Original Item: Only One Available. "The Gun that Won the West!" This wonderful honest used Winchester repeating rifle is in .44-40 caliber, correctly marked with 44 W.C.F. on the left barrel facet and 44 CAL. on the bottom of the brass carrier block. It features a very nice 24" heavy round barrel and full-length magazine tube. As with all examples, it is marked MODEL. 1873. on the upper receiver tang. Features a replacement brass front blade sight and iconic "Buckhorn" rear adjustable sight. The serial number on the lower receiver tang is 279684B, denoting the year of manufacture as 1888.

This rifle also comes with an original factory letter from the Buffalo Bill Center of the West at the Cody Firearms Museum, which now houses the original Winchester factory records. This is printed on watermarked WINCHESTER REPEATING Fire Arms letterhead, and dated October 28, 2002. It indicates that it was a Rifle in 44 caliber with a Round barrel and Plain trigger. There is no indication of barrel length, which means it was made with the standard 24 inch barrel, so this rifle is still in the original configuration as shipped! The letter also indicates that the order for this rifle was received in the warehouse September 19, 1888, and shipped on September 21, 1888 as part of order 12763. There is no other information available for the serial number, but that is not uncommon for a rifle that did not see customization. The letter is signed by Waddy Colvert and still bears the correct raised seal.

The patent markings on the top of the barrel are present and mostly legible:

Condition of the rifle is very good, showing that it was well cared for over its many years of life. The metalwork overall has faded to a lovely light gray patina from decades of gentle cleaning. This definitely looks to be a rifle that saw light to moderate use on the frontier, with servicing over the years, giving it a fantastic patina that simply cannot be duplicated.

The stocks are in lovely condition, still showing the lovely red brown color of aged and oiled American black walnut. They do show wear from service, but no major damage such as cracks or missing chunks. The fore stock does show some worn areas along the top woodline, while the butt stock shows just a bit of light denting and scratches. The crescent butt plate is in good shape with a working storage compartment, and in this case it actually still retains the original Winchester Four Piece Cleaning Rod! We cannot recall the last time we had one of these original rods, and it has a lovely patina of age. It properly stows in the compartment, and assembles correctly. Definitely a rare accessory to find!

This lever action repeater has a nice action in fully functional condition with an original dust cover. The rifle cycles well and dry fires, with good mechanical operation, and has just a bit of slop in the operation from wear. The bore is in very good condition, showing clear lands and grooves with a mostly bright finish. There is some evidence of past fouling and oxidation, now cleaned away, but overall this is really in great shape for a Winchester 1873 in the popular .44-40. We would probably rate it a 8 out of 10.

A lovely example of an iconic frontier repeating rifle, complete with a factory letter. These are becoming increasingly hard to find on the market in nice condition. More than ready for display!

Specifications-

Year of Manufacture: 1888
Caliber: .44-40 Winchester
Cartridge Type: Centerfire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 24 Inches
Overall Length: 43 Inches
Action type: Lever Action Repeater
Feed System: 12-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.

Note: This gun is NOT considered obsolete calibre, so we are no able to ship these to the United Kingdom.

IMA considers all of our antique guns as non-firing, inoperable and/or inert. Title 18, U.S. Code, Section 921(a)(16) defines antique firearms as all guns made prior to 1899. This law exempts antique firearms from any form of gun control or special engineering because they are not legally considered firearms. No FFL, C&R or any license is required to possess, transport, sell or trade Antique guns. All rifles and muskets sold by IMA that were manufactured prior to 1899 are considered Antiques by the US BATF (United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms). Therefore, all of IMA's Antique guns may be shipped to all US States and most nations around the world.

These antique guns are not sold in "live" condition. They are sold as collector's items or as "wall hangers". Any attempt at restoring an antique gun to be operational is strongly discouraged and is done so at the risk of the customer. By purchasing an antique gun from IMA you thereby release IMA, its employees and corporate officers from any and all liability associated with use of our Antique guns.

Pre-1899 Manufacture, no licenses required, allowed to ship to almost any deliverable address across the globe. Please note that for international shipping, these MUST be shipped using UPS WW Services.