sporting Rifle" version of the 1876 "Centennial Model." Teddy Roosevelt's Model 1876, on the other hand, was one of those with the half octagonal barrel and half length magazine tube, and his gun was significantly more ornamented.

Correctly marked on the upper receiver tang with MODEL. 1876., the rifle is also marked with the caliber CAL 45 - 60 over the chamber on the barrel and 45 - 60 on the brass carrier block. It bears serial number 30109 on the lower receiver tang, denoting the year of manufacture as 1882. The barrel is fitted with a standard Winchester nickel blade front sight and rear adjustable ladder sight marked 1876 at the top, which has an intact and functional slider.

This rifle came to us with an original factory letter from the Buffalo Bill Center of the West at the Cody Firearms Museum, which now houses the original Winchester factory records. This is printed on WINCHESTER REPEATING Fire Arms letterhead, and dated August 06, 2025. It indicates that it is a Model 1876 Rifle in 45/60 caliber with a Round barrel. There is no indication of barrel length, which means it was made with the standard 28 inch "Sporting Rifle" barrel, so this rifle is still in the original configuration as shipped! The letter also indicates that the rifle was received in the warehouse November 07, 1882, and shipped on October 03, 1883 as part of order 7758. There is no other information available for the serial number, but that is not uncommon for a rifle that did not see customization. The letter is signed by records specialist Jessica A. Bennett and still bears the correct raised seal.

This Winchester lever-action repeater is in lovely condition, with the original bluing and case hardening faded to a nice light gray patina overall. There is just a bit of past peppering in areas, and no major rust or other issues, and there is also some of the original bluing present on the barrel underside and near the rear sight. The engraving on top of the barrel is still fully legible:

WINCHESTER'S-REPEATING ARMS. NEW HAVEN CT.
KING'S-IMPROVEMENT-PATENTED-MARCH 29.1866. OCTOBER 16.1860.

Stocks are in very good "frontier used" condition, showing the lovely red brown color of oiled and aged walnut. Both show the usual dents and dings from use, as well scratching and other issues from service. The fore stock shows some gouges on the bottom, as well as some loss of wood near the receiver from wear and cleaning. The butt stock is also worn down a bit, and shows a dowel repair through the wrist. The crescent butt plate is in good shape, with a working storage compartment, though the tab for the door has been replaced. We also noted that the wood is well below the level of the plate from cleaning.

This lever action repeater is offered with a crisp action in fully functional condition, with a working original dust cover. There is some slop in the mechanics, very common on the toggle link action, but we did not notice any sticking. The bore is in very good condition, showing a mostly bright finish with clear lands and grooves. There are signs of past fouling and oxidation from use, now cleaned away, and it looks to have been well cared for. We would rate this a 7-8 out of 10, definitely well above average.

A lovely example of an iconic big game hunting rifle with a great bore, complete with a Winchester Factory letter! These are hard to find in any condition. Fully cleaned and ready for display!

Specifications:-

Year of Manufacture: 1882
Caliber: .45-60 Winchester
Cartridge Type: Centerfire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 28 Inches
Overall Length: 48 1/2 Inches
Action type: Lever Action Repeater
Feed System: 12-round tube magazine

The Winchester Model 1876, or Centennial Model, was a heavier-framed rifle than the Models 1866 and 1873, the "Guns that Won the West." The new design was chambered for full-powered centerfire rifle cartridges suitable for big-game hunting, rather than the handgun-sized rimfire and centerfire rounds of its predecessors. While similar in design to the 1873, the 1876 was actually based on a prototype 1868 lever-action rifle that was never commercially produced by Winchester.

Introduced to celebrate the American Centennial Exposition, the Model 1876 earned a reputation as a durable and powerful hunting rifle. Four versions were produced: a 22-inch (56 cm) barrel Carbine, a 26-inch (66 cm) barrel Express Rifle with a half-length magazine, a 28-inch (71 cm) barrel Sporting Rifle, and a 32-inch (81 cm) barrel Musket. Standard rifles had a blued finish while deluxe models were casehardened. Collectors identify a first model with no dust cover, a second model with a dust cover rail fastened by a screw, and a third model with an integral dust cover. Total production was 63,871 including 54 One of One Thousand Model 1876s and only seven of the One of One Hundred grade.

Originally chambered for the new .45-75 Winchester Centennial cartridge (designed to replicate the .45-70 ballistics in a shorter case), versions in .40-60 Winchester, .45-60 Winchester and .50-95 Express followed; the '76 in the latter chambering is the only repeater known to have been in widespread use by professional buffalo hunters. The Canadian North-West Mounted Police used the '76 in .45-75 as a standard long arm for many years with 750 rifles purchased for the force in 1883; the Mountie-model '76 carbine was also issued to the Texas Rangers. Theodore Roosevelt used an engraved, pistol-gripped half-magazine '76 during his early hunting expeditions in the West and praised it. A '76 was also found in the possession of Apache warrior Geronimo after his surrender in 1886.

The Model 1876 toggle-link action receiver was too short to handle popular big-game cartridges, including the .45-70, and production ceased in 1897, as big-game hunters preferred the smoother Model 1886 action chambered for longer and more powerful cartridges.

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