Original Item: Only One Available. "The Gun that Won the West!" This very fine rifle is in .44-40 caliber with a very nice 24" round barrel. It is correctly marked 44 W.C.F. over the chamber, while the receiver tang has a very nice MARBLE ARMS adjustable fold-down "Peep sight" for target shooting. The front sight blade has been replaced with a larger brass example to match the rear sight, and the rifle features a full length magazine tube. The serial number is 461970B denoting the year of manufacture as 1893.

This rifle looks to have been completely refurbished sometime in the past, which has made it very attractive. It was very well done, preserving most markings, and giving the metalwork on the entire gun a lovely deep blued finish. The engraving on top of the barrel is still most present, with just a bit of fading at the bottom.

The stocks are in very good condition, with a lovely dark brown color. They were also reconditioned and varnished, and the butt stock is particularly nice, with the varnish still retained at around 100%. It meets well with the crescent butt plate, which is in good shape, with a working storage compartment (empty). The fore stock saw more wear prior to the reconditioning, and was worn a bit under the stock near the receiver. The varnish is now worn away in this area, probably from light use and polishing.

This lever action repeater is offered with a crisp tight action in fully functional condition, one of the smoothest actions we've ever seen on a rifle this age. It still has a working original dust cover, which slides out of the way when the action is cycled. Metal work is excellent, with the reblued finish well retained, and just a few areas of wear. The bore is in very good condition, with a mostly bright finish and clear lands and grooves. It does show some wear to the lands, and probably rates a 7 out of 10.

A fantastic looking example of an iconic frontier repeating rifle. These are becoming increasingly hard to find on the market in nice condition. Fully cleaned and ready for display!

Specifications-

Year of Manufacture: 1893
Caliber: .44-40 Winchester
Cartridge Type: Centerfire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 24 Inches
Overall Length: 43 Inches
Action type: Lever Action Repeater
Feed System: 15-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.