Original Item: Only One Available. "The gun that won the west!" This fine rifle is in .32-20 caliber (.32 WCF) with a 24 inch octagonal barrel and full-length magazine tube. As with all examples, it is marked MODEL. 1873. on the upper receiver tang. Features the classic front sight with a replaced blade and iconic "buckhorn" style rear sight. The serial number 313587A on the lower tang denotes year of manufacture as 1889. The address marking on top of the barrel is still fully legible:

It is also clearly marked 32 W.C.F. over the barrel chamber, indicating the .32-20 caliber. This marking often wears off, as does the .32 CAL marking on the bottom of the brass carrier block, however this example is still in great shape. Original walnut stocks are in great condition with the lovely red-brown color of aged and oiled walnut. The butt stock in particular has a lovely grain pattern to it, with very little wear or age. Features a crescent butt plate without a storage compartment, which is in great shape.

The bore is in very good condition, with strong lands and grooves, and a partly bright finish. There is some wear and fouling, but this is one of the best .32-20 bores we have ever seen, and probably rates an 7-8 out of 10. The action is in fully functional condition with the original dust cover, and cycles well, with no sticking or hang ups. The metal work is a nice lightly worn blue, with some light peppering in places. There are no signs of refinishing, so this is an all original example, unmessed with, just how we like them.

Overall this is a great example of an iconic gun, fully cleaned and ready to display!

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.

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: 16-round tube magazine

NOTE: Note: This gun is NOT considered obsolete calibre, so we are no able to ship to the United Kingdom. International orders of antique firearms MUST be shipped using UPS WW Services (courier). USPS Priority Mail international will not accept these.