This is a Special Order Winchester 1873 rifle with a 28" octagon barrel with full length magazine, and crescent rifle buttplate.  Caliber is .32 WCF.  Antique Serial number is in the 430,000 range which dates this rifle to the year 1892.  This is a nice untouched example of and 1873 that is all original in Very Fine NRA Antique Condition.  The receiver has 80% original blue overall with brown freckling on the right side from storage.  The loading port has 70% bright vivid fire blue.  Hammer shows light case colors while the lever is mostly silvered out and now hazing over to a brown patina with hints of colors in protected areas.  The barrel and magazine tube have about 75-80% original blue with some freckling from improper storage.  Nice markings and sharp edges throughout.  Barrel address has the 1860 Henry rifle patent and the 1866 King's improvement patent.  Upper tang marked "MODEL 1873".  Bronze loading block has turned to a nice mellow marbled patina and is clearly marked "32 CAL" in script.  Hammer has the original widow's peak decorative border checkering pattern only found on 73's made from around 1890 to 1900. This is one of the few 1873's we've had with perfect non-boogered original screws.  Sights still retain most of their original finish and consist of the Original Winchester semi-buckhorn rear sight w/elevator and fancy Lyman Hunting Front sight with finely-matted face and original yellowed ivory bead.  This is a very desirable front sight as it was a much better sight than the standard ones with German silver blades. This was considered to be an Accessory in the Winchester catalog.  It could have been supplied by Winchester, ordered from the Winchester catalog, or purchased from the Winchester dealer.  At any rate, it appears to have been on this gun most likely since this rifle was brand new.  Near Excellent wood still has its original reddish-orange color.  Very solid with no chips, cracks, or repairs.  Still has most of the original with 90% varnish on the stock and 50% on the forend.  Stock has a couple of old gash marks...otherwise wood just shows light handling marks.  Perfect wood to metal fit with edges of the wood still swelling slightly over the metal.  Perfect action is tight and crisp with the lever still snapping shut.  The bolt and firing pin still have much of their original blue remaining so this rifle was not used much.  The bore is Very Good overall which is unusual for the 32-20...its still fairly bright with good rifling, only minor signs of pitting, with no rings or bulges.  A nice example of an antique Model 1873 with an extra-length barrel.

Item# 0344

SOLD