Manufactured in 1903, this is an outstanding example of a Winchester Model 1873 musket with the Third Model receiver having an integral dust cover guide and dust cover with serrations at the rear. This particular musket may have been part of the group of 700 muskets noted from the 569,000-571,000 serial number range that were shipped to Central America in September 1903 and were apparently never issued and were re-imported to the United States in the late 1950s in near new, un-fired condition. The top of the barrel is marked with the two-line address/King's patent marking, the "44 W.C.F." caliber marking at the breech, and "44 CAL." on the cartridge elevator. The upper tang has the model designation, and the serial number is on the lower tang. It is fitted with a block blade front sight, folding ladder rear sight, and sling swivels on the middle barrel band and bottom of the buttstock. It is mounted with a smooth, musket-length forearm and straight grip stock with a military style buttplate. The included factory letter states the musket was received in the warehouse on September 11, 1903 and shipped on September 18 in .44 caliber along with 694 other arms to order number 13880.

Excellent, retains 95% plus of the original blue finish, 95% of the vibrant original case colors, and 99% of the original nitre blue on the loading gate with the middle barrel band having thinned showing a grey patina and some light surface pitting. The wood is also excellent with vertical compression marked on the left of the buttstock and a few scattered minor dings and handling marks on the balance. Mechanically excellent.