Original U.S. Winchester Model 1873 .38-40 Repeating Rifle Made in 1883 with 24" Octagonal Barrel and Set Trigger - Serial 133331A

Original Item: Only One Available. "The Gun that Won the West!" This lovely Winchester repeating rifle is in .38-40 caliber, marked with 38 W.C.F. over the chamber, while the marking on the the brass carrier block is worn away. It features a desirable 24" octagonal barrel and full-length magazine tube, and does appear like it may have been reblued at some point. 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 133331A, which denotes the year of manufacture as 1883. It's also fitted with an adjustable "set trigger", which was a factory option, only fitted to approximately 5% of the original production, as well as all of the "1 of 1000" and other fancy examples.

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 engraving on the top of the barrel is present and fully legible, though a bit faint in areas:-

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, with the reblued finish still retained very well in most areas, showing wear on some of the corners, as is expected. We can see some areas of past peppering under the finish, which is clear evidence that it saw a good amount of use before refinishing. The wood stocks lovely and in very good condition, showing the lovely red brown color of aged and oiled walnut. They also both are made from lovely "figured" walnut showing a high amount of chatoyancy, which was a factory option, though without a letter we do not know if these are original or were replaced when it was refinished. The stocks do show the expected dents and dings from use in service. so it is very possible they are original. We do not see any cracks or repairs, and the butt stock has the correct crescent butt plate, with a working storage compartment (empty).

This lever action repeater has a crisp tight action in fully functional condition with an original dust cover. The rifle cycles well and dry fires, with good smooth mechanical operation. There is a bit of sticking in areas, most likely due to wear and old grease. The set trigger appears to be fully functional, engaged after cycling the gun by pushing the trigger forward, and the pull length adjustment works as well. The bore is in good condition, showing clear rifling, but also a good amount of wear and past oxidation and fouling. The rifle looks to have seen a lot of use while it was in service, and was probably not cleaned properly after each use.

A very nice example of an iconic gun with a great look, ready to display!

Specifications-

Year of Manufacture: 1883
Caliber: .38-40 Winchester
Cartridge Type: Centerfire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 24 Inches
Overall Length: 43Inches
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.