The Winchester Model 1876 Rifle was Oliver Winchester’s attempt to offer a large caliber repeating rifle specifically designed for big game hunting. In 1875, Winchester’s only products were the Model 1866 rifle (.44 rimfire) and Model 1873 rifle (at this time only available in .44 Winchester Center Fire or .44 W.C.F.). A Winchester factory advertisement noted 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."

 

Winchester had been working to make a high power, big bore repeating rifle since 1866. The design that culminated in the Model 1876 was not an outgrowth of the Model 1873. Instead, it was the natural evolution of engineering designs and prototypes. After the Springfield Model 1873 rifle with its .45-70-405 government cartridge became standard within the military, Winchester engineers worked to find a way of using that cartridge in a repeating rifle. The toggle-link system, in use since the Volcanic and Henry rifles, could not handle the length of the .45-70-405 cartridge, without a long and massive receiver. The answer was to make the cartridge bottle-necked and shorter. The resulting .45-75 W.C.F. held 75 grains of powder, used a 350 grain bullet and fed reliably through the 1876 action. Winchester felt they had a winner and the rifle entered the market in 1876. It had its premier at the Philadelphia Exposition (honoring the nation’s centennial), so the new Winchester became known as the Centennial Model.  In its standard sporting rifle configuration, it was offered with a 28 inch round or octagon barrel (octagon barrels were optional but much more popular), straight stock, full-length magazine, and crescent buttplate. Carbines were offered with 22 inch round barrels and a full-length forearm. Muskets were offered with a 32 inch round barrels and also had full-length forearms. The sporting rifles outsold carbines and muskets by a wide margin.

 

Like all Winchester rifles, the Model 1876 had many options for the buyer. Set triggers, special barrel lengths and weights, custom wood and metal finish, special sights, engraving, pistol grip stocks, different buttplates, etc., were among the extras offered by Winchester. The set trigger proved a popular option and was ordered on the Centennial Model more often than any other lever action Winchester. Extra-long barrels 30 inches or longer were sometimes ordered, as were handy 26 inch barrel short rifles.

 

Collectors generally accept three major production variations of the Model 1876. First Models, up to serial numbers in the 5,000 range do not have dust covers. First Models are often called "Open Tops" although many early rifles were later fitted with dust covers at the Winchester factory. Second Model rifles are in the serial number range up to about 25,000. They have dust covers with the guide rail secured to the receiver by screws. The dust cover may be of either the "thumbprint" type or one with serrated edges. Third Models continue until the end of production and have a dust cover rail integral with the receiver. Collectors soon find out, however, there are exceptions to every rule when it comes to antique Winchester rifles. Winchester never discarded useable parts; so late serial numbered guns will sometimes have early parts. Early serial numbered guns are also found with parts that were produced later. Collectors believe that parts were often dumped into bins for use, so early parts sometimes ended up in the bottom of the bin. A production worker probably would not dig through the bin, but use the part on top of the pile. There are other production features that changed over the life of the rifle. See the references for additional information. Many rifles were returned to the Winchester factory, and in some cases the factory records, will note, "Returned & Repaired."

 

Winchester was disappointed with the sales of the Centennial model. No military sales were made and the rifle was not popular with foreign sales either, with a couple of exceptions. The most famous group to use the big Centennial Model was Canada’s North West Mounted Police and they purchased over 1600 carbines. From 1878 until 1914, the Model 1876 Carbine was in use with the Mounties as well as the Alberta Provincial Police. It proved a reliable and popular arm with the Mounties. The other group known to use the Model 1876 in some numbers was the Hawaii Territorial Guard, which acquired muskets for use by the militia.

 

 

(foto; Winchester 1876 45/60 Cal.) 

 

The Model 1876 was mainly popular with people on the frontier looking for a powerful repeating rifle that was handy enough to carry on a horse. Famous and infamous westerners known to have used the Model 1876 include Teddy Roosevelt, Johnny Ringo (Tombstone), Charlie Bowdre (Lincoln County War), Major Frank Wolcott (Johnson County War), John "Liver Eating" Johnston upon whom the movie character "Jerimiah Johnson" was based, and Granville Stuart (Montana rancher and vigilante). Teddy Roosevelt was photographed with one of his 1876 rifles. He liked the 1876 better than English double rifles. In the movie “Tom Horn” Steve McQueen uses a Model 1876 in .45-60, but I cannot find any historical reference of the real Tom Horn ever using one. In the recent TNT movie "Crossfire Trial," actor Tom Selleck uses a refinished and engraved Model 1876 carbine in caliber .45-60.

