Page 19 - 4094-BOOK2

LOT 1018
Well-Documented and Historic “One of One Thousand” Factory Engraved
Winchester Model 1873 Lever Action Rifle with “First Prize Centennial Rifle Shoot”
Inscribed Plaque, the Hero Gun Featured in the Popular Western Film “Winchester
‘73” Starring James Stewart, with Factory Letter - Serial no. 551816, 44-40 WCF cal.,
24 3/8 inch octagon bbl., blue/gold finish, deluxe walnut stock. This is an exciting and
rare opportunity to acquire an exceptional piece of Winchester and Hollywood history:
the Winchester Model 1873 rifle that stars with Jimmy Stewart in the iconic Universal
western “Winchester ‘73”. The film was the biggest western for 1950 and remained widely
considered one of the most iconic and important westerns of all time and was added
to the Criterion Collection just this year. The opening of the film reads “This is a story of
the Winchester Rifle Model 1873 ‘The gun that won the West’ To cowman, outlaw, peace
officer or soldier, the Winchester ‘73 was a treasured possession. An Indian would sell his
soul to own one...” The scene then opens on this specific rifle and its inlaid plaque reading
“FIRST PRIZE/CENTENNIAL RIFLE SHOOT/WON BY/[BLANK]/DODGE CITY KANSAS/JULY
4TH 1876.” This coveted “One of One Thousand” Winchester Model 1873 is soon won by
Stewart’s character Lin McAdam in Dodge City, Kansas, during a marksmanship contest
held to celebrate the United States Centennial and changes hands multiple times before
being recovered by the Lin in the climax of the film. Other plain Model 1873s are also
used by various characters throughout the film, and this specific rifle can be clearly seen
in many of the scenes as well as the promotional material for the film.
Aside from being an iconic movie largely centered on the beloved Winchester Model
1873, the search for original “One of One Thousand” rifles that was part of the film’s
promotion brought many of the beloved surviving “One of One Thousand” rifles out
of the shadows for the first time and catapulted them to the top of highly desired
Winchesters. In total twenty-three “One of One Thousand” Model 1873s and six Model
1876s were identified as a result. Thus, this hero rifle fits within a special place in
Winchester collecting which only grew throughout the latter half of the 20th century
fueled in large part by the popularity of westerns. With only three of these hero rifles ever
made, they are even rarer than the original “One of One Thousands” they represent in
the film. We sold one other example back in 2005. This historic factory engraved “One of
One Thousand” rifle would certainly add weight and interest to a collection alongside an
original “One of One Thousand.” These rifles very rarely become available.
17