This very early production rifle has the rare and very desirable First Model receiver without a dust cover or dust cover rail. The Cody Museum letter describes this Model 1876 as: "Type: Rifle, Barrel Type: Octagon, Trigger: Set, Checkered stock, Pistol grip" and "Casehardened". The letter states that this rifle was received in the warehouse and shipped on November 5, 1877. The rifle has a standard 28-inch full octagon barrel and full-length magazine. The barrel has an Express style front sight blade with colored bead and folding leaf rear sight graduated to "10" and marked "1876" at the top of the leaf. A Lyman folding combination rear sight with fine knurled stem and 1884 patent markings is mounted on the receiver tang. The rifle has a factory single set-trigger. The crescent buttplate has a sliding brass trap door and the butt trap contains a four-piece, jointed, steel, cleaning rod. The barrel and magazine have a blue finish. The forearm cap, receiver, hammer, trigger, lever and crescent buttplate are casehardened. The forearm and pistol grip stock are nicely figured (X or XX), fancy grade walnut with factory checkering and a high polish piano finish. The checkering is the early style that extends nearly to the receiver on the forearm. The bottom of the pistol grip has an ebony inlay. The top barrel flat is roll-stamped with the two-line legend: "WINCHESTER'S-REPEATING ARMS. NEW HAVEN. CT./KING'S-IMPROVEMENT-PATENTED-MARCH 29. 1866. OCTOBER 16. 1860." in serif letters ahead of the rear sight The serial number is hand engraved in script numerals on the lower tang between the lever latch and rear tang screw. The barrel and brass cartridge elevator, correctly, lack the caliber markings found on later production rifles. Known to collectors as the "Centennial Model" due to its introduction by Winchester at the 1876 Philadelphia Exposition, the massive Model 1876 rifle was the first repeating rifle chambered for the powerful cartridges previously available only in single shot rifles. All Model 1876 rifles are rare. Deluxe, special order sporting rifles with the First Model receiver are extremely rare and highly desirable. On an important side note, the consecutive numbers, 709 through 716, are all 1 of 1000s!

Excellent. This rifle retains 85% of the original blue and 95% casehardened finish and is all original with the exception of the Lyman folding combination rear sight which is period but was made a few years after this rifle was shipped from Winchester. The barrel and magazine retain nearly all of the original blue finish. The Winchester legend on the barrel flat is crisp. The express style front sight is missing the colored bead. The forearm cap, receiver, hammer, trigger and lever have 75% plus of the casehardened finish with strong colors in protected areas and some silvering on the high points of the receiver, side plates and lever. The crescent buttplate shows at least half of the faded case colors. The fancy grade walnut forearm and pistol grip stock are both in very fine condition and retain at least 95% of the original piano finish. Wear is limited to a few scattered and very minor handling and storage marks. The checkering is sharp with a few shallow handling marks. This is a rare and exceptional example of an early, deluxe, special order, Winchester First Model 1876 Deluxe Lever Action Rifle.