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Iconic, Historic, and Well-Documented Special Order 1/2 Nickel Plated “One of One Thousand” Winchester Model 1873 Lever Action Rifle with Factory Gold Inlaid Peter Floeck, Houston Inscription, 32 Inch Extra Length Barrel, Factory Letter, and Provenance Documentation - Serial
no. 18390, 44-40 WCF cal., 32 inch octagon bbl., blue/nickel finish, deluxe walnut stock. The iconic Winchester Model 1873, popularly known to collectors as “the Gun that Won the West,” has long been one of the most popular antique American firearms, and the One of One Thousand ‘73s are easily among the rarest and most valuable of all Winchesters. They were
part of a special program designed to market highly accurate Winchester Model 1873 and 1876 rifles to discriminating clients who wanted the best repeating rifles in the world and had the wealth to buy them. The One of One Thousand program was
announced in 1873 and more fully explained in Winchester’s 1875 catalog under the headline “Variety of Arms.” The program was short lived and was terminated quietly in 1877. Only around 132 One of One Thousand Model 1873s were manufactured
out of over 720,000 Model 1873s in total. Many of them have not been found, leaving only a small number available to collectors. Some of these rifles are truly one of a kind due to their combination of special order features, and that is certainly the case with this rifle which features an extra long 32 inch barrel, a feature unseen on other One of One Thousands,
with the original owner’s name and his home city of Houston, Texas, in gold inlay. The connection to Texas adds to the rifle’s interest, and none of the rifles in Gordon’s chart for the One of One Thousands in “Winchester’s New Model of 1873: A Tribute, Volume II” are listed with a 32 inch barrel making this likely the only One of One Thousand manufactured in this barrel length.
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