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LOT 9
Exceptional Antique Winchester Model 1873 Lever Action Saddle Ring Carbine with Factory Letter - Serial no. 505248B, 44 WCF cal., 20 inch
round bbl., blue finish, walnut stock. This Winchester Model 1873 Carbine was manufactured in 1896. This carbine has the Third Model receiver with integral dust cover rail and dust cover with serrated edges. The carbine is accompanied by a Cody Firearms Museum letter that identifies it as “Type: Carbine, Caliber: 44” and states that
the serial number was applied on April 8, 1896, and it was shipped from Winchester on March 16, 1897. The barrel has the block style front sight located behind the second style barrel band and adjustable folding leaf rear sight marked “1873” at the top of the leaf. A staple mounted saddle ring is located on the left side of the receiver. The upper tang is factory drilled and tapped for a tang sight. The carbine style buttplate has a sliding brass trapdoor. The top of the barrel is roll-stamped with the two-line legend: “WINCHESTER- REPEATING-ARMS. NEW HAVEN. CT./KING’S-IMPROVEMENT-PATENTED-MARCH 29. 1866.
OCTOBER 16. 1860.” between the lower barrel band and the rear sight. The caliber designation: “44 W.C.F.” is roll-stamped on the top of the barrel between the rear sight and the receiver. “MODEL 1873” is roll-stamped in fancy letters on the upper tang with foliate devices on either end of the marking. “44 CAL” is stamped in script across the brass cartridge elevator. The serial number is stamped in script on the lower tang behind the lever latch. The barrel, magazine, barrel bands, receiver and dust cover have the Winchester commercial blue finish. The loading gate is fire blue.
The hammer, trigger, lever and buttplate are color casehardened with muted case colors. The stock and forearm are oil finished, straight grain American walnut.
CONDITION: Exceptionally fine. The barrel and magazine have 80% of the original blue finish and a few minor and scattered handling marks. The barrel markings are crisp. The upper barrel band shows handling wear and retains 50% of the blue finish; the lower band shows some finish loss on the sides. The receiver and side plates have some high point wear and a few light handling marks but retain 85% of the bright original high polish blue finish. The blue on the dust cover has thinned slightly but retains 90%. The loading gate also retains 90% of the fire blue finish. The muted case colors on the hammer, trigger, lever show minimal wear. The buttplate has 60% of the original casehardened finish with some light pitting on the heel and toe. The stock and forearm are both very fine overall and retain most of the original oil finish. Wear is limited to some minor handling marks consisting of some light dents and very shallow scratches concentrated primarily on the sides of the forearm. Model 1873 carbines were working firearms that typically saw hard use in a harsh environment. Model 1873 carbines are seldom found with significant amounts of original finish and almost inevitably show the effects of hard use. This is an outstanding example of a Winchester Model 1873 saddle ring carbine in exceptional original condition. Provenance: The Dr. Paul McCombs Collection.
Estimate: 12,000 - 18,000
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