Original Item: Only One Available. "The Gun that Won the West!" This very nice "frontier worn" repeating rifle is in .32-20 Winchester caliber, correctly marked with 32 [W.C.F.] over the chamber and 32 CAL. on the brass carrier block. 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 nickel blade and iconic "Buckhorn" rear adjustable sight, which is missing the adjustment wedge. The serial number is 496865B, denoting the year of manufacture as 1895. The engraving on the top of the barrel is present, but quite faint due to wear, with only the second line really legible:-

Also marked on the barrel are what look to be the names P.P.WOOD and H.S.ARK, which are stamped by the chamber and on the left side of the barrel. We assume that this is the name of a company or previous owners of the rifle.

Condition of the rifle is good, but definitely worn from long service on the frontier. The original finish on the metalwork is gone, and it now shows a peppered gray patina overall. There does not look to have been any major rust issues, but it definitely was cleaned quite a bit to remove surface oxidation. The wood stocks are solid, but also show wear from use and age, with a lot of dents and dings present, though there are no cracks or other major damage. 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 bore however is definitely quite worn, showing extensive past fouling and oxidation. It is mostly dark, with a few areas where the rifling can still be seen.

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

Specifications-

Year of Manufacture: 1895
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.