Special order Winchester Model 1876 Express rifle manufactured in 1879. This rifle is complete with a Winchester Museum letter that describes this Model 1876, as: "rifle, octagon barrel, casehardened, checkered stock" and "Under remarks: Express". The letter states that this rifle was shipped from Winchester on June 3, 1879. The rifle has the Second Model receiver with screw-fastened dust cover guide rail and dust cover with checkered oval finger grip. The rifle has a special order octagon barrel with full length magazine. The barrel has a "Winchester Express" front sight with colored bead and folding leaf rear sight graduated to "10" and marked "1876" at the top of the leaf. The upper receiver tang is factory drilled and tapped and the receiver has a single set-trigger. The crescent buttplate has a sling brass trapdoor. The barrel and magazine have the Winchester blue finish, the dust cover and bolt are a high polish blue and the loading gate is a fiery niter blue. The forearm cap, receiver, hammer, trigger, lever and crescent buttplate are color casehardened. The stock and forearm are nicely figured extra finish walnut with early style Winchester checkering and a high polish varnish finish. The top barrel flat is roll-stamped "WINCHESTER'S-REPEATING ARMS. NEW HAVEN. CT./KING'S-IMPROVEMENT-PATENTED-MARCH 29. 1866. OCTOBER 16. 1860" in two lines ahead of the rear sight and "50 CAL. EXPRESS" in one line behind it. The top of the dust cover is engraved "WINCHESTER EXPRESS/.50 CAL. 95 GRS." in two lines behind the finger grip. "MODEL 1876" is roll-stamped on the upper receiver tang in fancy letters. The serial number is stamped in script numerals on the lower tang between the lever latch and rear tang screw. Introduced in 1879 and equipped with a standard 26-inch barrel, Model 1876 rifles chambered for the .50-95 Winchester Express cartridge are some of the most desirable of the Model 1876 "Centennial" rifles.

Very fine. The barrel and magazine retain 70% original blue with traces of light pitting on the muzzle and magazine cap and some edge wear and spots of surface discoloration along the sides of the barrel. The blue finish on the bottom of the magazine has developed a plum blue patina. The Winchester legend and caliber markings are crisp. The dust cover retains 60% of the high polish blue finish with handling wear along the edges. Significant amounts of blue finish are present on the bolt. The loading gate has 60% of the nitre blue finish intact. The forearm cap, receiver, hammer, trigger and lever retain 70% of the original casehardened finish. The case colors on the buttplate show more wear and are 25% intact with some light pitting on the buttplate heel and toe. The nicely figured refinished walnut stock and forearm remain in very fine condition and retain more than 90% of the high polish varnish. Wear is limited to several small spots of finish flaking and a few scattered and very minor handling marks. The checkered panels are sharp and show minimal handling wear. This is a very fine example of one of the rarest and most desirable variations of the Winchester Model 1876 rifle.