Original Item: One of a Kind. This is it! This is a very rare FIRST MODEL Winchester 1873, and is one of the earliest that we have had! These were only produced for about 6 years ending in late 1879. This rifle is in the very popular .44/40 caliber, the same as the Colt Frontier 1873 Revolver which allowed the owner to use the same ammunition for both rifle and handgun. This really is "The Gun that Won the West!"

This example has a very nice heavy wall 24" round barrel, and a full-length magazine tube. Features the classic front sight and iconic "buckhorn" rear adjustable sight. The serial number is somewhat worn, but can be read: 13984 denoting the year of manufacture as 1879. Another key aspect of the FIRST MODEL was the use of the "thumbprint" style dust cover, included on this example, which was transformed in the subsequent models. This type fits into a dovetail over the ejection port, unlike the later variety, which slides on a dovetail on the rear receiver.

The engraving on the top of the barrel is clear:

It also was personalized on the left receiver side plate with the name and location of the owner, as well as the date 1876:

Stocks are in good condition and have been varnished. The fore stock is standard, but the butt stock is a custom stock of a type we have not seen before, possibly aftermarket. It's definitely quite old, and matches the crescent butt plate nicely, though there is no butt trap under it. The design has a "boat tail" or "Bannister" style to it, and is made of very attractive figured walnut.

The barrel and action still have some of the original blued finish, with the rest faded to a gray patina. We do not see any signs of removed past pitting, just wear from use and cleaning. The rifle is in overall very good condition, especially considering the age. It has a very crisp tight action in fully functional condition with the original dust cover. The bore shows clear lands and grooves, and is in very good condition, with a mostly bright finish and some light wear and lead fouling. Probably rates an 8-9 out of 10, and is one of the best first model bores we've ever seen.

A very good condition early example of an iconic gun, with a custom butt stock, cleaned and ready to display!

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.

Specifications-

Year of Manufacture: 1876
Caliber: .44-40 Winchester
Cartridge Type: Centerfire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 24 Inches
Overall Length: 45 Inches
Action type: Lever Action Repeater
Feed System: 15-round tube magazine

Note: This gun is NOT considered obsolete calibre, so we are no able to ship to the United Kingdom. Please note that for international shipping, these MUST be shipped using UPS WW Services.