June 25-28, 2018 Firearms
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 6/25/2018
Fine Second Model 1873 rifle with rare 30" octagon barrel, full magazine, German silver Rocky Mountain blade front sight, original short, semi-buckhorn rear sight with checkered edges and a thick base rear tang sight with 4" staff. Mounted with beautiful XXX flame grain American walnut with early style checkered walnut forearm and checkered straight wrist butt and crescent butt plate. Receiver is second type with checkered thumbprint dust cover with screw attached dust cover rail. Left side of tang under wood is marked XXX with assembly No. 845 and is matching to buttplate and stock mortise markings. The barrel over the chamber area is engraved in a scroll and vine with dot punch shaded background with silver band. Muzzle is engraved in matching scroll and vine and silver band. Case colored receiver is game scene engraved with grazing antlered deer and surrounded with floral arabesques pattern in the Ulrich tradition. Right side of receiver is engraved with same scroll and vine with out game scene. Heel of case colored butt plate and forend cap are engraved wit same floral scroll patterns. Accompanied with this rifle is documentation from the Buffalo Bill Historical Center dated April 2004 listing the rifle serial No. 31222 as rifle, casehardened, 30" barrel, octagon, set trigger, checkered stock, engraved, swivels and received in warehouse September 19th, 1878 and shipped to customer No. 13085 the same day. This outstanding and well documented rifle is in the same style as the Second Model '1 of 1000' rifle shipped during the same time frame but with out the traditional 1 of 1000 engraving over chamber area. Condition. Very good as showing slight Restoration. The barrel and magazine retain most all of their contemporary finish with very slight edge wear on corners of barrel flats and high pints of muzzle and magazine cap. Case colored receiver has turned some what silver with colors present in protected ares with balance attaining a fine and pleasant uncleaned patina. Bore and mechanics are very fine. Checkered walnut stocks are excellent and have signs of being cleaned at an earlier date and a contemporary addition coat of finish applied. Wood is proud and shows no sign of sanding or repair. Truly a fine specimen and would be the center of any great Winchester collection. Featured in the book "The Story of The Winchester by Edmund E. Lewis" on pages 135 and 136.