1067

Excellent Winchester Model 1873 Lever Action Rifle with Historical "Bureau County" (Illinois) Markin

Currency:USD Category:Antiques / Firearms & Armory Start Price:3,000.00 USD Estimated At:6,000.00 - 9,000.00 USD
Excellent Winchester Model 1873 Lever Action Rifle with Historical  Bureau County  (Illinois) Markin
This excellent Winchester Model 1873 Rifle was manufactured in 1892. This Third Model rifle has the integral dust cover rail and dust cover with seriated edges. The rifle has a full octagon barrel and full length magazine and crescent steel buttplate with sliding brass trap. The barrel has a dovetailed front sight with fixed, German silver blade and a sporting rear sight. The barrel, magazine, forearm cap and receiver are blued and the hammer, trigger, loading lever and buttplate have a casehardened finish. The straight grain walnut stock and forearm have a varnish finish. This rifle was originally in Bureau County, Illinois and is hand-stamped "BUREAU COUNTY" on the top barrel flat. The top flat is also roll-stamped with the two-line legend: "WINCHESTER'S REPEATING ARMS NEW HAVEN. CONN. U.S.A./- KING'S IMPROVEMENT PATENTED MARCH 29. 1866 OCT.16. 1860-" ahead of the rear sight. The caliber, "38 W.C.F." is stamped between the rear sight and the receiver. The bottom of the brass cartridge elevator is engraved "38 CAL.". The top of the tang has the fancy, third style, marking "{ MODEL 1873}". The upper tang is drilled and tapped for a tang sight. The serial number, "460239B" is located on the lower tang between the loading lever latch and the rear tang screw.
BBL: 24 inch octagonal
Stock: walnut
Gauge: 38 WCF
Finish: blue
Grips:
Serial Number: 460239B


Excellent. The rifle has 95% plus of the original blue finish. Wear on the barrel, magazine and receiver is limited to edger wear on high points and minor handling and storage marks. The hammer, trigger and loading lever retain most of the original case-hardened finish with strong case colors. The case-colors on the buttplate are thin but visible. All of the markings on the barrel and receiver are sharp. The stock and forearm have some minor handling marks but remain in excellent overall condition and have most of the original varnish finish. This is an excellent example of an 1890s production M1873 Rifle that was part of the armory at a county sheriff's office in north-central Illinois. Also, this county purchased a number of earlier model 1894 muskets (with bayonets) in the same 38 WCF caliber. These were issued to deputies residing within various communities within Bureau County as they lacked their own police departments. A rare and desirable example of American history.