Rare Early Winchester Model 1876 Reloading Tool and Bullet Mold Set for Caliber 50-95 Express w/ Decapper

Here is one rare set of tools that you can actually own instead of just reading about. This is a nice Original Reloading Set for the Model 1876 Winchester Rifle in the rarest and most desirable caliber, the 50-95 Express. Both the tool and the mold are simply stamped "WINCHESTER EXPRESS". The reloader is a Model 1880 Tool with the original Decapping Pin which is also marked "Express". In 40 years of collecting Winchesters, this is the only 50 Cal Winchester tool I've ever had with an original decapper. The tool also has the extra feature for removing the stubborn Berdan Primers with the original threaded pick intact. The mold is a 4th Model with the iron handles which is correct for late 1870's-early 1880's as Winchester had not come out with wood handles at this point. It has the hole in the bottom for inserting a pin to cast hollow point lead bullets. The pin which make the hollow point is long gone and in 40 years of collecting I've never seen outside of a picture in a book. There is a guy out west who makes them for Lyman and Ideals with the more correct early style wood knob handles and I would imagine he could make one for this mold if desired. I've been at this for many years now and every few years I'll find a mold or a tool in 50 Express or 50-110 Express but this is the first time I've found a tool and mold together with the decapping pin for the tool. Probably the rarest .50 Express Tool I've ever had was the Model 1875 Tool with gold painted rough cast spoon handles which was being phased out of production right when the 50 Express came out. That was the first and last time I've seen one of those tools which was over 20 years ago. There were 2 versions of the 1880 Tool...one with spoon handles and one without. This is the one with the sold handle and would be correct for the early to mid 1880's when the bulk of 1876's in .50 Express were produced leading up to the Model 1886. There were fewer than 3,500 Model 1876's in 50 Express made and the tools and molds are even rarer. They have 35-40% faded original blue intact with the balance turned to a grey brown patina. There are no pits but whoever owned them definitely used them to reload his spent shells to put meat on the table. They have a great frontier look about them. Mold cavities look like they should be able to cast a very decent bullet. These would be the perfect compliment for that 1876 in 50 Express hanging over the fireplace.

Item# i525

$2,495