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This is for you “old dogs”…
If you are having trouble posting or resizing your pictures, send them to me in an email message and I will fix them for you… I work very cheaply, usually a free donut and cup of coffee will suffice.
Bert – The “not so old” dog!
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
Tim, I’ll do it for just a cup of coffee. I’m already too fat. This old dog started using computers in the mid 80’s before things like windows.
All, I tried taking another picture and it says it is smaller than the 3 mpixel limit of our site. Will see. I hate taking and posting pix for this reason!! Do rather enjoy being a stand up/sit down comedian though. This angled picture doesn’t show the bright end of the stud the pin on the lever contacts as well as the one I sent to Bert to “fix” and post for me, but will maybe help in the meantime. Tim
Chuck said
Tim, I’ll do it for just a cup of coffee. I’m already too fat. This old dog started using computers in the mid 80’s before things like windows.
You Cheap SOB… you are undercutting my offer !! 
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
Bert and Chuck! Settle down! I will spring for coffee AND donuts first thing they open! Tim. PS. Don’t know why the forum doesn’t like my photos!
tim tomlinson said
Bert and Chuck! Settle down! I will spring for coffee AND donuts first thing they open! Tim. PS. Don’t know why the forum doesn’t like my photos!
I am just yanking Chucks chain for the fun of it… we have been friends for 20+ years.
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
86Win said
I thought you might like to see what I am talking about. Even though this thread is about 76s I wonder if this has anything to do with 73s and 76s. This rifle is SN 173020A (1885). You will notice that the hole is directly under the trigger block pin. It’s like 2 different vintage parts.
Enlightenment will be appreciated. Don
Is there a hole from the top where the trigger block rides? So if a key is not installed the hammer can’t be pulled.
If there is no hole on the top then the only thing that comes to mind is when I was a kid I had a lever action cap gun and it had a hinged piece of metal on the lever so when you folded it forward it would catch and pull the trigger so you would fire as soon as the lever was closed. For that to work in this gun the hole would have to be at the lower junction on the lever.
Bob
WACA Life Member--- NRA Life Member---- Cody Firearms member since 1991 Researching the Winchester 1873's
Email: [email protected]
Very interesting. I don’t know if this will help anyone, but in case it might, here it is. Early 76’s I have owned:
#235, Open Top;
#135?, Open Top Carbine;
#3524 Open Top;
#4963, Lid and mentioned in the records;
#5588, .50 Ex. with Lid and correct semi-script “.50 Cal. 95 Grs.” engraved, Lid not mentioned in the records;
#5930 Open Top.
#5930 was the highest number open top I’d seen, then a few years later I saw one in the 8000 range at the Cody Show.
In the late 80s, Bill Porter and I were scanning the ledgers researching the above .50 Ex.. We learned that most .50 Ex. through the 10,000+ range (we got tired of looking) were received in the warehouse as .45-75s then changed to Express before being shipped. Sometimes the change would be six months or more before the gun was shipped (probably anticipating orders). Anyway, to get back to point, during this research, we noticed the “Lid” notations. Very early serial numbers had Lid notations and later ones did not. Sometimes there would be large blocks with Lids and sometimes they would be scattered here and there. We did not note the shipping dates for the ones marked “Lid”. That might have shed a little more light on things. About the posts concerning early guns with lids that are not noted in the records, I concure with TR and Tim, there were omissions in the records and “let the rifle tell you”. Compare the machining and parts with a gun you know is correct.
tim tomlinson said
Bert and Chuck! Settle down! I will spring for coffee AND donuts first thing they open! Tim. PS. Don’t know why the forum doesn’t like my photos!
And I’m holding you to it! Why don’t you go to Greeley so I don’t have to wait so long.
Mark Nordland said
Very interesting. I don’t know if this will help anyone, but in case it might, here it is. Early 76’s I have owned:#235, Open Top;
#135?, Open Top Carbine;
#3524 Open Top;
#4963, Lid and mentioned in the records;
#5588, .50 Ex. with Lid and correct semi-script “.50 Cal. 95 Grs.” engraved, Lid not mentioned in the records;
#5930 Open Top.
#5930 was the highest number open top I’d seen, then a few years later I saw one in the 8000 range at the Cody Show.
