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THBWinchester Early Model 1873 Lever Action Rifle
Live Auction in Progress ... Currently on Lot Two ways to bid:
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About Auction
LiveOct 9, 2021
Join us for our Best in the West Fall October 9th Sale. The sale has an outstanding Early Western Art collection along with 100's of authentic Navajo Jewelry pieces, American Indian Weapons and Beadwork, and Luxury Jewelry. North American Auction Company tucker@naabid.com
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- Lot Description
Spectacular special order early Winchester Model 1873 rifle, serial number 135061, made 1883. The standard Winchester Model 1873 had a 24” round barrel, full magazine, plain trigger and full blue finish on the receiver and barrel/magazine. However, on special order, for an additional cost which most purchasers were unwilling to pay, Winchester would make a rifle with special features according to the customer’s request. This is such a rifle. It was ordered in .32 WCF caliber (.32 Winchester Center Fire; also known as the .32-20 Winchester) with special half-octagon/half-round barrel, half or “button” magazine, case hardened and case colored receiver and fitted with a single set trigger. Any one of these special features by itself would be considered rare and desirable, but combined make this an extraordinarily unusual and attractive rifle. According to the standard reference The Winchester Handbook, by George Madis, of the approximately 720,000+ Model 1873s made, only 801 were manufactured with half-octagon/half-round barrels; 2669 combined rifles and carbines were fitted with half or button magazines; and a limited number were fitted with set triggers. Case colored receivers were so infrequently ordered or provided on rifles that the number of case colored receivers isn’t even given. Further, this rifle is fitted with fancier than standard walnut! On the few 1873 Models known to be ordered with case colored receivers, few retain any colors today. Case colors wore off quickly and even exposure to direct sunlight faded the colors to gray and brown. To find a case colored receiver on a Model 1873 is exceptionally rare, much less one that still retains color! This superb example retains liberal case colors on the sides and top of the receiver, with more vivid colors in the fore and aft portions of the receiver sides with some fading toward the center. Vivid case colors also are visible around the hammer portion of the receiver top. The factory niter blued loading gate also retains lovely original blue and the dust cover on the receiver top is intact- these often missing. The barrel shows a strong deep blue finish, has sharp Winchester address markings and is fitted with a buckhorn rear sight with elevator bar intact and standard correct factory blade front sight. The stock and forearm are in especially excellent condition and retain most of the heavy “piano finish” as used by Winchester on special ordered fancy rifles. The screw heads are also unusually fine on this rifle. The set trigger functions by pushing forward on the back of the trigger until it sets or “clicks” at which point only slight pressure on the trigger is required to release the hammer. The set trigger came with a tiny adjustment screw for adjusting the trigger pull weight. Usually guns of this age are missing this screw and often the set mechanism is no longer functioning. This trigger retains the adjustment screw and the set trigger functions now as well as it did when it left the Winchester factory in 1883! The brass lifter on the bottom of the receiver is factory engraved “32 CAL” and having never been cleaned or polished, displays the desirable “mustard” or “mellow” brass patina that is so important to collectors. Unique to the Model 1873 in .32-20 caliber is that the butt plate was not cut or fitted for a trap for a cleaning rod- this was only standard on .38-40 and .44-40 caliber rifles and carbines. It is a good way to determine if the butt plate is original to the .32-20 caliber and not a replacement from the more common larger calibers. This one has the correct butt plate and the stock and forend display very tight wood to metal fit. This indicates that the wood has not been sanded or refinished. The action is tight and retains the correct lever catch. The bore is typically dark and shows wear which is common among rifles designed and used with corrosive black powder ammunition. Overall, the rarity factor and condition of this Winchester put it in an exclusive category of its own. In all, a fabulous 138 year old Winchester Special Order Rifle... known worldwide as “The Gun That Won the West!” Serial Number: 135061. This firearm qualifies as an Antique, and does not require FFL Transfer or NICS Background Check.
- Shipping Info
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