Original U.S. Winchester Model 1873 .32-20 Repeating Rifle with Shortend 21" Octagonal Barrel Made in 1888 - Serial 257861B - Missing Dust Cover

Original Item: Only One Available. "The Gun that Won the West!" This lovely "frontier used" repeating rifle is in .32-20 Winchester caliber, correctly marked with 32 W.C.F. over the chamber and 32 CAL. on the brass carrier block. It features a desirable octagonal barrel and full-length magazine tube, both of which have been cut-down to 21 inches, possibly due to muzzle damage. It is also missing the dust cover over the ejection port, often removed as they could get stuck. As with all examples, it is marked MODEL. 1873. on the upper receiver tang. Features the classic front sight with a replaced nickel blade and iconic "Buckhorn" rear adjustable sight. The serial number is 257861B, denoting the year of manufacture as 1888.

Also, as it is marked with a serial number over 90,000, this is considered a "Third Model", which featured improvements over the first two iterations of the design. The most noticeable change from the Second to Third models is that the dovetail that the dust cover slide on is machined directly into the receiver, and not attached by screws as it was previously. The Third model is what Winchester made until the end of the production run when the serial numbers exceeded 700,000.

The stamped address and patent marking on the top of the barrel is present and easily legible:-

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

Condition of the rifle is very good, showing a lovely oxidized patina on most of the metalwork, indicating long use on the frontier. There is a bit of past peppering around the receiver area, but there is no past pitting or other major rust issues. It looks like a gun that was carried outdoors, but was still relatively well cared for. The stocks are in great shape, showing the lovely red-brown color of oiled and aged walnut. The fore stock shows overall wear from use and cleaning, but no damage such as repairs or splits. The butt stock shows a bit more wear, particularly next to the receiver, where we can see some cracks as well as chunks missing on the right side. The crescent butt plate on this example does not have a storage compartment.

This lever action repeater has a nice action in fully functional condition, with the dust cover missing. The rifle cycles well and dry fires, with good smooth mechanical operation, showing just a bit of slop from wear, and no major sticking. The bore is in good frontier-used condition, still showing rifling, but also quite a bit of wear. It is almost worn smooth near the chamber, while there are worn lands and grooves closer to the muzzle. We would probably rate this about a 4 out of 10.

A lovely "frontier used" shortened example of an iconic gun with a great look, ready to display!

Specifications-

Year of Manufacture: 1888
Caliber: .32-20 Winchester
Cartridge Type: Centerfire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 21 Inches
Overall Length: 40 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.