GUN FALL 2017
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 10/31/2017
EARLY 2ND MODEL 1873 WINCHESTER LEVER ACTION RIFLE. WINCHESTER 1873 41726 44 WCF Cal. .44 WCF (44-40). Standard grade rifle with 24-1/4" oct bbl, full mag, half nickle front sight, early style short semi-buckhorn rear sight with checkered edges and a thick base tang sight with spiral knurled barrel and fine checkered thumb screw. Receiver is 2nd type with attached dust cover rail and a 3rd type dust cover with a single-set trigger. Mounted with extra finish, uncheckered American walnut with straight stock and crescent buttplate with trap. This rifle was produced about 1880 when the west was still very wild with marauding Indians, outlaws and other natural dangers abounding. In that era any repeating firearm was in great demand but most especially the model 1873 Winchester. These arms most often saw hard & continuous serves under extreme circumstances usually from the back of a horse or in a wagon box. They are rarely found today in high orig finish & configuration as found here. PROVENANCE: The collection of Tim Zissler. CONDITION: Extremely fine, one of the finest 2nd model 1873 rifles extant today. Bbl retains 97-98% strong orig blue with only light sharp edge wear. Mag tube retains about 99% crisp orig blue, and the forend cap about 97-98% bright orig blue. Receiver and side plates retain about 95-96% strong orig blue with sharp edge wear some minor thinning around the bottom edge and a small patch of surface rust just forward of the lever slot. Lever & hammer retain brilliant case colors turned a little dark on outer face of loop. Buttplate retains virtually all of its orig case colors, brilliant on the tang, bright on the face showing wear only on the heel and toe. Wood is sound with a small scrape on the buttstock and overall retains a lightly waxed finish. Mechanics are crisp. brilliant shiny bore, shows little evidence of ever having been loaded or fired, retaining nearly all its orig blue on the bolt face. 52463-18 JRL (6,000-9,000)