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24
LOT 16
Excellent Winchester Model 1873 .22 Rimfire Lever Action Rifle with
Factory Letter - Serial no. 242494B, 22 long cal., 24 inch octagon bbl., blue
finish, varnished walnut stock. Manufactured in 1887, this is an exceptional
original example of a Winchester Model 1873 .22 rimfire rifle that is chambered
for .22 Long cartridge. This rifle is accompanied by a Cody Firearms Museum
letter that describes this Model 1873 as: “Type: Rifle, Caliber: 22 L, Barrel Type:
Octagon” and “Trigger: Plain”. The letter states that this rifle was shipped from
Winchester on September 1, 1887. The rifle has a blued barrel, magazine, forearm
cap and receiver. The hammer, trigger lever and crescent buttplate are color
casehardened. The stock and forearm are straight grain American walnut with a varnish
finish. The early style magazine tube has the heavy steel ring and separate stop ring.
The octagon barrel has a sporting style front sight with nickel-silver blade and buckhorn
rear sight. The upper receiver tang is factory drilled and tapped. The top barrel flat 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 top line of the legend uses serif letters, and the bottom line is stamped in block letters. The caliber “22 LONG” is stamped in block letters on the top barrel flat between the rear
sight and the receiver. “22 CAL/LONG” is stamped in script letters across the bottom of the cartridge elevator. The upper tang is roll-stamped “- MODEL. 1873. - “ in fancy letters with foliate devices at
either end. The serial number is stamped in script numerals on the lower tang behind the lever latch. Introduced in 1884, the Winchester Model 1873 was the first Winchester .22 caliber rifle and the first .22 caliber repeating rifle made in the United States.