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LOT 1034
Attractive Antique Special Order Winchester
Deluxe First Model 1873 Lever Action
Rifle with Extra Length 28 Inch Barrel,
Casehardened Frame, and Factory Letter -
Serial no. 11512, 44-40 WCF cal., 28 inch octagon
bbl., blue/casehardened finish, walnut stock.
Manufactured in 1875, this is an attractive and fine,
documented example of a highly desirable, special
ordered, deluxe Winchester First Model 1873 rifle.
The included factory letter lists the rifle with a 28
inch octagon barrel, set trigger, casehardened
finish, and an XX checkered stock when received at
the warehouse on 15 November 1875, and shipped
on 21 March 1876 in order number 5643. According
to Winchester historian and author George Madis, approximately only one out
of every 600 Model 1873s rifles had a longer than standard barrel, one out of every 700 had checkered wood, and one out
of every 26 had a set trigger. No statistics on casehardened finish are available, but it was significantly more rare than the standard blue finish.
Even in higher grade, deluxe configurations these early Model 1873s often saw many years of use in the harsh environment of the American West,
helping to forge its legacy as “the gun that won the West” but also leaving a limited number of surviving examples available to collectors. The first
model receiver on this example was special ordered with a casehardened finish and has the integral dust cover guides on either side of the ejection port,
as well as the dust cover with the impressed, checkered “thumbprint” grip area. The top flat of the special ordered extra length barrel is marked with the
two-line address and King’s patent marking. The rifle correctly lacks caliber markings as .44-40 W.C.F. was the only caliber offered early in production. The
model marking is on the upper tang, and the serial number is hand engraved on the lower tang. The left side of the lower tang is marked “XXX 2539”, with
“2539” repeated in the stock inlet and inside the buttplate. It is fitted with a set of “sporting” sights including a German silver No. 21 blade front sight and
an elevation adjustable No. 22 notch rear sight, as well as a special ordered single set trigger. It is mounted with a very nicely figured, checkered forearm
and straight grip stock with a trapdoor crescent buttplate.
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