GUN SPRING 2018
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 3/21/2018
BEAUTIFUL AND VERY RARE WINCHESTER FIRST MODEL 1873 SADDLE RING CARBINE IN FACTORY FULL NICKEL FINISH. WINCHESTER 1873 7342 44-40 Cal. 44-40. 20" bbl. Full nickel bbl with 2-line address that reads "Winchester Repeating Arms New Haven CT / Kings Improvement Patent March 29, 1866 October 16, 1860". Front bbl band has the correct bbl band sight. Rear bbl has correct sight and real bbl band looks to be all original to the gun. Receiver is full nickel plated. Both left and right receiver with a round impressed thumbprint mark on the dust cover. Beautiful American walnut stock and forearm. Carbine butt. PROVENANCE: The spectacular collections of Ray Bentley featuring the finest and rarest deluxe antique Winchesters in the world. CONDITION: Excellent. Bbl retains 90-95% nickel plated with no bubbling evident. Magazine tube the same. Front and rear bbl band retain 70-80% of the nickel finish. Left side of receiver retains 95% plus nickel. Screw heads indicate some turning but are not damaged. Loading gate retains 98% of its nickel as the sideplate and receiver itself with no bubbling or speckling of nickel evident. Wood to metal fit is very fine with no splits or chips of wood missing. Some light impressions on both left and right side of the stock. Buttplate fits very fine. Hammer, trigger and lever retain 98% of its nickel. Only a slight blemish on the top of receiver between the bbl and the opening for the dust cover. Beautiful bright bore w/early style rifling.This saddle ring carbine is as fine a plated example as one could wish for. Being a third year production First Model further enhances its rarity and desirability. 53091-32 MS (20,000-25,000) W/CASE