GUN FALL 2017
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 10/31/2017
RARE WINCHESTER EARLY FIRST MODEL 1873 LEVER ACTION RIFLE WITH FACTORY LETTER. WINCHESTER 1873 543 44 WCF Cal. 44 WCF (44-40). Standard grade rifle with 24-1/4" oct bbl, full magazine, altered Rocky Mountain front sight with the blade made from a coin or piece of silverware. Rear sight is early short style with V-notch and checkered edges mounted backwards in the rear sight dovetail. Receiver is 1st type with mortised dust cover rails containing a 1st type dust cover with raised, checkered oval thumb print. Receiver has set trigger. Mounted with uncheckered slab sawed American walnut with straight stock & crescent buttplate with trap. Left side of lower tang is marked with the assembly number "244" with matching number in top tang channel of buttstock and inside toe of buttplate. Accompanied by a Cody Firearms Museum letter that identifies this firearm as a rifle with 24" oct bbl, set trigger, received in warehouse March 16, 1974 (sic - should read 1874), shipped March 27, 1874. The Winchester '73 is arguably the gun that won the west along with the Colt Single Action Army revolver in the same caliber. This rifle, having been produced in 1878 was delivered at a time when the west was still wild with marauding hostile Indians, outlaws and other dangers on the American frontier. These rifles usually saw very hard service under adverse conditions in harsh weather, usually with little or no maintenance. They were the working mans tools and are rarely found today with high orig finish. This rifle is among the earliest '73s produced by Winchester with the "new" bbls. The first 500 or so Model '73 arms were produced with either left over 1866 bbls or were manufactured with the same rate of twist as the Model 1866. Winchester almost immediately began receiving complaints about the lack of accuracy with their new rifles. They discovered that the "new" center fire 44 cartridges with higher velocity and heavier bullets required a different rate of twist. Once that was accomplished, accuracy improved greatly. CONDITION: Very good, all matching. Bbl & magazine tube retain a lightly cleaned and artificially aged silver/brown patina with a few scattered tiny nicks. Receiver & side plates show about 25% orig blue, mostly on the frame with some artificial aging on the surface. Lever & hammer are silvered case colors. Forend cap is a mostly blue/brown patina and buttplate is a silver/gray patina. Wood is sound with nicks, dings and a few bruises and retains most of an old refinish. Mechanics are crisp, strong bore with sharp rifling and moderate pitting. 52506-19 JRL (10,000-15,000)