Made my first visit to Cabela's new store in Buda, Texas, y'day, and WHOA. Had visited Cabela's only by catalog in the past, was not expecting such a huge and elaborate store. What a palace!

First stop was the "Gun Library," kind of a museum, except everything has a price tag on it, where they had quite a variety of mostly long arms, but quite a few handguns too. I would guess they had about 40 winchesters of various vintages, most ranging from $1000 to $5000. But the eyecatcher was a "one of one thousand" Winchester, manufactured in 1880, (I believe the model was 1873, but I dropped a few brain cells overnight, apparently, and I may have garbled this - I am not a Winchester historian) [=>UPDATE: Model 1876, thx Alk], 30 inch octagon barrel, caliber 45-60, with a letter from the Cody Firearms Museum, and some pictures from a magazine article as well. The heart stopper was the price (or value?) - $165,000. Not going into MY gun closet anytime soon.

If you are anywhere near Buda Texas, (just south of Austin), stop by and check it out. Understand Cabela's also opened a store in Ft Worth recently, too.

elb

A picture is available on their website in the Gun Library. Perhaps I can put my house up as colatoral. :) Truely a great rifle.

Bill C.

If the caliber is 45-60, then it is a Model 1876.

If you want to see a really nice one, Teddy Roosevelt's Model 1976, in .45-75 and fully engraved, is in the Buffalo Bill Museum in Cody WY. Obviously it isn't for sale at any price, but, considering its prevenance and history, would probably be worth well over $1 Mil.

A One of a Kind Winchester Model 1876 "One of One Thousand" .45-60
WINCHESTER MODEL 1876 1 OF 1000 LEVER ACTION RIFLE. Cal 45-60. SN 10036. This ultra rare rifle is one of only 5 ( and this being the only one currently known to survive) "1 of 1000" ever made with 30" bbls...
http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/content/community/gun_inventory/inventory/sidney/winchester/324697_1000.jsp;jsessionid=FLDKSWL3TG3I2CWQNVCSCOI K0BWUMIWE?_requestid=42010
http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/content/community/gun_inventory/images/sidney/winchester/324697_1000_01m.jpg

More pictures at the link provided above.

Alyeska - yup, dat be da one. Good job on finding the link. Tried to go to Cabela's website y'day, but apparently the squirrels were playing jump rope again with the tincan and string I use for may modem connection. I once held a $15K rifle and rode a $18K horse (not at the same time!) but $165K shootin' iron really wowed me.

elb

I wish I could buy it. Better to put your money in that gun than the stock market, honestly. The price of that gun will only go up in the future.

Bill

Start following some of the really good auction houses specializing in arms and you will be amazed how fine pieces like these have skyrocketed recently, despite the "economy". Also, when it's a one of a kind, its pretty hard for someone find its mate any cheaper?