 

The Model 1876 is the only repeating rifle that had successful, documented use in the northern plains buffalo slaughter. Earlier repeating rifles such as the Henry, Spencer, and Winchester Models of 1866 and 1873 may have seen limited use, but only the Model 1876 was considered by hunters as powerful enough to do the job against the big woolies. The strength of the Model 1876 rifle and the .45-75 W.C.F. cartridge was tested by Winchester in the late 1870s. The factory conducted tests on the strength and reliability of the action to answer concerns by customers. These tests will astound collectors and shooters who have stated the Model 1876's toggle link action is "weak." In response to a letter sent to the company by Charles Hallock, Esquire, of Forest & Streammagazine, Oliver Winchester responded by telling about the tests the factory accomplished on the 1876 rifle. He indicated that engineers first started the tests by removing one of the toggle links and fired 20 rounds (this was with .45-75 W.C.F. cartridge with 350 grain bullet) with no effect. They restored the missing link then went through 6 more trials starting with a charge of 105 grains of black powder, behind a 700 grain bullet! The comment "worked well" is noted. They then increased the charge of powder to 165 grains behind 3 bullets (1,150 grains) and that "worked well." From there, they increased the powder charge to 203 grains and added more bullets until they reached 1,750 grains of lead (five 350 grain bullets). This also "worked well." Finally, they added one more bullet, bringing the total weight to 2,100 grains, and things began to happen. The comment was, "Breech pin slightly bent. Arm working stiff." The seventh and final test was again 203 grains of powder but this time six Martini bullets weighing 480 grains each (2,880 grains) were used. "The charge bent the breech pin, blew out the side plates, split the frame and otherwise disabled the arm," was the comment. Oliver Winchester noted that in this seventh trial, the shell had burst into fragments and the escape of gas at the breech did the damage.

 

The big Centennial model was known for its excellent accuracy and is reputed to have been the most finely made of all the early Winchester lever action rifles. The original chambering in .45-75 W.C.F. was supplemented in 1879 by two others, the .45-60 and .50-95 Express. Up on the northern plains, the Model 1876 in .45-60 became known as the "Montana Bear Gun," while the .50-95 Express proved popular with dangerous game hunters in Africa and India. Winchester created the Express Rifle designation for guns chambered in .50-95. It was the least produced caliber for the Centennial model and the most sought after by collectors today. In 1884 Winchester added the .40-60 to the lineup. It used a 210 grain bullet in a very tapered case. This round was popular with coyote and wolf hunters. It is analogous to a super .44-40. It reached a certain level of popularity, and was the third most popular chambering in the 1876 after the .45-60 and .45-75. All these cartridges were loaded by Winchester into the 1930s.

 

Winchester’s competitors for the Model 1876 included the Marlin Model 1881, the Colt Burgess rifle, the Colt Lightning rifle, and the large frame Whitney-Kennedy models. In terms of sales and use on the frontier, the Model 1876 beat them all. Winchester also produced a prototype Model 1878 rifle, which used the standard .45-70 government cartridge. This rifle competed in military trials against other magazine guns, including the Winchester-Hotchkiss bolt action rifle. The Hotchkiss rifle was recommended by the board members conducting the trial, and was purchased in limited numbers by the government. The prototype .45-70 Model 1878 was the only one ever made. It's receiver exists today in the Cody Firearms Museum at the Buffalo Bill Historic Center.

 

By 1885, Winchester had concluded an arrangement with John Browning of Ogden, Utah for the manufacture of a new lever action rifle. This Browning design became the legendary Winchester Model 1886. Winchester finally got the rifle it wanted – a lever action capable of handling the length of the .45-70 government cartridge. The new 1886 essentially ended the life of the older Model 1876, and production of new parts soon ended. However, parts continued to be on hand for years afterward, and Winchester completed the last Model 1876 in 1898. Total production was 63,803 guns, making the 1876 the rarest of the early Winchester lever rifles. In spite of its low production figures, the Model 1876 was a money maker for the company. Of even greater importance, Winchester gained an excellent reputation because of the Model 1876's use with the North West Mounted Police. The company reaped prestige benefits from the Model 1876 long after production ceased.

