Original Item: Only One Available. This is a great vintage cowboy Winchester Model 1873 carbine in the most popular caliber of .44/40, as used in both carbines and six guns revolvers of the era. Offered in very nice aged condition and correct in all respects, serial number is a bit worn but still legible as 64659, which indicates that it was manufactured in 1881. Also, as it is marked with a serial number between approximately 31,000 and 90,000, this is considered a "Second Model", which featured improvements over the "First Model". The most noticeable of these was the change to the dust cover, where instead of sliding into grooves on the top of the ejection port, the dust cover was attached to a screw fastened dovetail on the rear of the receiver. This dovetail would then become an integral part of the receiver in the "Third Model", which was what Winchester made until the end of the production run when the serial numbers exceeded 700,000.

This carbine also comes with an original factory letter from the Buffalo Bill Center of the West at the Cody Firearms Museum, which now houses the original Winchester factory records. This is printed on watermarked WINCHESTER REPEATING Fire Arms letterhead, and dated September 08, 2022. These indicate that the order for this carbine was received in the warehouse January 11, 1881, and shipped on April 02, 1881 as part of order 25004. Unfortunately there is no other information available for the serial number, but that is not uncommon for a carbine that did not see customization. The letter is signed and still bears the correct raised seal.

The receiver on this example definitely has the two threaded holes for the dovetail, however the dovetail itself is missing, along with the attachment screws and the dust cover. It does have an intact but worn MODEL 1873 marking on the upper receiver tang, however the top of the barrel breech and carrier block are worn, so there is no indication of the chambering. We measured the bore, and it is definitely too large to be .38-40, and also a .44-40 casing fits into the chamber, which would definitely not work if it was .38-40, meaning this is definitely a .44-40 example.

Still fully functional, the action cycles great, with a 20 inch round barrel with a very good bore. It has clear lands and grooves with partly bright finish, and shows oxidation and past fouling in the grooves. It probably rates about a 7 out of 10, which is definitely well above the usual condition we see carbine bores in. This Carbine has the "Crescent" butt plate and a working butt storage compartment, however it is currently empty. It also has had the front sight blade replaced, and the rear sight is now a simple notch type.

The gun overall has shows a some exterior wear, however the barrel address and patent markings are still fully legible and read:

In nice condition showing use and really presents wonderfully. The stocks do show discoloration and wear, now showing a dark brown color to the walnut. The fore stock has a crack in front of the barrel band, while the butt stock has a crack on the left side along the wood grain, running back from the receiver tang, which looks to have been repaired. There are also other smaller cracks along the wood grain, suggesting past moisture exposure.

A lovely "matured" example of a Winchester Model 1873 Carbine, fully cleaned and ready to display!

Specifications-

Year of Manufacture: 1881
Caliber: .44-40 Winchester
Cartridge Type: Centerfire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 20 Inches
Overall Length: 38 1/2 Inches
Action type: Lever Action Repeater
Feed System: 9-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.