Original U.S. Winchester Model 1873 .38-40 Repeating Rifle with Rare Heavy Wall Octagonal "Bull" Barrel Made in 1891 - Serial 364634B

Original Item: Only One Available. "The Gun that Won the West!" This lovely Winchester repeating rifle is in .38-40 caliber, marked with .38 CAL over the chamber faint and on the the brass carrier block. As a FIRST for IMA, this example is fitted with a rare and very substantial special order 24" octagonal "Heavy Wall" barrel, often referred to as a "Bull Barrel" by collectors. With an overall diameter of over 1" at the muzzle, these very heavy barrels even required a channel in the bottom to make room for the full length magazine tube, and also had a slight taper at the breech end to meet up better with the receiver. Per research, only about one of every 1,100 rifles had these rare barrels, or 0.09%. 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 364634B, which denotes the year of manufacture as 1891.

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 present and fully legible:-

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

Condition of the rifle is very good, showing wear commensurate with age, and the metalwork has matured to a lovely light gray oxidized patina, with some areas where the original bluing is still visible. The wood stocks are in very good used condition, showing the lovely red brown color of aged and oiled walnut. The fore stock is lovely, and is the correct slightly larger version than normal, in order to accommodate the heavy wall barrel. It does look to have been varnished in the past, but we cannot see any cracks or repairs. The butt stock is also great, showing some past wear but no major damage, and it is finished with the same varnish. 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. We did not notice any sticking or other issues that are often seen on these old rifles. The bore is in very good condition, showing clear lands and grooves with a partly bright finish. There is some past wear and fouling, now cleaned away, it definitely looks to have seen a good amount of use, but was cared for. We would rate it a 7 out of 10.

A lovely example of an iconic gun with a rare "Bull" heavy wall barrel, ready to display!

Specifications-

Year of Manufacture: 1891
Caliber: .38-40 Winchester
Cartridge Type: Centerfire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 24 Inches
Overall Length: 42 3/4 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.