The Cody letter describes this rifle as: "Rifle, 45/60, Octagon barrel" and "Plain trigger". The letter states that this rifle was shipped from Winchester on November 11, 1882. This rifle has the Third Model receiver with integral dust cover rail and dust cover with serrated rear edges. The rifle has a full octagon barrel and full-length magazine. The barrel has a standard sporting style front sight with nickel-silver blade and sporting style folding leaf rear sight graduated to "10" and marked "1876" on the top of the leaf below the elevator bar stop screw. A Lyman folding combination sight with coarse knurled post is mounted on the receiver tang. The crescent steel buttplate has a sliding brass trapdoor, and the butt trap contains a four-piece, jointed, steel cleaning rod with brass tip. 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. "CAL. 45-60" is stamped in script letters on the top barrel flat immediately ahead of the receiver. "45-60" is stamped in script numerals across the brass cartridge elevator. The serial number is stamped in script numerals on the lower tang between the lever latch and the rear tang screw. The barrel, magazine, forearm cap, receiver, dust cover, bolt and crescent buttplate have a blue finish. The loading gate is fire blue. The hammer, lever and trigger are color casehardened. The stock and forearm are straight grain American walnut with a semi-gloss oil or varnish finish.

Very fine. 85% plus of the original blue is present on the barrel and magazine with some very minor spots of surface discoloration and some finish wear on the barrel edges, muzzle and barrel band. The barrel markings are sharp. The forearm cap has about 90% of the blue. The receiver has 80% plus of the bright original high polish blue finish with some scattered age spotting and a few minor scratches. Significant wear is limited to several small areas of pitting on the lower left side plate and lower edge of the receiver near the lever screw. The dust cover has at least 95% of the blue and most of the blue is present on the bolt. The loading gate retains 75% of the fire blue finish. The buttplate has 80% of the blue with scattered age discoloration and some pitting on the edges of the toe and heel. 60% of the case colors are present on the hammer, lever and trigger with some minor finish loss on the lever contact points. The stock is also in very fine condition and retains nearly all of the oil finish with minimal handling wear. There is a 3 inch crack on the left side of the stock as the wood meets the receiver. The finish on the forearm shows contact wear, but the forearm is generally free of scratches and handling marks. This is a superior example of a Winchester Third Model 1876 Sporting Rifle.