Winchester 1876 enthusiasts

[1886]

I have a shot at a 76 manufactured in 1890 chambered in .45-60. The rifle appears to be in great shape externally and the action is still tight. My question concerns the bore. The bore shows some mild pitting while the rifling appears shallow. I will ask to give the bore a good scrubbing to see if the rifling becomes more pronounced. Is shallow rifling common on these rifles? Thanks for your help. 1886.

[.45colt]

I would put Your information on Cascity,someone surly will know.one of the regulars Buck Stinson probably knows as much as anyone alive today about the '76.Kepp Us posted.Jim.
http://www.cascity.com/forumhall/index.php?board=89.0

[Hobie]

I believe it is more shallow than you would expect. "Mild pitting" is difficult to quantify from a distance. However, many guns shoot acceptably well with "mild pitting".

How does in look on the outside? All those we see around here look like they've been drug behind a horse every day since 1876. They are but finishless, scarred grey ghosts of their former selves.

[2ndovc]

I have a '92 in .44-40 with a couple of pot holes in the bore that still shoots remarkably well. The big slow bullets seem to handle rough bores far better than the small high speed stuff.
Perfect bores in original 76s are hard to come by.

jb

[1886]

I am not concerned with mild pitting. I expected the rifling to be deeper though. The outside is quite nice, retaining some of the blue with some brown patina mixed in. Wood is real good, absent of any scares or gouges. I think the 76s did not receive as much hard treatment in my part of the world as the 92s and 94s. Thanks, 1886.

[Marc]

My 1873 has mild pitting and shallow rifling and shoots very well. It amazes me! I posted a 50 yard 1-5/16" 5 shot group here some time ago. I just got a new mold that casts a little small. I shot a five shot 3-1/4" group at 100 yards in spite of the small bullets yesterday. I don't think I can see any better than that.

Besides the low velocities, I suspect the slow twist helps these old rifles shoot good in spite of a little roughness and shallow rifling..

[cowboykell]

I have a 45-60 and a 45-75 with very good bores, and yes, the rifling is shallow.