Original Item: One-of-a-Kind. Here we have a very interesting original Winchester Model 1873 saddle ring carbine in the most popular caliber of .44-40, as used in both carbines and six gun revolvers of the era. Manufactured in 1883, this example had been liberated from Native Americans by PRIVATE WILFRED J. REESE of "E" TROOP sometime around December of 1890. Family lore tells us that Wilfred J. Reese, born in Pennsylvania in 1868, enlisted in Buffalo, New York and joined the 7th Cavalry's E. Troop in late 1890. He was relocated back to Western New York in 1896 and finally retired to Illinois in later life.

The Carbine, Serial # 134580A, was originally a standard 20" barrel example in .44/40 caliber, however when recovered by Pvt. Reese it had been modified to have a 19" barrel with a U.S. military style front sight installed. The tubular magazine was shortened to approximately three quarters of its length and the original butt and fore stocks decorated with brass tacks, 19 in total. The upper half of the butt had become detached and repaired using glue and a couple of brass screws. The original ladder rear sight had lost its top cap and horizontal sighting bar.

This has come to us by way of a very renowned Native American specialist who got it from the family, hence the interesting back story. Received in a filthy state, the carbine has now been very carefully cleaned revealing a surprisingly attractive Carbine that comes with a great Back Story. Offered in very nice aged condition it still has an intact M[O]DEL 1873 marking on the upper receiver tang, though a hole was drilled through the tang for some reason. The caliber markings are worn off, but testing the chamber with some inert rounds shows us that it is in .44-40 chambering.

The engraving on top of the barrel is still present, and still fully legible, despite the long service history:

Still fully functional, the action cycles well, with a 19 inch round barrel with a good bore. It still has visible lands and grooves, though it is a bit oxidized and fouled. However, we usually see these shot out, so it is one of the better examples we have seen. This Carbine has a flat military style curved butt plate with working storage compartment, and the side mounted saddle ring. The stock wood still has a great color to it, despite all of the action it has seen.

A very interesting example, ready to research and display!

Specifications-

Year of Manufacture: 1883
Caliber: .44-40 Winchester
Cartridge Type: Centerfire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 19 Inches
Overall Length: 38 Inches
Action type: Lever Action Repeater
Feed System: 6-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.