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Exceptional Winchester Third Model 1873 Musket with Bayonet

Currency:USD Category:Antiques / Firearms & Armory Start Price:3,250.00 USD Estimated At:NA
Exceptional Winchester Third Model 1873 Musket with Bayonet
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Estimate: $6500 - 9500
Third Model Winchester Model 1873 Musket was manufactured around 1903. This musket is one of the 700 Model 1873 Muskets shipped to Central America in 1903. In the 1950s some of these muskets were discovered in un-issued condition in the original crates and were returned to the United States. The musket has the distinctive 30 inch round barrel with full-length forearm, three barrel bands and stock with carbine buttplate. The barrel has a block-mounted front sight that serves as a lug for the angular socket bayonet and a military style folding leaf rear sight with 900 yard center notch. The receiver has the integral dust cover-rail and dust cover with serrated edges. The buttplate has a sliding brass trap door and the butt trap contains a five-piece, jointed, steel cleaning rod. The rifle has a blue finish on the barrel and receiver with color casehardened hammer, loading lever and buttplate. The stock and forearm are oil-finished black walnut. The socket bayonet is finished bright and has an 18 inch fluted blade. The top of the barrel is roll-stamped with the two-line legend: "WINCHESTER'S REPEATING ARMS. NEW HAVEN. CT./KING'S IMPROVEMENT PATENTED MARCH 29, 1866. OCTOBER 16. 1860." between the lower barrel band and the rear sight. The caliber, "44 W.F.C." is stamped on the top of the barrel between the rear sight and the receiver. "44 CAL" is engraved on the bottom of the cartridge elevator. The upper receiver tang is roll-stamped: "{ MODEL 1873} in fancy letters with foliate devices at either end of the marking. The serial number "570844B" is roll-stamped on the lower tang behind the lever latch. The bayonet is not marked.
BBL: 30 inch
Stock: walnut
Gauge: 44 WCF
Finish: blue
Grips:
Serial Number: 570844B
Condition: Excellent plus. The musket is in near new condition and shows only very minor storage marks. The barrel, receiver, barrel bands and magazine retain 98% plus of the bright original high polish blue finish. Wear is limited to three small spots of finish loss on the top of the dust cover, a tiny area of flaking on the lower left side of the frame and some superficial, very minor, handling marks on the sides of the receiver. The loading lever, hammer and buttplate retain 99% of the original casehardened finish with vivid case colors. The black walnut stock and forearm are both in excellent plus condition with un-handled raised grain. Wear is limited to a minor storage bruise on the left side of the stock and a smaller impression on either side of the forearm behind the lower barrel band. The bayonet has not been polished and retains the original bright finish with some scattered surface rust. This is a nearly new, un-issued, example of a Third Model Winchester 1873 Musket with bayonet that shows only storage wear. It would be very hard to improve on this outstanding Winchester 1873 Musket.