This is a nice example of an early Model 1875 loading tool for the  .44 WCF cartridge made especially for the Model 1873 Rifle.  It still retains 70% of its original gold paint and despite the chipping from being stored in a tool chest, shows very little use with 95% of the original paint remaining inside the handles and spoons.  The side of the tool is stamped "44 WCF" and the patent date Oct. 20, 1874 is cast into the top of the handle.  This patent was for the initial 1874 reloading design by Oliver Winchester's son, William Wirt Winchester...aka Triple Dubya (just kidding).  Nowadays, we think of reloading as an economical way of reusing spent cartridges but in the 19th century, this was a much more serious matter.  In spite of the dramatic increase in firepower, the main drawback with the early Winchester repeating rifles was the fixed rimfire ammunition they fired couldn't be reloaded. If you were out in the middle of nowhere when you ran out of ammunition, particularly out West, this could be detrimental to one's health.  The 44 Caliber Winchester Centerfire Cartridge made the repeating rifle, the new Model 1873, much more practical as it delivered the same firepower with ammunition that could be re-used over and over.  This Model 1875 Tool is what made reloading possible and the 1873 rifle , a much more practical weapon than the Henry of Model 1866....no wonder they called it "The Gun that Won the West".  If you have a good 1st of 2nd Model 1873 Rifle or Carbine made prior to the year 1882, this is the the tool that would have been available during those early production years.

Item# 0211

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