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No high finish No fancy Wood or special order features. Just an old used relic from the closet. This old Winchester 1876 Rb. 28″ 45/60wcf Std. Sporting rifle sr.# 33xx came along a few wks. ago, just a plain old 76 that looks like it has been around a bit. I gave the old rifle a good inspection ,removed the stock and forearm cleaned all of the old grease and prarie dust from the hard to get to places.After cleaning another inspection proved to me the old rifle was (Fit for Duty). The bore on this one looks a bit better than average but sure not perfect. I pulled out the 45/60wcf Winchester mold and cast some bullets that dropped from the mold @.458+ and 296gr.weight Lube was Bees wax/TALLOW 50/50.CCI #200 cap, a Jammison case full of 2ffSwiss bp. All assembled with the Winchester 45/60wcf tong tool. First chance I had the old rifle was tested @ 50yd. off of sand bags, first two shots fell a bit low . A small adjustment hold on the sights Rocky Mnt. front and Sporting leaf rear, had the old rifle shooting as good as I could hold that day. The virgin brass fireformed the slight shoulder as it should ,looked good in all other respects, no problems with feeding and ejecting. The old rifle performed as design after many yrs. of retirement. Like I said nothing fancy just an old Winchester from the past that can still do its job.,,,DT 
Good story and I bet it was a very gratifying experience for you, d t.
"This is the West, sir. When the legend becomes fact, print the legend."
Those are my favorite kind of lever Winchesters, old, honest and still servicable.
Thanks for the pic and story!
Regards,
WACA Life Member #6284 - Specializing in Pre-64 Winchester .22 Rimfire
You Bet , Wincacher. There is just something special hearing one of the old timers speak again. Or I should say Roar! with a case full of Bp. JWA my feelings exactly Sir. Sort of like (Us Old Timers) that finish was earned!!! ,,,DT
What a great old gun…………honest, a bit worn, but still doing what it was meant to do – and doing it well.
Thanks for the wonderful story.
Great story ,thanks for posting.Enjoy hearing about shooting the old rifles and what was done to get them shooting again.
Thought I should add this about the old 76 mentioned here. For those that may have wondered how an early 76 with a mfg. date of 1877 according to the WACA site could be a 45/60 wcf. The Winchester records state that (No serial number application date available) The old rifle still is as it was when it left the warehouse according to the Cody letter. But ! the letter states that the old rifle started as Oct. barrel set trigger rifle. No mention of caliber / (should have been a 45/75). No mention of the lid or dust cover that it now has . The letter states ( Changed to 45/60 round barrel and Plain trigger. Looks like this old rifle bounced around a bit quite some time being received in warehouse September 14th 1879 before shipping on July 03 1880. Any thoughts ? ,,,DT
DT, Ive got one that has a similar history and letter as yours (2500 SN Range), started as a 45-75 octagon bbl. with set trigger, received in warehouse May 1878, and was changed at the factory to plain trigger, 30″ octagon bbl in 45-60, plus a dust cover (dust cover not mentioned in the letter), shipped in June 1880. Ive been wanting to get some dies to load for it one of these days. Got enough brass now to play around a little.
Chris
1892takedown @sbcglobal.net ......NRA Endowment Life Member.....WACA Member
"God is great.....beer is good.....and people are crazy"... Billy Currington
Chris the 45-60 is very easy to load for with cheap and available Lee Reloading Dies and a lot of fun to shoot in a 76
Nothing Custom needed
V LTD 3 DIE 45/60 MSRP: $46.98 http://leeprecision.com/reloading-dies/rifle-dies/
Phil
1892TD, sounds like a Grand old 1876. The more I learn of 1876 Winchester rifles built with sr# s in and around this range , the more I think there must have been quite a few made one way and then for some reason changed before being shiped. Look forward to hearing about your loading for your 45/60. If you would PM. me a shipping address, I would be glad to send you some .45 cal. bullets cast from my original 45/60 wcf mold. They average .458″ @ 296gr. Perfect for the old 1876 45/60. Like 25-20 said the Lee dies work just fine. I do have a set. I tend to use the Winchester tong tool when loading for my 1876 rifles. I shoot them like Sunday drivers , just on occasion and almost all hunts.,,,,DT
DT, Appreciate your offer, PM sent your way.
1892takedown @sbcglobal.net ......NRA Endowment Life Member.....WACA Member
"God is great.....beer is good.....and people are crazy"... Billy Currington
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