Item:
ON7437

Original U.S. Winchester Model 1873 .38-40 Saddle Ring Carbine Serial Number 165158A - Made in 1884

Item Description

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a great vintage cowboy saddle ring Winchester Model 1873 carbine, and it definitely has some tales to tell, as parts of it have been replaced over the years, as the originals wore out. Offered in very nice, serial number 165158A indicates that it was originally manufactured in 1884. Still fully functional, the action cycles well with a 20 inch round barrel with a nice bore. The brass ejector has traces of ".38CAL" on the bottom, and the barrel is in .38-40, but it is possible that this gun was originally in .44.40, and reconfigured. This Carbine has the side mounted saddle ring, along with the correct carbine flip up rear sight. There is no engraving on the barrel top, as it an aftermarket replacement.

Condition of the metalwork is somewhat worn, with some past pitting that has been removed, but overall it still has a great patina. The walnut stocks are quite nice, with the great red-brown color of aged walnut. Both appear to have been replaced at some time, and the butt plate is also a replacement, and quite similar to a Sharps carbine plate. An honest gun, with the marks of long service on the frontier.

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: 1884
Caliber: .38-40 Winchester
Cartridge Type: Centerfire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 20 Inches
Overall Length: 39 Inches

Action type: Lever Action Repeater
Feed System: 9-round tube magazine

Note: This gun is NOT considered obsolete calibre, so we are no able to ship to the United Kingdom. Please note that for international shipping, these MUST be shipped using UPS WW Services.

  • This product is not available for shipping in US state(s): New Jersey

    This product is available for international shipping.
  • Not eligible for payment with Paypal or Amazon

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