By Phil Spangenberger
One of the most powerful repeating rifles
of the Old West, the massive 1876 Winchester, was a favorite of Theodore
Roosevelt. It was also carried by frontier army scout Al Seiber,
was an issue arm of Canada’s famed North West Mounted Police in its
unique carbine form, and was favored by many big-game hunters, ranchers
and cowboys of the late 19th century. Interestingly, the behemoth
1876 was one of the few repeaters that actually took part in the
slaughter of the northern buffalo herd in the final years of their
hunting. Now Uberti, the Italian arms maker that has produced so
many authentic replica 19th-century firearms, is bringing back this
famous big-bore, lever-action rifle in its original blackpowder chamberings
of .40-60, .45-60, .45-75 and .50-95. (A few 76 Winchesters were
also made in .45-90, but that chambering only lasted a few months.)
Originally billed as the “Centennial Model” and introduced at Philadelphia’s
Centennial Exposition of 1876, Winchester’s lever-gun was actually
nothing more than a beefed-up 1873 model. The Centennial gun, eventually
called the “Model 1876,” was Winchester’s answer to the demand for
a repeating rifle that packed more power than the medium-bored (.44-40,
.38-40, .32-20) ’73 model. Although it still relied on the ’73’s
simple toggle-link-style action, the ’76 had a receiver that measured
11/2 inches longer than the 1873, making it a much larger arm and
also allowing it to be chambered for the bigger, more powerful blackpowder
cartridges of the day.
The 1876’s strengths as a turn-of-the-century big-game gun are its
robust action and loading gate that can handle big, heavy blackpowder
cartridges and its full-length magazine that holds 10 rounds. The massive repeater garnered its fair share of popularity throughout
its production run of more than 63,000 guns from 1876-1897, and with
the introduction of Uberti’s latest replica, it should prove
to be a favorite once again with 21st-century cowboy action shooters,
iron-sight hunters and nostalgia arms enthusiasts.
Last year, I had the opportunity to hunt with the new Uberti 1876
rifle in .45-60, when my longtime amigo, Joe Coogan, invited me to
be a guest hunter on an episode of his new television series, “Benelli
On Assignment,” which airs on the Versus network. I eagerly accepted
his invitation and traveled to Hondo, Texas, for what was to become
a challenging and exciting hunt on professional hunter Jeff Rann’s
777 Ranch. This beautiful hunting facility, which offers first-class
accommodations in the form of handsomely furnished guest cabins,
boasts of 64 species of domestic and exotic game roaming 16,000 acres
of open plains that mingles with heavy brush.
During our field-testing and hunting, the Uberti functioned smoothly.
Loading and ejecting the long, .45-60 cartridges was easily accomplished.
Cycling ammo was smooth, although we did notice that if the rifle’s
muzzle is held upward when levered, rounds occasionally jammed at
the mouth of the chamber. However, by holding the rifle level or
slightly lowering the muzzle, the panatela-sized cartridges fed consistently
without a hitch. (This technique works best with original arms as
well.) I was also impressed with the Uberti 1876’s trigger
pull. It broke crisp and clean at 5-6 pounds of pull.
Armed with Ten-X’s .45-60 Win. BPC (Black Powder Cartridge), loaded
with Hodgdon’s Triple 7 blackpowder substitute and a 300-grain flatpoint
(FP), lead, .458-inch-diameter bullet (which leaves the muzzle at
1430 fps), we were able to obtain a three-shot group that measured
43/8 inches at 100 yards. At closer ranges, the rifle performed admirably,
and at all ranges tested it shot on par with original iron-sighted
rifles of this ilk. Smokeless powder fans will be glad to know that
Ten-X also offers a smokeless .45-60 load, using a 300-grain FP bullet
that generates 1450 fps muzzle velocity. I prefer shooting the blackpowder-type
loads, since recoil—while not bad with either loading—is a bit milder
with blackpowder, and to this old-time gunner’s way of thinking,
that load is period-correct. Regardless which load you use, I think
you’ll find the Uberti ’76 a joy to shoot.
While on the 777 Ranch, we had an opportunity to compare the Uberti
clone with an original ’76 Winchester from Jeff Rann’s personal collection.
Upon close inspection of each arm, we found them nearly identical,
save for minor details such as custom production variations of the
Winchester and the Uberti’s lack of caliber designation on the brass
carrier block at the bottom of the receiver that’s found on the original
Winchesters. (While this is a strictly cosmetic and historical detail,
this vintage arms buff would like to see it added to the Uberti.)
Another difference was in the adjustable front sight. Both the 19th-century
arm and the Uberti replica had a dovetailed front sight, but the
Uberti featured the addition of a small screw at the base of the
sight to allow for easier lateral movement—a worthwhile and
unobtrusive bonus.
Noted cowboy-action shooter, Hollywood consultant and author Phil Spangenberger fired a 4-inch group using the open sights at 100 yards. He chose authentic blackpowder loads for the test.
Overall, this handsome, super-sized replica is a close copy of its
famous frontier forbear, complete with a handsomely blued, 28-inch
octagonal barrel and under-barrel, tubular magazine. It’s fitted
with an adjustable buckhorn rear sight and the aforementioned drift-adjustable
front sight that, together, offer a very good sight picture that
is quick to line up. The attractive stock and forearm are traditionally
finished, oiled A-grade walnut; its length of pull is 13 inches.
The receiver, hammer, trigger and lever are color-casehardened. Receivers
on the 19th-century rifles wore blued finishes, unless the gun was
a special-order arm, in which case it was usually accompanied by
a checkered stock and forearm, often with a pistol-grip stock. (Uberti
is treating all its 1876 models as if they were “special-order” repeaters.)
Additionally, the Uberti’s fore-end cap is blued, as is the crescent-styled
buttplate. And like the originals, the Uberti’s buttplate has
a sliding door for the tool compartment that is drilled into the
stock.
The gun weighs 10.1 pounds and measures 48 1/2 inches
overall—a big rifle, but definitely a fun gun. I’ve always
appreciated the 1876 model, but nowadays most originals are quite
pricey and most serious collectors refrain from doing much shooting
with any vintage arm. However, with Uberti’s 1876, today’s
shooter can have an authentic-looking, straight-shooting, working
gun that provides loads of fun, and is capable of bringing home the
bacon.
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