3149

Excellent Winchester Third Model 1873 Musket

Currency:USD Category:Antiques / Firearms & Armory Start Price:0.00 USD Estimated At:5,500.00 - 8,000.00 USD
Excellent Winchester Third Model 1873 Musket
Winchester Third Model 1873 Musket manufactured in 1903. The musket has a blue finish with casehardened hammer, loading lever and buttplate. The stock and full-length forearm are walnut with a subdued varnish finish. The receiver has the Third Model integral dust cover rail and dust cover with seriated edges. The musket has a three-quarter length magazine and three barrel bands. Sling swivels are fitted to the underside of the stock and the upper barrel band. The barrel is fitted with a fixed front sight in a block designed to serve as the lug for a socket bayonet and folding leaf, military style, rear sight. The carbine buttplate has a sliding brass trap. The butt trap contains a four-piece, jointed, steel cleaning rod. The top of the barrel is roll-stamped: "WINCHESTER'S REPEATING FIREARMS. NEW HAVEN. CT./KING'S IMPROVEMENT PATENTED MARCH 29. 1866. OCTOBER 16. 1860" ahead of the rear sight. The caliber, "44 W.C.F." is stamped on the top of the barrel between the rear sight and the receiver. The bottom of the brass cartridge elevator is inscribed: "44 CAL". The upper receiver tang is roll-stamped: "MODEL 1873" in fancy letters with foliate designs at either end. The lower receiver tang is stamped with the serial number: "571056B" behind the loading lever latch.
BBL: 30 inch
Stock: walnut
Gauge: 44-40 WCF
Finish: blue
Grips:
Serial Number: 571056B
Condition: Near new. The musket is in nearly new condition and retains at least 98% of the original blue and casehardened finish. The barrel, magazine, barrel bands and receiver have nearly all of the original blue finish. There is packing grease in protected areas of the barrel and receiver. Finish wear on the receiver is limited to some minor age spotting on the bottom between the loading lever and cartridge elevator. The hammer, loading lever and buttplate retain 98% or more of the original casehardened finish with vivid case colors. Nearly all of the fiery niter blue finish is present on the loading gate. The dust cover retains about 96% of the niter blue finish with some minor edge wear. All of the markings are crisp. The bore is perfect. The stock and forearm are excellent, with the exception of a few shallow gouges on the toe of the stock, there is no finish loss and only some scattered and very minor storage marks. This is an exceptional example of a Winchester Model 1873 Musket in nearly new condition.