GUN SPRING 2018
The live portion of this session begins on Wednesday, March 21, 2018.
VERY FINE AND RARE FULL NICKEL PLATED AND ENGRAVED WINCHESTER MODEL 1873 CARBINE. WINCHESTER 1873 22736 44-40 Cal. 44-40. 20" bbl. w/address reads "Winchester Repeating Arms New Haven CT / Kings Improvement Patent October 29, 1866 October 16, 1860". Early style of magazine plug and bbl bands characteristic of the First Model carbine. Full nickel plating, buttplate, receiver, bbl and bbl bands. Lever is nickel plated. Thumbprint oval dust cover. Tasteful "Two Dollar" style engraving on frame, top of receiver, dust cover, and underside of receiver may be Winchester Factory work. Lower tang is marked "3118" and the bottom of toe is also marked "3118". No markings on stock to indicate that it is of the same assembly line numbers but this buttplate and stock fit the gun perfectly and are original to this lovely carbine. PROVENANCE: The spectacular collections of Ray Bentley featuring the finest and rarest deluxe antique Winchesters in the world. CONDITION: Excellent. Nickel plating on bbl remains 98% intact with no bubbling. Nickel on mag tube remains 98-99% intact. Forward and rear bbl bands are about 60% nickel. Standard sight on front bbl band with the rear sight dovetailed in place. Plating on left side remains 96% with the right side 98%. Majority of the niter blue on loading gate turning a deep plum color. Engraving on loading block retains 96% nickel. Buttplate has no engraving but retains 80-85% nickel. Checkering on stock is very good to fine along with condition of wood with numerous impressions and light scratches on both left and right side. Rifling very shiny. Rifle functions and cycles correctly. Forearm has band removal scratches up the wood. 53091-33 MS (30,000-37,500)