In the late 80s, Bill Porter and I were scanning the ledgers researching the above .50 Ex.. We learned that most .50 Ex. through the 10,000+ range (we got tired of looking) were received in the warehouse as .45-75s then changed to Express before being shipped. Sometimes the change would be six months or more before the gun was shipped (probably anticipating orders). Anyway, to get back to point, during this research, we noticed the “Lid” notations. Very early serial numbers had Lid notations and later ones did not. Sometimes there would be large blocks with Lids and sometimes they would be scattered here and there. We did not note the shipping dates for the ones marked “Lid”. That might have shed a little more light on things. About the posts concerning early guns with lids that are not noted in the records, I concure with TR and Tim, there were omissions in the records and “let the rifle tell you”. Compare the machining and parts with a gun you know is correct.
Mark I heard something like that about the early 50-95’s at least 20 years ago. Al Perry had one of these. I was picking for Walt Hallstein when his knees were so bad and when I found this gun I made him go look at it. It was one of those guns that looked like a very old re blue to me. According to Walt it was when it was made into the 50-95. First time I have heard that story since then.
Another thought on finger lever hole. The keyhole side is to prevent rotation of the pin through hole. Go with it guys! Don
This hammer block pin is interesting. My s/n 1286 1876 does not have the hammer block. You can drop the hammer even with the finger lever open. I find it strange that Tim’s s/n 544 1876 has it and mine does not. You would think that once a safety was incorporated, every s/n after that would have it .
If your gun has a set trigger you don’t have a trigger block safety. You couldn’t have both.
Bob
WACA Life Member--- NRA Life Member---- Cody Firearms member since 1991 Researching the Winchester 1873's
Email: [email protected]
My 1876 lettered as having a set trigger removed before shipping and has a trigger block. My 1873 with a hole in finger lever also has trigger block. Don
86Win said
My 1876 lettered as having a set trigger removed before shipping and has a trigger block. My 1873 with a hole in finger lever also has trigger block. Don
You probably have the a slot in the tang for the set trigger. I’ve seen many 73’s like that. Does the hole in the lever just has the one hole going crosswise or does it have a second hole from the top?
Bob
WACA Life Member--- NRA Life Member---- Cody Firearms member since 1991 Researching the Winchester 1873's
Email: [email protected]
No hole in top. I posted pictures of hole on March 14. I am leaning towards some sort of cowboy action shooting (rifleman style). Don
I recieved my Cody letter today for my 1876, s/n 1286 in 45-75 cal, and it reads;
Type: Rifle
Barrel Type: Octagon
Trigger: Set
Received in warehouse on Jan 18, 1878
Shipped from warehouse on May 08, 1878, order number 6029
It doesn’t mention the dust cover just like some of the letters that are in this post. It has all the indicators that it’s a early first model, like no caliber markings and the big hammer. So, is it considered a first model that happens to have a dust cover? Or how would you describe it?
JJ
James Wallace said
I recieved my Cody letter today for my 1876, s/n 1286 in 45-75 cal, and it reads;Type: Rifle
Barrel Type: Octagon
Trigger: Set
Received in warehouse on Jan 18, 1878
Shipped from warehouse on May 08, 1878, order number 6029
It doesn’t mention the dust cover just like some of the letters that are in this post. It has all the indicators that it’s a early first model, like no caliber markings and the big hammer. So, is it considered a first model that happens to have a dust cover? Or how would you describe it?
JJ
James,
Remember, the First, Second and Third model labels are collector terms. Winchester didn’t use them. Collectors may have different interpretations of the model types. From my perspective, if it has a dust cover (lid) it is a second model. My guess is your rifle was made without a dust cover and then had one installed at some later time. It may have been the Winchester factory, possibly a company like Hartley & Graham, Simmons, J.P. Lower, or even a local gunsmith, etc.
The lack of caliber markings on .45-75 rifles goes into the third model serial number range. The large hammer was an early rifle feature, as is the buttplate with large toe.
Others may have a different view.
Here is a first model SN 267 with large toe buttplate, large hammer, trigger block, no dust cover.
I call myself a collector as it sounds better than hoarder
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