Original Item: "The Gun that Won the West!" Well this is most unusual! We're used to seeing these fine rifles in .38-40 or .44-40, but this one is in .22 Long Rifle (.22LR) Rimfire! It is marked 22 LONG. over the chamber, and 22 CAL. / LONG. on the bottom of the brass carrier block. It has a desirable 24" octagonal barrel and full-length removable magazine tube. Features the classic front sight and the iconic "Full-Buckhorn" adjustable rear sight. The serial number is 233242B denotes the year of manufacture as 1887, one of about 33,000 made that year. The engraving on the top of the barrel is clear, though the top line was struck much less heavily:-

Stocks are in great condition, with just a few small chips, and are the lovely dark red-brown color of aged oiled walnut. There are the expected dents and dings from long service, but nothing out of the ordinary. The butt stock is fitted with a crescent butt plate without a storage compartment.

The barrel and action have faded from the original blue to a nice plum colored patina overall, with some of the original blue still retained in places. There is no real sign of any peppering or more serious oxidation. The rifle is in overall very nice condition. Very crisp tight action in fully functional condition with the original dust cover. Bore is clear and shows crisp lands and grooves, with a mostly bright finish. There is just a bit of dirt and fouling in areas.

A very nice example of an iconic gun in a rare small caliber, fully cleaned and ready to display!

Specifications-

Year of Manufacture: 1887
Caliber: .22 Long Rifle
Cartridge Type: Rimfire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 24 Inches
Overall Length: 43 Inches
Action type: Lever Action Repeater
Feed System: 18?-round removable 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.