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“Shot-gun butt and a corrugated or rubber heel-plate. Avoid smooth butt-plates, as they are liable to slip when placed to the shoulder.” This rifle has a rubber shotgun buttplate. Gould also discusses shooting thousands of rounds of .32-20 W.C.F. from various rifles in
the book.
The factory letters list this rifle in .32 caliber with a 1/2 octagon barrel, plain trigger, sling swivels,
casehardened finish, checkered pistol grip stock with rubber shotgun buttplate, 1/2 magazine, a “military
windgauge sight,” plain front sight, and as a “nice shooter.” They also confirm the rifle was received in the warehouse on
Christmas Eve of 1889 and shipped on December 27, 1889, just a few years before Gould’s book was published. This rifle has
all of the above features, including the special military windgauge rear sight with the noted set screws in the sides of the elevation bar. The blade front sight has a set screw. The rifle has a 24-inch half-round/half-octagon barrel roll-stamped “WINCHESTER’S REPEATING ARMS. NEW HAVEN. CONN. U.S.A./-
KING’S IMPROVEMENT MARCH 29. 1866. OCTOBER
16. 1860.-” in two lines ahead of the rear sight and
“32 W.C.F.” ahead of the receiver. The rifle has a
half-length “button” magazine. The Third Model
receiver has an integral dust cover rail, dust cover
with serrated rear edges, the rounded top found
on Model 1873 rifles in smaller calibers, a factory
drilled and tapped upper tang marked “- MODEL
1873-” in fancy letters with foliate devices at either
end, the serial number stamped in small numerals
across the lower tang between the lever latch and
the rear tang screw, and “3502 XXX S” marked on
the left side of the lower tang. “32 CAL” is stamped
in script across the bottom of the cartridge elevator. The forearm and pistol grip
stock are deluxe, highly figured, fancy grain walnut with Winchester “Style H” checkering. The bottom of the pistol grip has an ebony
insert, and the stock has a checkered, hard rubber shotgun buttplate with a Winchester logo in the center. The length of pull is 13 3/8 inches.
The inside of the upper tang mortise of the stock has “3502.” The stock and forearm have a high gloss, piano finish. The barrel and magazine have the Winchester blue finish. The dust cover is high polish blue, and the loading gate is fire blue. The forearm cap, frame, hammer, trigger, and lever are color casehardened.
CONDITION: Exceptionally fine overall. This unique Model 1873 rifle is all original and has very limited careful handling and shooting associated
wear. The barrel has 80% of the original blue finish remaining with traces of finish wear on the edges and a small and almost unnoticeable 3/4-inch
by 1/3-inch area of pitting on the left side of the barrel just above the forearm ahead of the rear sight. The sights have nearly all of the dark finish
remaining, and the rear sight leaf spring retains 95% of the nitre blue. The Winchester legend and caliber markings are crisp. The dust cover and bolt
have most of the high polish blue finish. The loading gate retains 75% of the fire blue finish. 85% plus of the vivid case colors are present of the forearm
cap, receiver, hammer, trigger and lever. The highly finished fancy grain stock and forearm retain 95% of the piano finish and have sharp checkering. Wear
is limited to one tiny dent in the right side of the stock behind the pistol grip and a few scattered and very minor handling marks. It is unusual to identify the
owner of any Winchester rifle. Identification of this high condition deluxe Model 1873 rifle with unique rear sight and other special order features to prominent 19th century shooter and author A.C. Gould makes this a one-of-a-kind Model 1873 rifle worthy of a place in the finest firearms collection.
Provenance: The Arthur Corbin Gould Collection; The Ivan B. Hart Collection; The Warren Webster Collection; Property of a Gentleman.
Estimate: 30,000 - 40,000
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