Winchester Model 1873 Lever Action Rifle

This is a nice Model 73 Winchester that's 100% original and in untouched condition. Antique pre-1898. It's a 3rd Model with a serial number in the242,000 range. Made in 1887. Standard Sporting Rifle configuration with 24" round barrel, full magazine, and crescent rifle buttplate. Round barrels on the Model 1873 are quite common as they were standard equipment. It cost about $1.50 extra for the octagon or part round configurations. The caliber is 38 WCF a.k.a. 38-40.

The 38-40 Cartridge: Winchester advertised during the 19th and early 20th centuries that the 38 WCF was a good deer caliber...probably a bit of a stretch beyond short ranges. It's almost identical to the 44-40 and actually measures as a .40 caliber bullet to the .427" diameter of the .44 WCF. Looking at the two side by side...an untrained eye would easily confuse the two. The 38-40, with its slightly lighter bullet backed by nearly the same amount of powder as the.44, made it the more accurate round. It was perfect for small and medium sized game which proved to be a very popular caliber here in the South.

Original sights consist of standard semi-buckhorn rear sight that's unaltered (ears have never been filed down) and the standard front sight with German silver blade. Markings are excellent throughout which include the 2-line Winchester barrel address and caliber markings on the barrel and brass loading block. Upper tang is marked "MODEL 1873" between a brace of fleurs de lis. Hammer has the correct square-checkered border (see photo). Buttplate has a sliding brass trapdoor for storing the cleaning rods (no longer present, but I can supply an original set if desired).

Overall condition grades to NRA Antique Fine Plus Condition. A gun in fine condition is going to have a fair bit of original finish present (in this case, there are four different types of finish to evaluate: blue receiver, barrel, mag tube, etc., case colors--hammer lever buttplate, fire blue--loading port, varnish--wood). Here's the breakdown: the receiver has 70% blue over nearly the entire surface but it's mixed with a light patina and thinning towards the front of the frame. Given the thin blue and patina, the photos don't do this rifle justice compared to viewing it in person. Even the dust cover has 50% of its original blue remaining. One small ding on the bottom of the frame just in front of the loading block...otherwise, metal is perfect. The barrel retains 40% faded but discernable blue with the balance turned to a smooth plum patina. Magazine tube beneath the barrel is a bit better at 65% original faded blue. Forend cap and magazine retaining band also show some original blue. Loading port shows 30% original fire blue. The case colors on the lever have mostly faded to silver with a light patina beginning to form but there are still approximately 15% light colors remaining that the front of the bow. The hammer shows 40% good discernable case colors. Surprisingly, the trigger on the rifle also shows some strong hints of original case colors. The colors on the buttplate have faded out to silver with about 50% turned to a pleasing light brown patina. The screws are in excellent shape overall. Quite a few appear to still be unturned. TheWOOD is American Walnut and is in great shape; Very Good+ to Fine with just a few handling marks and a minor scrape/rub spot just behind the forend cap. The walnut stock and forend have 60% and 25% of their original varnish respectively. The forends and wrist areas of the stock of these old lever action rifles tend to be the point from which these rifles were carried by their original owners while hunting...hence the lack of varnish and bulk of the handling wear. This is good honest respectable wear that nobody has ever attempted to clean or spruce up by adding finish. It has ZERO cracks, not even a tiny one. No chips, or repairs of any kind. Wood-to-metal fit is perfect with the wood standing slightly proud of the metal...just the way it did when it left the factory in 1887. In fact, looking at the tang screws and the ones on the forend cap...which are perfect and caked with what looks like 100+ years of old dried grease, dirt, and dust, it doesn't appear the wood has ever been removed from the gun. I've handled quite a number of 1873's over the past 25+ years and it's not very often that we find one where I feel confidence in saying that. The action is in perfect working order...very tight, lever snaps shut just like it did when new, and the firing pin still indexes properly. It even has an Excellent bright and shiny bore! All in all, this is a pure no-excuses example of a Model 1873 Winchester with a nice combination of condition, light usage, and age that gives it a pleasing and well-balanced overall appearance.

Item# 1377

SOLD