GUN FALL 2017
The live portion of this session begins on Tuesday, October 31, 2017.
WINCHESTER MODEL 1873 SADDLE RING CARBINE WITH FACTORY LETTER. WINCHESTER 1873 SRC 375193 44 WCF Cal. 44 WCF (44-40). Standard carbine with 20" bbl, full magazine, barleycorn front sight & 1873 marked carbine ladder rear sight. Top of bbl has the Winchester & King's patent 2-line address with caliber marking over the chamber area. Receiver is 3rd type with integral dust cover rail and 3rd type dust cover. Left side of receiver has a staple & ring. Bottom front edge of receiver has vise marks on each side. Mounted with uncheckered, straight grain American walnut with straight stock & carbine buttplate with trap containing a 3-pc brass & iron cleaning rod. Accompanied by a Cody Firearms Museum letter which identifies this carbine in caliber 44, received in the warehouse February 25, 1891 and shipped next day to order no. 1173. This carbine was produced at a time when business and ordinary work were conducted from the back of a horse or wagon box and carrying a firearm as an everyday working tool was a way of life. Firearms of that era usually saw very hard frontier service under harsh weather conditions often with little or no maintenance. CONDITION: Very good. Bbl retains strong blue in sheltered areas with about 90% finish, overall turning plummy brown over the top. There are a series of small nicks by the forearm band from someone removing the band. Magazine tube retains strong blue in the sheltered areas, being mostly a blue/gray patina with areas of fine surface rust. Receiver retains 30-35% orig blue in sheltered areas, stronger on left side with the loss areas showing wear & flaking, turning brown over the top & bottom edges. Buttplate retains about 50-60% orig case colors, strong & bright on the tang. Stock has light nicks, dings & scratches and a hairline in the forearm, otherwise the wood is sound and retains a hand worn patina. Mechanics are crisp, bright shiny bore with some very fine orange peel pitting. Cleaning rod is fine. 52601-2 JRL (4,000-6,500)