1340

Exceptional Documented Winchester Model 1873 Sporting Rifle

Currency:USD Category:Antiques / Firearms & Armory Start Price:0.00 USD Estimated At:6,000.00 - 10,000.00 USD
Exceptional Documented Winchester Model 1873 Sporting Rifle
Winchester Third Model 1873 Sporting Rifle with Cody Firearms Museum letter. The Cody Firearms Museum letter states that this rifle was shipped from the Winchester warehouse on April 15, 1884. The letter describes the rifle as "32 caliber" with "Round barrel" and "Plain trigger". The rifle has a round barrel, full length magazine with varnished walnut stock and forearm and solid crescent steel buttplate. The barrel is fitted with a fixed front sight with nickel-silver blade and sporting style rear sight. The receiver has an integral dust cover rail and the dust cover has seriated edges. The barrel, magazine tube, forearm cap and receiver are blued. The hammer, loading lever and buttplate have a casehardened finish. The rear sight and loading gate are niter blue. The hammer spur has course checkering with distinct borders. The receiver tang is factory drilled and tapped for a tang sight. The top of the barrel is roll-stamped: "WINCHESTER'S-REPEATING-ARMS. NEW HAVEN CT./KING'S-IMPROVEMENT-PETENTED-MARCH 29.1866. OCTOBER 16.1860." in two lines. "32-CAL" is located on the top of the barrel just ahead of the receiver. "32 CAL" is inscribed on the bottom of the brass cartridge elevator. The upper receiver tang is roll-stamped: "{ MODEL 1873}" in fancy letters with foliate decorations on either end of the marking. The serial number, "146218A" is inscribed on the lower receiver tang behind the loading lever latch.
BBL: 24 inch
Stock: walnut
Gauge: 32 WCF
Finish: blue
Grips:
Serial Number: 146218A
Condition: Excellent. The rifle retains nearly 95% of the original blue and casehardened finish. The barrel, magazine and forearm cap have most of the original blue. Finish wear on the receiver is concentrated on the high points and edges of the side plates. The loading gate and rear sight have nearly all of the fiery niter blue finish. The hammer and loading gate retain most of the original case colors; the casehardened finish on the buttplate is thin with a silver-gray patina. All the barrel and receiver markings are crisp. The bore is bright. The stock and forearm are in excellent condition with most of the original varnished finish and only minor handling wear. This is an exceptional example of a Third Model 1873 Winchester Sporting Rifle.