GUN FALL 2017
The live portion of this session begins on Tuesday, October 31, 2017.
SCARCE WINCHESTER FIRST MODEL 1873 SECOND TYPE LEVER ACTION RIFLE WITH FACTORY LETTER. WINCHESTER 1873 15222 44 WCF Cal. 44 WCF (44-40). Standard grade rifle with 24-1/4" oct bbl, full magazine, half nickel front sight and 1873 marked rifle ladder rear sight. Receiver is first type with mortised dust cover rails containing a second type dust cover with impressed thumb print. Receiver has single set trigger. Mounted with uncheckered straight grain American walnut with straight stock and crescent buttplate with trap. Left side of lower tang, under the wood is marked with the assembly number "406" with matching number in top tang channel of buttstock and inside toe of buttplate. Bottom of the stock & forend cap have factory sling swivels. Accompanied by a Cody Firearms Museum letter which identifies this firearm as a rifle with oct bbl, set trigger, sporting leaf sight, swivels, received in warehouse May 24, 1876 and shipped the same day to order #5640. 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. CONDITION: Very good, all matching. Bbl & magazine tube retain a smooth, artificially aged plummy brown patina with only sharp edge wear. Receiver & side plates retain traces of strong blue in sheltered areas with the balance an artificially aged plummy blue/brown patina. Dust cover retains about 95% strong orig blue. Lever & hammer are a light artificially aged patina. Wood is sound and retains most of an old refinish. Mechanics are crisp, strong sharp bore with fine pitting and a few spots of moderate pitting. 52506-1 JRL (6,500-9,500)