GUN SPRING 2017
The live portion of this session begins on Tuesday, April 11, 2017.
SCARCE SPECIAL ORDER WINCHESTER MODEL 1873 LEVER ACTION RIFLE.WINCHESTER187327738344Cal. 44 WCF (44-40). Standard grade 3rd Model '73 with 24-1/4″ rnd bbl, full magazine, combination front sight, semi-buckhorn rear sight and thick base sporting tang sight with 4″ staff. Mounted with highly figured, uncheckered, streaky European walnut with straight stock and crescent buttplate with trap containing an orig 4-pc all steel cleaning rod. Receiver is 3rd type with integral dust cover rail and 3rd type dust cover. Accompanied by a Cody Firearms Museum letter which identifies this rifle in 44 caliber with rnd bbl and plain trigger, received in warehouse Aug. 20, 1888 and shipped the next day to Order #11288. This rifle almost certainly was special ordered with the European walnut although the bottom tang and buttstock are not marked with an assembly number. Wood appears orig to this rifle as the wood to metal fit is as near perfect as one could ask and almost certainly is from the factory. PROVENANCE: Wes Adams Estate Collection. CONDITION: Extremely fine. Bbl & magazine tube retain about 98-99% strong orig factory blue with faint sharp edge wear and a very few scattered spots of light rust; receiver retains about all of its strong orig blue with faint sharp edge wear, some candy striping on both sides with light rust over top of receiver ring and dust cover along with some very fine flaking on left sideplate; hammer retains brilliant case colors; lever retains strong bright case colors, lightly to moderately faded on outer faces; buttplate retains about all of its case colors, moderately faded with some freckling on the tang. Stock has a small splinter by the right side of lower tang, otherwise wood is sound and retains most of a bright orig varnish finish. Mechanics are crisp, bright shiny bore with a few small scattered spots of rust. Cleaning rod is fine. 51688-3 JRL (10,000-12,500)