Original Item: Only One Available. "The Gun that Won the West!" This very nice "frontier worn" patinated repeating rifle is in .32-20 Winchester caliber, correctly marked with 32 CAL. on the brass carrier block, while the barrel marking is covered with oxidation. It features a desirable 24 inch octagonal barrel and full-length magazine tube. As with all examples, it is marked MODEL. 1873. on the upper receiver tang. Features a classic front sight with a replaced copper blade and iconic "Buckhorn" rear adjustable sight. The serial number is 304472B, denoting the year of manufacture as 1889. The engraving on the top of the barrel is present and clear:-

Condition of the rifle is very good, but definitely worn from long service on the frontier, especially the metalwork, which has large areas covered with rust peppering, with a bit of past scale rust. It definitely looks like it was left in a barn or someplace similar for a long period of time, allowing many of the metal surfaces to oxidize. There are some areas that show much less oxidation, so those may have been covered with something, or it's possible that oil was used on some parts of the rifle, but not all.

The wood stocks, on the other hand, are lovely, showing the great dark red brown color of aged walnut, with some great grain. The fore stock has chunks missing along the woodline by the nose cap, and a few chips missing at the back, but it still looks great. The butt stock is in better condition, with no major damage or chips we can see, and some fantastic grain patterns. The crescent butt plate on this example does not have a storage compartment.

This lever action repeater has a crisp tight action in fully functional condition with an original dust cover. The rifle cycles well and dry fires, with good mechanical operation that is quite smooth, with no sticking as these sometimes do when worn. The dust cover must have been in place to protect the internal workings. The bore is in good condition, showing somewhat worn rifling with a mostly bright finish. There is evidence of past oxidation and fouling, now removed, but this is definitely above average, especially compared to the exterior.

A very nice "frontier used" example of an iconic gun with a lovely patina of age, ready to display!

Specifications-

Year of Manufacture: 1889
Caliber: .32-20 Winchester
Cartridge Type: Centerfire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 24 Inches
Overall Length: 43 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.