April 24-25, 2019 Extraordinary, Sporting, & Collector Firearms
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 4/25/2019
The Model 1875 "Golden Reloading Tool" from Winchester is one of the unicorns of collecting. Most collectors, including myself, have never owned one of these rare tools, much less an example in its proper box with label. Marked 44 W.C.F on side of hinge with "PAT OCT,20 1874" on bottom of hinge. Cast iron construction with provisions for decapping, capping, and seating a fresh bullet. This tool was offered for the new Winchester Model 1873 chambered for the new .44 Winchester Center Fire cartridges. Early repeaters, like the Henry Rifle and the Model 1866 Winchester, were chambered in .44 Rimfire. The technology of these lever action rifles gave an individual unprecedented firepower compared to a single shot muzzle loader. However, the fault with this new technology was in the rimfire ammunition casings which were completely useless once fired. Out on the frontier, you couldn't reload the spent rimfire ammuntion, the nearest town with a hardware store might be hundreds of miles away, and if you ran out of ammunition, you were pretty much doomed in the wrong situation. This is one of the many reasons why Winchester introduced the Model 1873 with a new type of powerful fixed ammunition called the 44 W.C.F. It had a central primer which could be removed and replaced with a new one...add some powder and a fresh bullet and...you and your rifle were back in business. The survival rate of these tools is obviously very low, as only pictures are most often seen, and rarely is one seen in person. This example has the early 1875 decapping pin with square cuts on the side of the decapper as opposed to the later round cuts on the later 1882 variation. The tool is housed in the original 1875 box with complete label. The end of the box has 75% of the .44 Winchester label remaining. The corners are fully intact but have been repaired at some earlier time by some unknown conservator. CONDITION: Very fine as the tool retains over 85% of the original gold tone paint with slight losses from storage. The mechanism works properly and shows no indication of cleaning or restoration. The decapper is very good with a slight amount of corrosion around the retaining screw. The box is superb with wonderful labels. Slight surface wear from ages and slight soiling from storage. Evidence of prior corner repairs internally as noted. Truly one of the ultimate rarities in the Winchester collecting field.