This is an excellent example of a Winchester Model 1876 rifle that was manufactured in 1881. This rifle has the Third Model receiver with integral dust cover rail and dust cover with serrated edges. The rifle has a full-octagon 28-inch barrel with full-length magazine. The barrel has the standard sporting style front sight with nickel-silver blade and folding leaf rear sight marked "1876" below the elevation bar stop screw. The upper receiver tang is factory drilled and tapped for a rear sight and the crescent steel buttplate has a sliding brass trap door. The rifle has a blued barrel, magazine, forearm cap, receiver, dust cover and buttplate. The hammer, lever and trigger are color casehardened. The loading gate has a fire blue finish. The stock and forearm are oil-finished, straight grain. American walnut. The top of the barrel 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." ahead of the rear sight. "CAL 45-60" is roll stamped on the top barrel flat immediately ahead of the receiver. "45-60" is roll stamped in script numerals across the bottom of the brass cartridge elevator. The upper receiver tang is roll stamped "MODEL. 1876" in fancy letters with foliate devices at either end. The serial number,"31317" is stamped in script numerals on the lower tang between the lever latch and the lower tang screw.

Excellent. This rifle is all original and retains 90 plus of the original blue and color casehardened finish. The blue finish on the receiver is thin on the bottom edges around the cartridge elevator and has some light edge wear on the front edges and side plates.There is some age spotting with patches of surface rust along the right edge of the dust cover. The loading gate retains more than 85% of the nitre blue finish. The forearm cap has a few minor scratches while the buttplate shows light-moderate handling wear with about 75% of the blue finish intact. The stock and forearm are both in very fine overall condition and retain most of the original oil finish. The forearm has a few very insignificant dents and handling marks. The right side of the stock shows minimal handling wear; the comb, left side and bottom of the stock have a number of shallow dents and handling marks. Mechanically excellent. This is an exceptional example of a Winchester "Centennial Model Rifle" in original condition.