GunSerialsWinchester Model 1876 (Model 76) serial numbers by year
Known as the Centennial Model, this was a larger version of the Model 1873 for big-game ammunition such as .45-75. Canada's North-West Mounted Police used it.
- Produced:
- 1876–1898
- Action:
- lever-action
New to gun terms? Start here
- Model:
- The name of the gun design, such as Model 94. A model name that looks like a year does not tell you when your gun was made.
- Serial number:
- The number stamped on an individual gun. Include letters that are part of the number. A separate letter stamped above it, like the Model 97's C, D or E, is a different marking.
- Receiver:
- The main metal body just behind the barrel. The receiver ring is its front section, where the barrel joins it.
- Tang:
- A strip of metal extending from the receiver into the stock. The lower tang runs underneath, behind the trigger.
- Stock:
- The part you hold against your shoulder, usually made of wood on older Winchesters.
- Forearm or forend:
- The part under the barrel where your forward hand holds the gun.
- Action:
- The mechanism that loads and removes cartridges. Names such as lever action, pump action, and bolt action describe how it works.
- Caliber or gauge:
- The ammunition size or type a gun is designed to use. This marking is different from the model and serial number.
- Takedown:
- A version designed to separate into major sections for storage. A takedown joint is where those sections meet.
- Proof mark:
- A factory testing mark, such as Winchester's oval WP stamp. It is not a serial number or a date code.
- Peep or aperture sight:
- A rear sight with a small hole to look through. A hooded front sight has a cover around it.
What year was your Model 76 made?
Need help finding the serial number?
Look up a serial number and print a one-page record sheet: the date and its sources, the status by age, the model in brief, and the auction price range.
Winchester Model 76 value: what it sells for at auction
Enter your serial number above to highlight the price categories that fit the estimated date and see recent sales of this model in those categories.
These prices come from 137 Winchester Model 1876s sold individually at Rock Island Auction Company (71), Morphy Auctions (26), Poulin Auctions (29), Redding Auction Services (3), and Amoskeag Auction Company (8) between Sep 2023 and Sep 2026. The age-group rows use the auction companies' categories: antique, curio and relic, or modern.
The typical price is the middle price, also called the median. Half sold for more and half for less. The middle 50% range leaves out the lowest quarter and highest quarter of prices. The wider 80% range leaves out the lowest tenth and highest tenth.
We leave out listings described as deluxe, special-order, engraved, restored, or commemorative, and other exceptions in the value guide. Commemoratives are priced on their own page. Wear, repairs, original parts, and factory upgrades can make a particular gun worth more or less. These figures are a comparison, not an appraisal of your gun.
| Category | Sales | Middle 50% of prices | Typical price | Middle 80% of prices |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antiquemade before 1899 | 137 | $2,400 – $5,288 | $3,231 | $1,986 – $9,282 |
Antique: Rock Island Auction Company typical $3,231 (71 sales); Morphy Auctions typical $2,550 (26 sales); Poulin Auctions typical $3,355 (29 sales).
Prices by caliber
The cartridge or gauge can change what a Model 1876 sells for. These rows use the 77 sales whose listing names one, with old and new names for the same cartridge counted together (the .30 WCF is the .30-30). They combine all ages.
| Caliber | Sales | Middle 50% of prices | Typical price | Middle 80% of prices |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| .45-60 | 27 | $2,174 – $4,700 | $2,938 | $1,880 – $6,404 |
| .45-75 | 26 | $2,644 – $5,214 | $3,266 | $2,232 – $8,225 |
Recent Model 1876 auction sales
Sales near the typical price and the newest. Their features and condition may differ from your gun. A lot number identifies an item in an auction.
| Sold | Gun | Auction company | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 2024 | Model 1876 · Rifle · 45-75 | Rock Island lot 37 | $3,231 |
| Jun 2024 | Model 1876 · Rifle · 45-75 | Rock Island lot 2002 | $3,231 |
| Jun 2024 | Model 1876 · Rifle · 45 | Rock Island lot 164 | $3,231 |
| Aug 2026 | Model 1876 · Carbine · 45-75 Win | Rock Island lot 3047 | $9,988 |
| Aug 2026 | Model 1876 · Carbine · 45-75 Win | Rock Island lot 3044 | $9,988 |
Prices are in US dollars and include the buyer’s premium, the auction company’s fee added to the winning bid, where the house charges one; Redding charges none. They are not the amount the seller receives. A dealer’s offer or private sale price may differ. The full picture, model by model →
Where the serial number is
On the lower tang, the metal strip underneath and behind the trigger.
Why the sources give different years
The dates for the Winchester Model 1876 come from Winchester's customer-service list, and other published references, each named above its table. These sources can give different years for the same serial number. Original records usually provide stronger evidence than later estimates. Check the notes to see whether a source dates numbering, assembly, or another step.
Madis vs. factory dates shows examples from models whose tables disagree on this site.
