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with a hound’s head surrounded by scrollwork on a punch-dot background.
LOT 3058
Documented Ultra Rare, Deluxe, Special Order, Factory Engraved, Gold Inlaid Presentation Winchester Model
1873 Rifle with Seven-Leaf Express Sight and Factory Letter
- Serial no. 104936, 44 WCF cal., 26 inch bbl., blue/silver-plated/
gold inlaid finish, fancy walnut checkered pistol grip stock. This
special order Winchester Model 1873 rifle was manufactured in
1882, with extremely rare factory “Seven Leaf Express” rear sight. Examples of this sight are pictured and described on pages 316-317
of “WINCHESTER NEW MODEL OF 1873 VOLUME I” by James D. Gordon.
James Gordon describes the sight as: “The rarest and most interesting rear sight found on Model 1873s”. He identifies only ten rifles by serial
number known to have been fitted with this special sight. Gordon further states that the majority of the rifles with seven-leaf express sights have
special order features such as engraving, plating or deluxe wood and two of the
known rifles have “rare matted barrels”. He notes that most of the seven-leaf Model 1873s were recovered from
Africa. In addition to the seven-leaf express sight, this rifle has a 26-inch octagon barrel with special order matted
top flat, single set trigger, factory engraving on the forearm cap, dust cover, receiver and buttplate, silver-plated finish and
deluxe, fancy grain, checkered forearm and pistol grip stock with ebony insert. The left side of the receiver is factory inscribed with the gold-filled presentation: “A.I.N. DURAN HOOP STAD” in a circle on the left side plate. The right side plate is engraved