Make: Winchester

Model: 1876 Express Rifle

Serial Number: 14333

Year of Manufacture: 1881

Caliber: .50-95 Winchester Express

Action Type: Lever Action with Full-Length Tubular Magazine

Markings: The top of the barrel is marked “WINCHESTER’S-REPEATING ARMS. NEW HAVEN. CT. / KING’S-IMPROVEMENT-PATENTED-MARCH 29.1866. OCTOBER 16.1860.” forward of the rear sight, and the top-rear of the barrel is marked ".50 CAL.". The top of the dust cover is marked "WINCHESTER EXPRESS / .50 CAL. 95 GRS.”. The lower tang is marked with the serial number “14333” at the rear. The upper tang is marked “MODEL 1876.”. The bottom of the carrier is marked “50-95”.

Barrel Length: 26", Octagonal

Sights / Optics: The front sight is a German silver blade in a slotted base dovetailed to the front of the barrel. The rear sight is a "V"-notch elevator sight dovetailed to the rear of the barrel. The top tang is drilled, tapped, and filled for a tang sight (none present).

Stock Configuration & Condition: The stocks are two-piece smooth walnut with a capped forend, straight grip and comb, and crescent steel buttplate with sliding door storage compartment (there is nothing in the compartment). The stocks have scattered nicks, dings, scuffs, and scratches. There are short cracks at the left-front of the wrist and at the rear of the top tang. There are small losses at the front edge of the buttplate's tang. The fit of the wood to the buttplate is imperfect at the corners where the tang meets the face. The LOP measures 13” from the front of the trigger to the back of the buttplate. The buttplate has mostly worn to white with scattered oxidation and erosion. Overall, the stocks are in about Good Plus Condition as Refinished Antique.

Type of Finish: Blued

Finish Originality: Original

Bore Condition: The bore is semi-bright with sharp rifling. There is scattered light erosion and minor pitting in the bore. In this writer's opinion, the bore rates 6 or 7 out of 10.

Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 35% of its metal finish. The finish is thinning at all edges. Most finish is in protected areas such as the bottom of the barrel, top of the magazine tube, and around the sights and side plates. Most exposed surfaces have worn to white or gone to a light patina with scattered surface oxidation. There are scattered nicks, scuffs, and scratches, most notable on the side plates and bottom tang. The case color has mostly muted on the hammer and lever, but there is some color in protected areas. The action shows operational wear. The screw heads range from sharp to tool marked with usable slots. The markings are clear. Overall, this rifle is in Good Plus Condition as Antique.

Mechanics: The action functions correctly. The dust cover is on a rail secured to the frame via screws, typical of the 3rd Model. The hammer has a half-cock position, there is a lever lock, and there is a lever safety. We have not fired this rifle. As with all previously owned firearms, thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.

Box, Paperwork & Accessories: This rifle comes with a Winchester factory records letter indicating that the rifle was produced in its current configuration, received in warehouse May 14, 1881 and shipped May 17, 1881 on order number 25670.

Our Assessment: The Model 1876 was a heavier-framed design than the Model 1873, and was the first Winchester to be chambered for full-powered centerfire rifle cartridges, as opposed to rimfire cartridges or pistol-caliber centerfire rounds. While similar in design to the 1873, the 1876 was actually based on the prototype 1868 lever-action rifle that was never commercially produced by Winchester. Introduced to the public as part of Winchester’s elaborate display at the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition, the Winchester Model 1876 was appropriately christened “The Centennial Rifle”, and earned a reputation as a durable and powerful hunting rifle used by, among others, the Canadian North-West Mounted Police and the Texas Rangers. Theodore Roosevelt carried one on his early hunting expeditions in the Dakota Badlands, and one was found in the possession of Apache warrior Geronimo after his surrender in 1886. Initially chambered for .45-75 WCF, later calibers were .40-60 WCF, .45-60 WCF, and one of the rarest and most desirable, .50-95 Express, introduced in 1879. The 26” barrel .50-95 Express ’76 Rifle found a ready audience among hunters in pursuit of dangerous game, not only in the United States, but in Africa and India, where fast follow-up shots could mean the difference between life and death. Yet surprisingly, there were only 3,284 Express Rifles in .50-95 caliber produced out of a total of about 63,799 1876s before the model was discontinued in 1897, making that particular version very rare and desirable today.

This Antique Winchester Model 1876 .50-95 Express Rifle was made in 1881 and is in Good Plus Condition. It features a 26" octagonal barrel with a full length mag tube, 35% of its original blued finish, refinished two-piece smooth walnut stocks with a capped forend, straight grip and comb, and crescent steel buttplate, clear markings, strong mechanics, and a semi-bright bore with sharp rifling, scattered light erosion, and minor pitting. There are short cracks at the left-front of the wrist and at the rear of the top tang. There are small losses at the front edge of the buttplate's tang. The fit of the wood to the buttplate is imperfect at the corners where the tang meets the face. This is an honest example of the classic Winchester ’76 .50-95 Express Rifle. A nice find for collectors, it also comes with a Winchester factory records letter confirming its original configuration.