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Exceptional Winchester Model 1873 Lever Action Rifle

Currency:USD Category:Antiques / Firearms & Armory Start Price:5,500.00 USD Estimated At:11,000.00 - 16,000.00 USD
Exceptional Winchester Model 1873 Lever Action Rifle
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Exceptional Winchester Model 1873 Lever Action Rifle

Winchester Model 1873 Lever Action Rifle manufactured in 1888. The rifle has a blue octagon barrel, full length magazine, forearm cap and receiver. The hammer, lever and crescent buttplate are casehardened, and an oil finished straight grain walnut stock and forearm. The loading gate is niter blue. This Third Model Rifle has an integral dust cover rail on the receiver and dust cover with serrated edges. The top of the receiver has the step found on 22, 32 and 38 caliber rifles. The upper receiver tang is factory drilled and tapped for a rear sight. The barrel has a standard sporting style front sight with nickel silver blade and a sporting style rear sight with serrated edges and a sliding insert. The top of the barrel is roll-stamped with the two-line legend: "WINCHESTER'S REPEATING ARMS. NEW HAVEN. CONN. U.S.A./-KING'S IMPROVEMENT PATENTED MARCH 29.1866. OCTOBER 16. 1860.-" ahead of the rear sight. The caliber designation "32 W.C.F." is roll stamped on the top of the barrel between the rear sight and the receiver. "32 CAL" is roll-stamped in script letters on the brass cartridge elevator. "- MODEL 1873-" is roll stamped on the upper tang in fancy letters with foliate devices at either end. The serial number "294387B" is stamped in script numerals on the lower tang behind the lever latch.

Manufucture: Winchester
Model: 1873
BBL: 24 inch octagon
Stock: walnut
Guage: 32 WCF
Finish: blue/casehardened
Grips:
Serial Number: 294387B

Excellent plus. The rifle retains 98% of the original blue overall. Wear is limited to some thinning on the magazine band and traces of edge wear on the barrel, a few very minor scratches on the forearm cap and a small area of finish loss on the lower left edge of the receiver adjacent to the cartridge elevator. The hammer, lever and buttplate retain 99% of the vivid case colors. Nearly all of the fiery niter blue finish is present on the loading gate. The receiver and tang screws are perfect. The barrel and receiver markings are crisp. The stock and forearm are excellent with nearly all of the original finish intact. The stock has minimal handling wear; the forearm has a few very minor handling and storage marks. This is an exceptional example of a standard configuration Winchester Model 1873 Lever Action Rifle.