Original Item: Only One Available. "The Gun that Won the West!" This lovely "frontier worn" Winchester repeating rifle is in .44-40 caliber, correctly marked 44 W.C.F. over the chamber, while the carrier block marking is worn away. It features a desirable special order 20" octagon 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 and iconic "Buckhorn" rear adjustable sight. The serial number on the lower receiver tang is 509188B, denoting the year of manufacture as 1897.

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 January 09, 2014. These indicate that the order for this rifle was received in the warehouse March 13, 1897, and shipped on April 19, 1897 as part of order 7048. It indicates that the it was a rifle in 44 caliber with an Octagon barrel 20 inches in length, which means this rifle is still in the original configuration as shipped! Unfortunately 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 and still bears the correct raised seal.

The engraving on the top of the barrel present and legible:

Condition of the rifle is quite good, especially considering the amount of use on the frontier it must have seen. The metalwork show and overall peppery patina, with little of the original finish remaining due to oxidation and subsequent cleaning. This probably spent long hours in a boot on a saddle in the old west, which has given it a fantastic patina that simply cannot be duplicated.

The stocks are in very nice service used condition, with a a great "been there" look that still shows the original red brown walnut color well. There are definitely dents, chips, dings, and other damage as expected from a rifle that saw long use on the frontier. The butt stock shows some minor cracking and staining towards the crescent butt plate, which is in good shape with a working storage compartment (empty).

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. There is a bit of slop in the cycling, and it is a bit sticky, as expected for a rifle that saw long service. The bore is in "frontier worn" condition, still showing rifling, but it has an overall gray oxidized look to it from much use and lack of cleaning.

A lovely service used 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: 1897
Caliber: .44-40 Winchester
Cartridge Type: Centerfire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 20 Inches
Overall Length: 39 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.