'76 FRONT SWIVEL

[1988RRC]

Most of the photos i find of front swivels would seem to require the nose cap to have a flat surface on the exposed side for mounting.  My cap is just drilled thru with a small chamfer on the inside of the cap.  I found this photo of a front swivel for the 1866 and wondered if this type of swivel is also correct for '76 nose caps that do not have the flat spot?

[1988RRC]

here is the picture of the swivel that looks as if it requires a flat mounting surface.

[1988RRC]

today i found a front swivel called 'eyelet' that must be used with a hook.  maybe thats what fits into my end cap?

[OKDEE]

Hey 1988RRC,

I sure hope someone that knows about swivels on the 76, will speak up!   

I would be interested in knowing myself.

I think that I have seen swivels on the military rifles and right now there are a couple of Winchester 1876's on sale on the cabelas.com website that also have different styles of swivels. 

There maybe several mentioned in selected Winchester Lever action books.

I get the feeling that most swivels were after factory installed and so, as long as it is done well, You cannot go wrong!

Cheers,
Oklahoma Dee

[1988RRC]

i saw the ones on cabelas.com, that makes at least three different types of front swivels i have seen.

[Grizzly Adams]

I used to see reproduction hook and eye sling sets offered in Shotgun News and other such publications.  In fact, I think I might still have a set of those around somewhere - never got around to rigging them up on a rifle.  Kinda ugly........

[1988RRC]

If my factory letter doesn't mentions sling/swivels, would that mean....

a) rifle had rear swivel but no front swivel installed in end cap hole
b) rifle mfg'd without swivels; rear swivel & hole in end cap added later
c) swivel just not recorded in records

[Buck Stinson]

In Pirkles book, it does state that the nose cap on some rifles were drilled for swivels that were never fitted.  This is partially true for some serial ranges in the model 1866, but NEVER in the model 1873 or 1876.  The nose caps on these guns were never pre drilled, unless the gun had swivels attached.  Except for earlier serial ranges in the model 1866, sling swivels were always a special order extra on all Winchester sporting rifles and carbines, but not often listed as such in a factory letter.  I have two nice 1876 Winchesters with sling swivels.  Both guns are in exceptional condition, one being a standard octagon barreled sporting rifle and the other a very fine deluxe.  Neither one of these guns letter "sling and swivels", but both guns were fitted at the factory and shipped as such.   Once you start looking at factory installation, it is pretty easy to tell if swivels are original to the gun or "add ons".  Only the Henry and the 1866 had the same style swivel, while most of the later models had a completely different base and loop.  Check out the two photos posted above by 1988 RRC.  The nose cap has a flat spot milled on the bottom, just big enough to fit the base of the loop mount.  The shaft on the mount is put through a hole drilled in the center of the flat and then a steel washer is peened to the shaft on the inside of the nose cap.  If you are familiar with a copper saddlers rivet and burr, it worked the same way.  It is peened just tight enough to allow the swivel to turn without being loose.   The rear loop and base are almost ALWAYS 4 1/4" from the outside of the butt plate toe to the center of the base.  I have seen very few that don't measure up to this distance and most that don't were not installed at the factory.  Screw in sling eyes are very rare on large frame Winchesters like the 1876 and 1886.  These models were simply too heavy to support the eyes.  The eyes were used extensively on model 1892, 1894 and 1895 model rifles and carbines.   Hope this is of interest.

Adios,
Buck

[Will Ketchum]

Buck, thanks for the informative post!

Will Ketchum

[Dirty Brass]

How were the rear sling attachments mounted then, if not using screw in eyes? Just curious.

[1988RRC]

here is a photo of mine (of course the wire loop is missing and has since been replaced, but you get the picture of the installation).

by the way, pre 64 winchester model 70 swivels match exactly for the rear swivel.

[1988RRC]

... The nose caps on these guns were never pre drilled, unless the gun had swivels attached. .... The nose cap has a flat spot milled on the bottom, just big enough to fit the base of the loop mount......." 

So, what type of front swivel works on a nose cap that does not have the flat spot on it, but is drilled?


PS
Buck Thanks for the information so far.

[Buck Stinson]

As you mentioned, the pre-64 rear swivel base is exactly the same as those used on the '76.   The sling loop however is not.  The original loop was made to fit a sling that was 1 1/4" wide.  The model 70 swivel loop will only fit a 1" sling strap.   As far as the front swivel is concerned, I don't know of anyone who reproduces this one.  Personally, I don't see that it would be that big a deal to make one, if you had a milling machine and were good at finish file work.  If there isn't a flat milled area around the hole, we can be sure that it is not factory.  In that case, you could use a bottom cutter to mill this flat area.  However, if the hole is not facory, you may run into another problem.  Most non-factory sling attachments have the mounting hole drilled in the wrong place on the nose cap.  The factory drilled this mounting hole 3/8" in from the back edge of the cap and perfectly centered on the bottom.  Most after market mountings put the hole too far forward where the cap starts to curve up toward the mag tube.  If you want to be correct all the way around in replacing this swivel, your best bet would be to try and find an original or see if you can at least look at and study how the original was made and how it works.  I wish you good luck.

Adios,
Buck