Original U.S. Winchester Early 2nd Model 1873 .44-40 Repeating Rifle Made in 1878 with 24" Round Barrel, Cleaning Rod, and Factory Letter - Serial 37157

Original Item: Only One Available. "The Gun that Won the West!" This wonderful Winchester repeating rifle is in .44-40 caliber, confirmed by chamber and barrel measurements, as this early they were usually not marked. It features a lovely 24" heavy round barrel and full-length magazine tube. As with all examples, it is marked MODEL. 1873. on the upper receiver tang. Features the classic front sight with a nickel blade and iconic "buckhorn" rear adjustable sight. The serial number is 33565 denotes the year of manufacture as 1879. There is some discrepancy with sources, some stating this would have been made in 1878, but more sources go with 1879, as do the actual Winchester factory records.

As it is marked with a serial number between approximately 31,000 and 90,000, this is considered a "Second Model", which featured improvements over the "First Model". The most noticeable of these was the change to the dust cover, where instead of sliding into grooves on the top of the ejection port, the dust cover was attached to a screw fastened dovetail on the rear of the receiver. This dovetail would then become an integral part of the receiver in the "Third Model", which was what Winchester made until the end of the production run when the serial numbers exceeded 700,000. It also should be noted that early 2nd models such as this example would keep the "thumbprint" style knurling on the dust cover, while later ones would move to the modern serrations on the rear sides.

This rifle comes with an original factory letter from the Buffalo Bill Center of the West at the Cody Firearms Museum, which now houses the original Winchester factory records. This is printed on watermarked WINCHESTER REPEATING Fire Arms letterhead, and dated June 30, 2017. It gives the type of arm as Rifle, with a Round barrel and Plain trigger. The letter also indicates that the order for this rifle was received in the warehouse August 30, 1879, and shipped on September 04, 1879 as part of order 16854. Unfortunately there is no other information available for the serial number, but that is not uncommon for a carbine that did not see customization. The letter is signed by records specialist Jessica A. Bennett and still bears the correct raised seal.

The engraving on the top of the barrel is still fully legible:

WINCHESTER'S-REPEATING ARMS. NEW HAVEN CT.
KING'S-IMPROVEMENT-PATENTED-MARCH 29.1866. OCTOBER 16.1860.

The metalwork is in very good shape, having worn to a lovely gray patina in most areas from wear and cleaning. There is however a good amount of the original bluing in the protected areas, such as under the barrel and on the side of the receiver in the more protected areas. We do not see any signs of major restoration or aggressive cleaning, so this is all original patina, just how we like to see them! The early issue "thumbprint" dust cover is in love condition, with the knurling well retained.

The stocks are in lovely condition, still showing the lovely red brown color of aged and oiled American black walnut. They do show wear from age and use, but no major damage such as cracks or missing chunks. Just a really nice honest used set of stocks, with no signs of repairs or major refinishing. The crescent butt plate is in good shape with a working storage compartment, and in this case it actually still retains the original Winchester Four Piece Cleaning Rod! We cannot recall the last time we had one of these original rods, and it has a lovely patina of age. It properly stows in the compartment, and assembles correctly. Definitely a rare accessory to find!

This lever action repeater is offered with the action in fully functional tight condition, with a working original dust cover. It cycles well, and we did not notice any sticking or major slop in the action, though we have no way to check to see if the magazine still feeds. The bore is in very good condition, showing a mostly bright finish with strong lands and grooves. There is a bit of past fouling and oxidation in the grooves, now removed, but the lands are quite smooth, and we do not see signs of major use while in service. We would rate the bore at 8-9 out of 10.

A lovely early example of an iconic frontier repeating rifle, complete with a factory letter and impossible to find original cleaning rod. These are becoming increasingly hard to find on the market in nice condition. More than ready for display!

Specifications-

Year of Manufacture: 1879
Caliber: .44-40 Winchester
Cartridge Type: Centerfire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 24 Inches
Overall Length: 43 Inches
Action type: Lever Action Repeater
Feed System: 15-round tube magazine

The Model 1873 was one of the most successful Winchester rifles of its day, gaining the reputation as "The Gun that Won the West". Still an icon almost a century and a half later, it was manufactured between 1873 and 1919. Originally chambered for the .44-40 cartridge, it was later produced in .38-40 and .32-20, all of which were also popular handgun cartridges of the day, allowing users to conveniently carry just one type of ammunition. The Model 1873 was produced in three variations: a 24" barrel rifle, 20" barrel carbine, and a musket. The easy to transport and handle carbine was the most popular, while the musket accounted for less than 5-10 percent of total production.

Due to feeding problems, the original Model 1873 was never offered in the military standard .45 Colt cartridge, although a number of modern reproductions are chambered for the round. The popularity of the original Model 1873 led Colt to manufacture .44-40 a version of the Single Action Army revolver called the "Frontier Model".

To both celebrate and enhance the Model 1873's prestige, Winchester established a coveted One of One Thousand grade in 1875. Barrels producing unusually small groupings during test-firing were fitted to rifles with set triggers and a special finish. Marked One of One Thousand, they sold for a then princely $100. A popular 1950 Western starring Jimmy Stewart, Winchester '73, was based on the coveted gun. Promotions included a search for One of One Thousand rifles by Universal Studios, with advertisements in sporting magazines and posters in sporting goods stores.

A second grade of Model 1873 barrels producing above average accuracy were fitted to rifles marked One of One Hundred, and sold for $20 over list. Approximately 136 One of One Thousand Model 1873s were sold, and only eight One of One Hundreds. In all, over 720,000 Model 1873s were produced.

The .38-40 Winchester round is actually a .40 caliber cartridge shooting .401 caliber bullets. The cartridge was introduced by Winchester in 1874 and is derived from their .44-40 Winchester. This cartridge was introduced for rifles, but in its reintroduction for Cowboy Action Shooting it has seen some popularity as a pistol cartridge. It is not particularly well suited to hunting larger game, but it was popular when it was introduced, along with the previous .44-40 Winchester, for deer hunting. It can be used successfully on smaller game animals, and for self-defense.

Note: This gun is NOT considered obsolete calibre, so we are not able to ship to the United Kingdom. Please note that for international shipping, these MUST be shipped using UPS WW Services. International customers should always consult their country's antique gun laws prior to ordering.