Winchester 1876 Open Top Rifle .45-75 s/n 912 mfg 1876 - Historic First Model Open-Top frame, 28" octagon barrel, full magazine. Left sideplate is period script engraved, "To Mr. Tim Foley from Sir John Rae Reid". Sir John Rae Reid was a wealthy Englishman who started a cattle company in Wyoming in 1879 and was involved in the Hat Ranch and the old 76 Ranch, and assembled huge holdings from many smaller ranchers in the Powder River area. Mr. Tim Foley, to whom this '76 was presented, was a cattle driver and guide who became friendly with Sir Reid. According to legend, Foley made a trip to California on horseback and carried this Winchester for self-defense along the way, especially through the Hole in the Wall. Mr. Foley owned the rifle until 1935-1936 when he traded it to a teenager named William Ladman for breaking a horse. Ladman used the rifle to shoot elk and kept it until 1971. With extensive provenance and documentation as to the history and ownership, this rifle remains in original very good condition with 60% - 70% original blue drifting and toning at the edges, with slight scratches, even wear from carry, with sharp barrel address and crisp edges; hammer and lever show 10%-20% case hardening starting to fade, stocks are good with some dings, mars, small losses, a couple of gouges and chips, but generally good overall; good action, very good bore. A rifle obviously carried and used, but well cared for.
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Winchester 1876 Deluxe Short Rifle .45-75 WCF s/n 45590 mfg 1885 – 22” round barrel w/British proofs; full mag; color case hardened receiver, hammer, lever & forend cap; British 3-leaf folding rear sight graduated from 100-300 yards w/gold inlay centering lines; English sporting front sight with fine blade; deluxe walnut pistol grip checkered stocks with piano varnish finish; blued steel shotgun buttplate. Receiver, hammer & lever (where exposed) retain 80% vivid case colors just starting to drift to silver with sharp edges; lever has a beautiful handmade leather cover on the bot tom edge which is old and of the period; dustcover & loading gate retain 95% bright blue; forend cap retains 50% muted case colors w/balance drifting to silver grey; barrel and mag retain 95% bright blue; stocks are in excellent condition overall with sharp checkering and retain most of their original high gloss varnish finish with some light handling marks and wear; buttplate retains 70% thinning blue; marking are sharp; mechanics are crisp; bore is bright, shiny and appears as new. Includes letter of authenticity from the Cody Firearms Museum verifying all of the features of this rifle. |
Winchester 1876 NWMP SRC .45-75 s/n 46108 mfg 1885 - 22" round barrel, NWMP sight, dense-grain extra finish walnut stocks. Receiver has traces of original blue finish in the protected areas; barrel has a thinning patina; buttstock retains a strong cartouche and has numerous dings and dents; forend has dings and dents with three old filler repairs; bore is a 7. This carbine is accompanied by a research letter from noted NWMP authority D.J. Klancher which identifies this particular serial number carbine with "G" division at Fort Saskatchewan on January 25, 1887; issued to three different solders from 1888 to 1900; and finally transferred to the Canadian Militia sometime after 1902.
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