Original Item: Only One Available. "The Gun that Won the West!" This very interesting "frontier modified" 1873 Winchester repeating rifle is in .44-40 caliber, correctly marked with 44 W.C.F. over the chamber and remnants of 44 CAL. on the brass carrier block. It features a desirable octagonal barrel which has been shortened to 21", as well as a full-length brass magazine tube, possibly custom made. As with all examples, it is marked MODEL. 1873. on the upper receiver tang. Features a replacement front sight and iconic "buckhorn" rear adjustable sight. The serial number is 226040B, denoting the year of manufacture as 1887.

Also, as it is marked with a serial number over 90,000, this is considered a "Third Model", which featured improvements over the first two iterations of the design. The most noticeable change from the Second to Third models is that the dovetail that the dust cover slide on is machined directly into the receiver, and not attached by screws as it was previously. The Third model is what Winchester made until the end of the production run when the serial numbers exceeded 700,000.

The engraving on the top of the barrel is crisp and fully legible:-

The stocks are in very good used condition, with a great color and patina, showing a nice red brown color from use and cleaning. They show the expected dents, dings, and other wear from long service on the frontier. The fore stock is particularly nice, showing some lovely figuring in the grain of the wood. The butt stock has great grain, though there is a hairline crack running back about 3 inches on the upper left from the receiver tang. The butt stock has a lovely crescent butt plate, which has a working storage compartment (empty).

This lever action repeater is offered with the action in fully functional tight condition, with a working original dust cover. It cycles well, and we did not notice any sticking or major slop in the action, just some stiffness when the hammer is being cocked. The overall metal finish is good, showing a lovely light gray patina overall, with no signs of any major oxidation in the past. The bore is in very good condition, showing a bright finish with strong lands and grooves. There is some overall oxidation and fouling, now cleaned away, but this is definitely well above average for a Model 1873, especially in the popular .44-40 chambering. We would rate it an 8-9 out of 10, definitely one of the best we have seen recently.

A lovely honest used example of an iconic frontier repeating rifle with a shortened 21 inch barrel and brass magazine tube. These are becoming increasingly hard to find on the market in nice condition. Fully cleaned and ready for display!

Specifications-

Year of Manufacture: 1887
Caliber: .44-40 Winchester
Cartridge Type: Centerfire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 21 Inches
Overall Length: 40 1/8 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.