Author Topic: 1876 Winchester 26 " 40-60 WCF  (Read 3987 times)

Offline dusty texian

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1876 Winchester 26 " 40-60 WCF
« on: October 19, 2020, 09:17:31 AM »
Have not posted in some time , hope all are well . Thought some may be interested in the old 1876 Winchester I have been shooting . It's a 3rd. Model Circa 1884 , 26 " Oct. Barrel with a faster than normal taper . Very light !!! The bore is one of the best that I have near perfect .  The load it likes best so far , Original Winchester bullet cast with WW @ 210 Gr. .406" Lubed with SPG . Jamison Brass , Winchester LG. rifle Primer , Compressed 61 Gr. ffg Swiss thin card wad under bullet . With this load the rifle is very accurate , and is a pleasure to shoot . Now that the weather is starting to Cool a bit , the rifle will soon be introduced to the local Wild Hog population !!! Anyhow like I said  Hope all of you are doing well through the Crazy Times we are going through .  Here is a pic of the Old Rifle .,,,DT

Offline Dave T

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Re: 1876 Winchester 26 " 40-60 WCF
« Reply #1 on: October 19, 2020, 09:25:24 AM »
What an interesting '76. Would you call that a 'short rifle' of some persuasion? Also, I was surprised at the use of "WW" for a bullet alloy. Conventional wisdom (which ain't always wise - lol) would indicate use of a soft bullet for BP hand loads. On the other hand, if that bullet shoots good more power to ya!

Dave

Offline dusty texian

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Re: 1876 Winchester 26 " 40-60 WCF
« Reply #2 on: October 19, 2020, 10:00:11 AM »
What an interesting '76. Would you call that a 'short rifle' of some persuasion? Also, I was surprised at the use of "WW" for a bullet alloy. Conventional wisdom (which ain't always wise - lol) would indicate use of a soft bullet for BP hand loads. On the other hand, if that bullet shoots good more power to ya!

Dave
Hello Dave , Thanks for the comment  .  Not a Short Rifle  but not Standard . The Forearm is the Standard length . The 26 " barrel is 2 " shorter than Standard and my guess is that they selected a lighter weight barrel being it was a .40 Cal. and the shorter length option . The WW shoot good in the rifle a bit on the hard side but the Groove is .405 " and the bullet @ .406" get along real well . A friend gave me three ,  5Gallon buckets of WW and they cast decent bullets , so I'm using them .

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Re: 1876 Winchester 26 " 40-60 WCF
« Reply #3 on: Today at 12:58:41 PM »

Offline King Medallion

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Re: 1876 Winchester 26 " 40-60 WCF
« Reply #3 on: October 19, 2020, 01:38:59 PM »
Is this one a new-to-you rifle, or one you've had a while? Look's nice.
King Medallion

Offline dusty texian

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Re: 1876 Winchester 26 " 40-60 WCF
« Reply #4 on: October 19, 2020, 02:23:09 PM »
It's new to me , got it about five or six months ago . I cant post very good pictures having to shrink them so much . The rifle has hardly any finish left , no cracks in wood or shrinkage . The bore is very nice and sharp . ,,,DT




Offline ndnchf

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Re: 1876 Winchester 26 " 40-60 WCF
« Reply #5 on: October 19, 2020, 02:27:39 PM »
That's a beauty! Having an excellent bore is a rarity and I bet that shorter, lightweight barrel makes is a real treat to carry.   
"We're all travelers in this world.  From the sweet grass to the packing house, birth till death, we travel between the eternities"  Prentiss Ritter, Broken Trail

Offline dusty texian

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Re: 1876 Winchester 26 " 40-60 WCF
« Reply #6 on: October 19, 2020, 03:11:09 PM »
That's a beauty! Having an excellent bore is a rarity and I bet that shorter, lightweight barrel makes is a real treat to carry.
    The bore is the best part of it , shoots very accurate .,,,DT

Offline Blackpowder Burn

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Re: 1876 Winchester 26 " 40-60 WCF
« Reply #7 on: October 19, 2020, 03:47:00 PM »
An original '76 is one of the top items on my bucket list.  That's a beauty.  I know you'll both enjoy it and preserve it for the future.
SUBLYME AND HOLY ORDER OF THE SOOT
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Offline dusty texian

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Re: 1876 Winchester 26 " 40-60 WCF
« Reply #8 on: October 20, 2020, 07:11:35 AM »
Get you one , you will like it . I look at it like you do , I'm the current caretaker .,,,DT

Offline Dave T

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Re: 1876 Winchester 26 " 40-60 WCF
« Reply #9 on: October 20, 2020, 09:11:17 AM »
Dusty,

I read some where that the 40-60 cartridge was considered something of a failure by Winchester. To light for big game and for the size and weight of the '76. Could you comment on the ballistics and performance of that cartridge, particularly in the '76?  My own experience was only with the 45-60.

Dave

Offline dusty texian

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Re: 1876 Winchester 26 " 40-60 WCF
« Reply #10 on: October 20, 2020, 12:40:24 PM »
Dusty,

I read some where that the 40-60 cartridge was considered something of a failure by Winchester. To light for big game and for the size and weight of the '76. Could you comment on the ballistics and performance of that cartridge, particularly in the '76?  My own experience was only with the 45-60.

