Original Item: Only One Available. "The Gun that Won the West!" This wonderful Winchester Model 1873 repeating rifle is definitely unlike most that we see, both due to the excellent condition of the bore, as well as the lovely engraving on the sides of the receiver frame and side plates. This does not look to have been done from the factory, but it is very well executed, definitely done by a professional long ago.

The rifle is in .44-40 caliber, correctly marked with 44 W.C.F. over the chamber and 44 CAL. on the bottom of the brass carrier block. It features a special order 26" round barrel with an excellent bore and a full-length magazine tube. As with all examples, it is marked MODEL. 1873. on the upper receiver tang. Features a correct nickel front blade sight and iconic "buckhorn" rear adjustable sight. The serial number is 237216B denotes the year of manufacture as 1887, one of about 33,000 made that year. The engraving on the top of the barrel is worn but still legible:

The stocks are in very good used condition, with a great color and patina, showing the lovely red brown color of aged and oiled walnut. They do not look to have been refinished or majorly restored at any time. The fore and butt stocks both show the usual dents, nicks, and small gouges from use, but show no major cracks, damage, or other structural issues. The grain on the butt stock is lovely, with a good amount of curl on both sides, and there has been a silver escutcheon on the left side. The butt stock has a lovely crescent butt plate, which has a working storage compartment (empty).

This lever action repeater is offered with a crisp tight action in fully functional condition, with a working original dust cover. It cycles well, without any slop that we noticed, though it can be a bit sticky at times. The metal work is good, with the original blue faded to a worn plum patina due to decades of cleaning, with a few areas still retaining the original blue, such as between the barrel. There do not appear to be any major rust areas, and overall it has a great honest used look. The engraving on the receiver is still lovely and crisp.

The bore on this rifle is definitely one of the best we have ever seen. This is as close to a 10 out of 10 that we have ever seen on a rifle of this age, and it definitely would be very difficult to improve upon unless you ordered a new barrel. Truly excellent!

A lovely example of an iconic frontier repeating rifle with a special order and some fantastic custom engraving.. These are becoming increasingly hard to find on the market in nice condition. Fully cleaned and ready for display!

Specifications-

Year of Manufacture: 1887
Caliber: .44-40 Winchester
Cartridge Type: Centerfire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 26 Inches
Overall Length: 45 Inches
Action type: Lever Action Repeater
Feed System: 15-round tube magazine

The Model 1873 was one of the most successful Winchester rifles of its day, gaining the reputation as "The Gun that Won the West". Still an icon almost a century and a half later, it was manufactured between 1873 and 1919. Originally chambered for the .44-40 cartridge, it was later produced in .38-40 and .32-20, all of which were also popular handgun cartridges of the day, allowing users to conveniently carry just one type of ammunition. The Model 1873 was produced in three variations: a 24" barrel rifle, 20" barrel carbine, and a musket. The easy to transport and handle carbine was the most popular, while the musket accounted for less than 5-10 percent of total production.

Due to feeding problems, the original Model 1873 was never offered in the military standard .45 Colt cartridge, although a number of modern reproductions are chambered for the round. The popularity of the original Model 1873 led Colt to manufacture .44-40 a version of the Single Action Army revolver called the "Frontier Model".

To both celebrate and enhance the Model 1873's prestige, Winchester established a coveted One of One Thousand grade in 1875. Barrels producing unusually small groupings during test-firing were fitted to rifles with set triggers and a special finish. Marked One of One Thousand, they sold for a then princely $100. A popular 1950 Western starring Jimmy Stewart, Winchester '73, was based on the coveted gun. Promotions included a search for One of One Thousand rifles by Universal Studios, with advertisements in sporting magazines and posters in sporting goods stores.

A second grade of Model 1873 barrels producing above average accuracy were fitted to rifles marked One of One Hundred, and sold for $20 over list. Approximately 136 One of One Thousand Model 1873s were sold, and only eight One of One Hundreds. In all, over 720,000 Model 1873s were produced.

The .38-40 Winchester round is actually a .40 caliber cartridge shooting .401 caliber bullets. The cartridge was introduced by Winchester in 1874 and is derived from their .44-40 Winchester. This cartridge was introduced for rifles, but in its reintroduction for Cowboy Action Shooting it has seen some popularity as a pistol cartridge. It is not particularly well suited to hunting larger game, but it was popular when it was introduced, along with the previous .44-40 Winchester, for deer hunting. It can be used successfully on smaller game animals, and for self-defense.

Note: This gun is NOT considered obsolete calibre, so we are not able to ship to the United Kingdom. Please note that for international shipping, these MUST be shipped using UPS WW Services. International customers should always consult their country's antique gun laws prior to ordering.