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Winchester 1st Model 1873 lever action rifle, 26” octagon barrel, full mag, crescent butt, case hard

Currency:USD Category:Antiques / Firearms & Armory Start Price:NA Estimated At:5,000.00 - 9,000.00 USD
Winchester 1st Model 1873 lever action rifle, 26” octagon barrel, full mag, crescent butt, case hard
All items are as is, no warranty or claims and All SALES ARE FINAL. Please examine prior to bidding as it is the bidder's responsibilty to establish condition, age, genuineness, value or any other determinative factors.
Winchester 1st Model 1873 lever action rifle, 26” octagon barrel, full mag, crescent butt, case hardened, select stock, sling swivels, serial #18252. The rifle remains in good to very good condition for an early thumbprint dust cover rifle. Approx. 60-80% original blue drifting to patina, shows on bbl. and magazine tube with some strong blue mixed in. The edges are fairly sharp, the address is good and legible and there is some scattered erosion and pin prick pitting which is minor. The frame, forend cap and buttplate show case hardening drifted to silver grey with some light cleaning and frame shows forging lines which are often found on early 73’s. There is some erosion, light pitting and aging on the formerly case hardened parts. The stocks are at least 1x and possibly 2x as they show a Burl grain and are in good to very good condition with just normal aging i.e. nicks, mars, scratches, small dings and about 50-60% varnish. The rifle is fitted with factory style sling swivels. The loading gate shows 50-60% thinning original blue, action tight, bore very good. A very interesting 73 with semi-deluxe feature in the range where many were targeted and sent back for 1 of 1000 series. No factory letter available at time of cataloging but a right gun formerly in two knowledgeable Winchester Collector’s collection. Est. $5,000-9,000