GUN SPRING 2017
The live portion of this session begins on Tuesday, April 11, 2017.
RARE WINCHESTER 1873 FIRST MODEL SADDLE RING CARBINE.WINCHESTER1873237844WCFCal 44 WCF (44-40). Standard grade carbine with 20" bbl, full magazine, integral front band/front sight and 2-position leaf rear sight graduated to 500 yards. Standard bbl address is lightly struck but completely legible. Receiver is 1st type with mortised dust cover rails containing an orig 1st model dust cover with raised checkered thumbprint. Left side of receiver has a staple & ring. Magazine & bbl band are of the type from the Model 1866 Winchester with threaded magazine plug and thick forearm band. Lever latch is also 1866 type that is threaded into the lower tang. Mounted with uncheckered straight grain American walnut with straight stock and carbine buttplate that has a trap. Left side of lower tang under the wood is marked with the assembly # 201 with matching assembly number in top tang channel of buttstock and inside toe of buttplate. Top tang is marked "MODEL 1873" and bottom tang has the engraved serial number. Accompanied by a Cody Firearms Museum letter which identifies this carbine with 20" bbl received in the warehouse Sept 30, 1874 and shipped the same day to order # 2105. Also accompanied by a 3-page letter from renowned Winchester authority & author George Madis wherein he details most of the above information. Extremely few of these early first model '73 carbines survive today. They were in great demand on the American frontier and generally saw very hard service in saddle scabbards and wagon boxes under adverse conditions usually with limited or no maintenance. Finding one today in completely orig configuration is a great rarity. CONDITION: Very good to fine, all matching. Bbl & magazine tube retain a lightly cleaned, mottled gray/brown patina with fine surface etching overall. Receiver & sideplates show moderate to heavy wear with a lightly cleaned gray metal patina and fine pin-prick pitting. Stock is missing a sliver by the top tang and a chip by the bottom tang with nicks, dings & scratches and shows a mostly hand worn patina with about 10% orig finish showing through. Mechanics are fine, strong sharp bore with good shine and scattered pitting. A rare opportunity to own an orig first model '73 carbine. 51742-5 JRL (13,000-18,000)