This is a rare example of a Winchester Model 1876 Lever Action .50-95 Express Rifle that was manufactured in 1881. This late Second Model 1876 rifle has the distinctive dust cover rail attached by two screws and sliding dust cover with serrated finger guide along the edges. The rifle has a casehardened receiver, forearm cap, hammer, lever and crescent buttplate. The barrel, dust cover and loading gate are blued. The forearm and pistol grip stock are highly figured fancy grain walnut with Winchester "Style H' checkered panels and a piano finish. The pistol grip has an ebony inlay. The rifle has a 26 inch octagon barrel and half-magazine. The barrel has a Beach folding combination front sight and a buckhorn sporting style rear sight. The rifle has a special order factory single set trigger. The upper receiver tang is factory drilled and tapped for a tang sight. The crescent steel buttplate has a sliding brass trap door. The top of the barrel is rollstamped with the legend "WINCHESTER'S-REPEATING ARMS. NEW HAVEN. CT./KING'S-IMPROVEMENT-PATENTED -MARCH 29. 1866. OCTOBER.16.1860." ahead of the rear sight. "50 CAL." is stamped on the top barrel flat at the breech. The top of the dust cover is rollstamped "WINCHESTER EXPRESS"/",50 CAL. 95 GRS." The bottom of the brass cartridge elevator is stamped with the cartridge designation "50-95" in script numerals. The upper receiver tang is rollstamped with the Second Style model designation: "MODEL 1876." in fancy letters. The serial number, "23259" is stamped across the lower tang between the lever latch and the tang screw. The Winchester .50-95 Express cartridge was introduced in 1879 for use in the Winchester Model 1876 rifle. Introduced in 1876, the Winchester Centennial Model was the first Winchester rifle to chamber large powerful cartridges and the last Winchester lever action rifle to use the toggle and link action.

Extremely fine. This rifle is all original and retains 90% of the original blue and casehardened finish. The barrel has nearly all of the blue finish and shows only light wear on the barrel edges with some scattered of age discoloration along the sides of the barrel. The barrel legend and caliber marking are sharp. The blue finish on the dust cover and loading gate shows handling wear but remains 90% intact. The dust cover markings are crisp. The forearm cap, receiver, hammer and lever retain 85% of the casehardened finish with strong case colors. Wear is limited to some age spotting on the upper right side of the receiver at the junction with the forearm. The case colors on the buttplate have silvered but remain about 85% intact. The highly figured walnut stock and forearm and very good and retain 90% of the original piano finish. The stock and forearm have scattered minor handling marks, a long scratch on left forward wrist, and the checkered panels have light handling wear. This is an outstanding example of a very scarce deluxe special order Winchester Model 1876 .50 Express rifle in exceptional original condition.