Dave
       Considered a failure by Winchester , that question  would be better ask of Winchester or one of the experts , not me  . As for it being light for big game , I can only comment on my experience using it  and not on what others have said or written about it  . My comments are made after actually using it  on game animals in the field .  I have shot several deer and wild hog and a few other critters  with the 40-60 WCF with some of the hogs in excess of 275 Lb. and never have had to shoot an animal more than once , or lost one . With that said it would not be my first choice for game larger than what I have described . If it is used for what it was designed  Medium thin skinned game  at iron sight ranges , I think it's OK for a cartridge rifle combo designed in the 1800 s  .  Ballistics listed for  the 40-60 WCF are very close to what I am seeing with my near as I can make  factory Bp. loads in my 1876 28 " barrel gun  and not much less in the 26" or the 22" gun . And last , I have and shoot all four cartridges that the 1876 Winchester was chambered for on a regular basis , and have taken game with all of them  .The 45-75 WCF is my favorite and has never failed me   . The 40-60 WCF gets used the most because it is best suited for the type of game I hunt 90 percent of the time   ,,,,DT

Offline Dave T

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Re: 1876 Winchester 26 " 40-60 WCF
« Reply #11 on: October 20, 2020, 02:49:33 PM »
Thanks Dusty. I wanted to hear from someone who actually owns a 40-60 and has used it "in the field" rather than believe what someone writes in a book or magazine.

Dave

Offline dusty texian

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Re: 1876 Winchester 26 " 40-60 WCF
« Reply #12 on: October 21, 2020, 05:23:14 AM »
Thanks Dusty. I wanted to hear from someone who actually owns a 40-60 and has used it "in the field" rather than believe what someone writes in a book or magazine.

Dave
                   You are certainly welcome Dave , glad to offer my opinion about the 40-60 WCF in the Winchester 1876 rifle being used in the hunting field . Actually I was hoping you were a fellow 40-60 WCF hunter . Don't get to converse much with anyone who has actually hunted with one ,  and the chances of that happening is getting less and less  . A friend here Slamfire is a 40-60 WCF fan although he does not hunt with his ,  he does use it for target shooting so we get to compare back and forth about the cartridge and loading for it . ,,,,,DT

Offline Slamfire

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Re: 1876 Winchester 26 " 40-60 WCF
« Reply #13 on: October 21, 2020, 06:51:17 AM »
 DT,, well explained !! I love shooting my 40-60 !!!


  coffee's ready ,, Hootmix.

Offline dusty texian

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Re: 1876 Winchester 26 " 40-60 WCF
« Reply #14 on: October 21, 2020, 08:00:25 AM »
Good Morning Slamfire , I'll take a cup of that coffee ! ,,,,,DT

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Re: 1876 Winchester 26 " 40-60 WCF
« Reply #15 on: October 21, 2020, 08:12:15 AM »
The front sight on this 76 is a Lyman Combo with the Ivory bead and Hooded post . The Ivory bead was broken and barley above the metal post it set's in . I drilled out what looked to be an early plastic not sure . I turned a piece of deer antler to just fit the hole a drop of epoxy before if went in did the trick . The Ivory tip and the Semi Buckhorn rear are adjusted to point of aim @ 75 yd. for low light hunting ( Hog ) . The Hooded post and  Lyman Tang is set for 125 Yd. for shooting in better light and farther shots . A pic. of the Antler Ivory piece replaced before being filed down and rounded .,,,DT

Offline dusty texian

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Re: 1876 Winchester 26 " 40-60 WCF
« Reply #16 on: September 21, 2022, 08:48:49 AM »
Now that the weather is finally cooling enough for some backyard shooting , this old 40-60 wcf will be first up . The fit and balance of this one and the sights that it sports make it a pleasure to shoot from bench or at the ear hole of wild swine ! Good Shooting Amigo's ,,,DT

Offline Boone May

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Re: 1876 Winchester 26 " 40-60 WCF
« Reply #17 on: September 21, 2022, 10:12:33 AM »
Howdy DT,
I agree with you on the balance of a 26 inch barrel 1876.  It seems like the ideal length to me.  I have a .40-60 deluxe with 26 inch barrel but unfortunately the bore does not match the rest of the rifle.  My guess is that after the original owner died a family member shot it with black powder ammo and put it away without cleaning. 
I have owned five different .40-60 rifles over the years and three of them have bores like an old sewer pipe.   Black powder ammunition for these guns was available up until just prior to WWII even though they were obsolete.  Maybe it just wasn't worth cleaning them for most folks.
"There are a few things they didn't tell me when I hired on with this outfit."

Offline Slamfire

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Re: 1876 Winchester 26 " 40-60 WCF
« Reply #18 on: September 21, 2022, 11:56:36 AM »
 Hey Boone, shoot some (about 40-50rds.) PC (powder coated) bullets thru her, might be surprizzzzed.


  Be having coffee & wait on your reply. ;D

Offline dusty texian

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Re: 1876 Winchester 26 " 40-60 WCF
« Reply #19 on: September 21, 2022, 01:29:54 PM »
Boone that's a shame about the bad bore . Sure makes seeing one with a good bore special .  Seeing so many with what looks to be just plain mistreated bores make me wonder the same . Maybe they just didn't give any thought or care  about cleaning them and most likely would have never dreamed we would be discussing it today .  Seeing the old photographs of Winchesters being leaned on like a cane muzzle down in the dirt says a lot about how they were cared for . ,,,,,DT 

 

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