Sources for this model: oldguns.net/Proofhouse approximate starting-serial table · Winchester customer-service list (2012)
Winchester Model 1876 serial numbers by year
The full Model 1876 serial number chart, one table for each source available here. Each row gives the numbers that source assigns to a year. Both the first and last numbers are included.
The tables agree with each other except at a year-end boundary or two, where they differ by a handful of serials. A row marked “estimate” is a figure its own source calls an estimate. A row marked “approximate” is a figure we trust less than the rest of its table: a boundary the sources put a few serials apart, or a figure a later record corrects.
Proofhouse / oldguns.net table
An online collection of estimated dates, mostly drawn from George Madis's reference books.
Cited as: oldguns.net/Proofhouse approximate starting-serial table
| Year | Serial numbers |
|---|---|
| 1876 | 1 – 1,429 |
| 1877 | 1,430 – 3,579 |
| 1878 | 3,580 – 7,967 |
| 1879 | 7,968 – 8,971 |
| 1880 | 8,972 – 14,700 |
| 1881 | 14,701 – 21,715 |
| 1882approximate | 21,716 – 32,407 |
| 1883 | 32,408 – 42,410 |
| 1884 | 42,411 – 54,666 |
| 1885 | 54,667 – 58,714 |
| 1886 | 58,715 – 60,397 |
| 1887 | 60,398 – 62,420 |
| 1888 | 62,421 – 63,539 |
| 1892estimate | 63,540 – 63,561 |
| 1893 | 63,562 – 63,670 |
| 1894 | 63,671 – 63,678 |
| 1896estimate | 63,679 – 63,702 |
| 1897 | 63,703 – 63,869 |
| 1898 | 63,870 |
- 1882: The published table prints 21,716 as the start of 1882. But its own 1881 line, 7,058 guns starting at 14,701, ends at 21,759, and Winchester's list opens 1882 at 21,760. The 21,716 figure is a copying error.
- 1888: The starting serial 63,540 is repeated for 1889, 1890, 1891 and 1892. The older published tables enter no production for 1889 to 1891.
- 1892: There are no factory records for 1889 to 1891. The starting serial numbers in between are estimates.
- 1894: The starting serial 63,679 is repeated for 1895 and 1896. The older published tables enter no production for 1895.
- 1896: There are no factory records for 1895. Its starting serial number is an estimate.
- 1898: The table marks 63,870 as the end. Winchester's own list and the factory records end one number higher, at 63,871.
Winchester's own customer-service list (2012)
A list Winchester prepared to answer owners' questions. It combines records and estimates, as the list itself explains.
Cited as: Winchester customer-service list (2012)
| Year | Serial numbers |
|---|---|
| 1876 | 1 – 1,429 |
| 1877 | 1,430 – 3,579 |
| 1878 | 3,580 – 7,967 |
| 1879 | 7,968 – 8,971 |
| 1880 | 8,972 – 14,700 |
| 1881 | 14,701 – 21,759 |
| 1882 | 21,760 – 32,407 |
| 1883 | 32,408 – 42,410 |
| 1884 | 42,411 – 54,666 |
| 1885 | 54,667 – 58,714 |
| 1886 | 58,715 – 60,397 |
| 1887 | 60,398 – 62,420 |
| 1888 | 62,421 – 63,539 |
| 1892 | 63,540 – 63,561 |
| 1893 | 63,562 – 63,670 |
| 1894 | 63,671 – 63,678 |
| 1896 | 63,679 – 63,702 |
| 1897 | 63,703 – 63,869 |
| 1898 | 63,870 – 63,871 |
What to know about Model 1876 serial numbers
- The older published tables enter no production for 1889 to 1891 or for 1895. Do not fill those years in by estimating between the numbers on either side.
- Production dropped sharply after the Model 1886 came out. Only a trickle was made from 1889 onward.
- The last Model 1876 serial number is 63,871. Winchester's own customer-service list ends 1898 at that number, and the factory records at the Cody Firearms Museum cover 1 to 63,871. OldGuns prints 63,870 as the end of its year-by-year table but 1 to 63,872 as the model's overall range. Both are one number off the factory figure, and the difference does not change any year.
- Winchester's own customer-service list is a retyped compilation, not the original records. The list itself says that no complete original serial record from 1866 onward is known to exist, and that some of its figures are estimates.
Related models, and why
These models share a number sequence, replaced this model, or look similar. Each link explains the connection.
Winchester rifles usually made without serial numbers
These models usually have no serial number. Their pages explain the exceptions and how their features may help estimate age.
Need more detail? Check for factory records
The Cody Firearms Records Office can check for surviving records for your serial number. For a fee, it can issue a letter reporting what they say. Some records contain only dates; others also describe the gun’s original features.
The office’s May 2024 coverage sheet lists these Model 1876 serial numbers: 1–63,871. Check current availability with the office before ordering; a listed range does not guarantee a record for every number.
Order a factory letter from the Cody Firearms Museum →What a factory letter shows, and when one is worth ordering →
What special-order features the Model 1876 records describe →