 

For those collectors and shooters lucky enough to fire an 1876 rifle or carbine, the old Centennial Model loaded with black powder produces a crowd pleasing boom with plenty of knock-down power for any targets out to around 300 yards. The late William B. Ruger once said the Model 1876 was "Just a piece of wood and steel." Hesitating, he added, "But it's a damn elegant piece of wood and steel."  The Model 1876 is a winner today just as it was in the days of the old west.

 

(foto; Winchester karabijn 1876 45/60 Cal.)

 

WINCHESTER MODEL 1876 The Centennial Year			First Serial Number of Each Year			These were manufactured from 1876 to 1898.
Model	YEAR	Serial Number	Model	Year	Serial Number	Model	Year	Serial Number
1876	1876	1	1876	1877	1430	1876	1878	3580
1876	1879	7968	1876	1880	8972	1876	1881	14701
1876	1882	21716	1876	1883	32408	1876	1884	42411
1876	1885	54667	1876	1886	58715	1876	1887	60398
1876	1888	62421	1876	1889	NONE	1876	1890	NONE
1876	1891	NONE	1876	1892	63540	1876	1993	63562
1876	1894	63671	1876	1895	NONE	1876	1896	63679
1876	1897	63703	1876	1898	63870

WINCHESTER MODEL 1876			Number of Guns produced each year.			These were manufactured from 1876 to 1898.
Model	Year	Number produced	Model	Year	Number Produced	Model	Year	Numbered produced

1876	1876	1429	1876	1877	2149	1876	1878	4387
1876	1879	1003	1876	1880	5728	1876	1881	7058
1876	1882	10647	1876	1883	10002	1876	1884	12255
1876	1885	4047	1876	1886	1682	1876	1887	2022
1876	1888	1118	1876	1889	NONE	1876	1890	NONE
1876	1891	NONE	1876	1892	21	1876	1993	108
1876	1894	7	1876	1895	NONE	1876	1896	23
1876	1897	166	1876	1898	1

 

There were 63872 Model 1876's manufactured .
There were 8-- 1 of 100 rifles manufactured by Winchester in the model 1876.
There were 54--1 of 1000 rifles manufactured by Winchester in the model 1876 .
Beware of fake 1 of 100's and 1 of 1000's .
Standard barrel length for model 1876's was 26 or 28 inches in octagon or round barrel's .
Carbines barrels were 22 inches long.
Muskets had 32 inch Round Barrels .
1 large order of muskets were shipped to the Royal Place in Honolulu Hawaii for the Citizens Guard Of Hawaii these rifles were copper plated on all the internal parts and the ramrods , most serial numbers were consecutive to each other.
Model 1876 's were manufactured in the following caliber's: 40-60 ---45-60---45-75---50-95 .
Large order were shipped to India and South Africa and were equipped with 7 Leaf Express rear sites and Breeches front sights . Appromeiately 7 % of the production was shipped out of the United States to foreign country's .
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police bought Carbines for their use in Canada, total number purchased is unknown. These are stamped with NWMP in the butt stock.
Model 1876's were manufactured with deluxe wood in 2X , 3X and 4X and had pistol grip and straight stocks.
Model 1876's came in the following barrel lengths : 23 3/4 --24--26--27--28--30--32--33--34--36 inches.
They came in standard weight and 2 size of heavy and extra heavy barrels , there were also guns with matted barrels .
The model 1876 came in the following special finishes : Nickel ,Nickel trimmed , Half Nickel, Caseharden and Nickel , Silver Plated, Half Silver ,Silver trimmed ,Gold Plated, Gold and Nickel, Gold Plated trimmings .
There were 154 guns that were engraved .They are as follows 146 rifles , 6 carbines. 2 muskets .

For more information on this subject we recommend the following Books:
THE WINCHESTER MODEL 1876 CENTENNIAL RIFLE by Herbert G Houze
WINCHESTER ENGRAVING by R.L.Wilson .
THE WINCHESTER BOOK by George Madis.
WINCHESTER HANDBOOK by Bill West.
WINCHESTER AN AMERICAN LEGEND by R.L. Wilson.

Factory letters for you gun can be obtained from:
The Cody Firearms Museum
Buffalo Bill Historical Center
720 Sheridan Ave
Cody Wy . 82414

 

Nog meer info:

 

http://www.leverguns.com/articles/1876.pdf

 

Wednesday, January 14, 2009