This is an exciting and rare opportunity to acquire an exceptional piece of Winchester and Hollywood history: the Winchester Model 1873 rifle that stars with Jimmy Stewart in the iconic Universal western "Winchester '73". The film was the biggest western for 1950 and remained widely considered one of the most iconic and important westerns of all time and was added to the Criterion Collection just this year. The opening of the film reads "This is a story of the Winchester Rifle Model 1873 'The gun that won the West' To cowman, outlaw, peace officer or soldier, the Winchester '73 was a treasured possession. An Indian would sell his soul to own one..." The scene then opens on this specific rifle and its inlaid plaque reading "FIRST PRIZE/CENTENNIAL RIFLE SHOOT/WON BY/[BLANK]/DODGE CITY KANSAS/JULY 4TH 1876." This coveted "One of One Thousand" Winchester Model 1873 is soon won by Stewart's character Lin McAdam in Dodge City, Kansas, during a marksmanship contest held to celebrate the United States Centennial and changes hands multiple times before being recovered by the Lin in the climax of the film. Other plain Model 1873s are also used by various characters throughout the film, and this specific rifle can be clearly seen in many of the scenes as well as the promotional material for the film. Aside from being an iconic movie largely centered on the beloved Winchester Model 1873, the search for original "One of One Thousand" rifles that was part of the film's promotion brought many of the beloved surviving "One of One Thousand" rifles out of the shadows for the first time and catapulted them to the top of highly desired Winchesters. In total twenty-three "One of One Thousand" Model 1873s and six Model 1876s were identified as a result. Thus, this hero rifle fits within a special place in Winchester collecting which only grew throughout the latter half of the 20th century fueled in large part by the popularity of westerns. With only three of these hero rifles ever made, they are even rarer than the original "One of One Thousands" they represent in the film. We sold one other example back in 2005. This historic factory engraved "One of One Thousand" rifle would certainly add weight and interest to a collection alongside an original "One of One Thousand." These rifles very rarely become available. The included April 11, 1969, factory letter addressed to Andrew I. McCroskie states: "The Winchester Model 1873 serial number records list number 551816 as a rifle, caliber 44, octagon barrel, and plain trigger. It was shipped from the factory on September 24, 1901, no other information listed" and then further states: "The above gun is one refinished by Winchester as a '1 of 1000', for use as a movie prop in the movie, 'Winchester '73'." The rifle has distinctive panels of scroll gold highlighted scroll engraving with punch-dot backgrounds on the sides of the barrel and frame and is inscribed "One of One Thousand" on top of the barrel at the breech. The gold provides stark contrast making the engraving stand out on the silver screen. The rifle also features a German silver blade front sight with a dovetailed base, an adjustable sporting notch rear sight, the two-line address and King's improvement patent marking on top of the barrel ahead of the rear sight, and "44 W.C.F." on the upper left followed by the oval "WP" proof. The proof is also stamped on top of the receiver ring, and the receiver is the third model with an integral dust cover guide rail and has "MODEL 1873/-WINCHESTER/TRADE MARK REG. IN U.S. PAT. OFF." marked on the upper tang and the serial number on the lower tang. The brass cartridge elevator is marked "44 CAL." The walnut forearm and straight wrist stock are checkered. The highly figured buttstock displays the inlaid brass plaque noted above on the right side. The history of the "One of One Thousand" Winchester rifles is discussed in detail in "Winchester: The Golden Age of American Gunmaking and the Winchester 1 of 1000" by R. L. Wilson which features a photograph of this "Winchester '73" rifle in the front piece and also features and discusses it on page 102. The latter also includes a photograph of Jimmy Stewart and Herb Parsons on set with the caption noting "The rifle held by Stewart is Model 1873 number 551816". The rifle is accompanied by a trove of information about this rifle and the search for the original "One of One Thousand" Winchester Model 1873s in 1950, including original letters and documentation relating to the rifles turned up in the search. Among the documents is one of the rare "WANTED!" posters showing this hero rifle from the film. Also included is "'Winchester 73' Gun Safety Instructions as Demonstrated by James Stewart and Herb Parsons" which notes "Stewart's rifle used in these pictures, is the 'hero' of his new Universal International movie..." Along with the document are photographs of Stewart and Parsons demonstrating safe gun handling. The included May 1950 issue of "American Rifleman" features an article by Bill Depperman about the "One of One Thousand" rifles and the film and shows Jimmy Stewart holding one of the three specially made Winchester One of One Thousand Model 1873s on page 15. This rifle is shown again on page 16 by itself as well as another production still showing one of the rifles from the film and a photograph of Winchester test shooter Jack Lacy holding a target shot by one of the special rifles showing an under 1 1/2 inch group at 100 yards. One of the rifles is also shown on page 36 of the included October 1950 issue of "American Rifleman" in Depperman's article about the conclusion of the search for the One of One Thousand rifles. On page 38, he wrote about the three rifles, identifying them as serial numbers 551816, 703161, and 706716. He noted that "These engraved Model 1873's were made as movie props. They are highly accurate and today are in excellent mechanical condition. They are different from conventional rifles of this type because they have gold inlay running along the right and left side of the barrel. These also have a brass plate embedded in the right side of the stock." The rifle can also been seen in the film and in various production stills and promotions. The small dings just to the rear of the plaque and just above are scarcely visible in color but shows up more prominently in black and white and demonstrates that this specific rifle is the one used for the close up shot of the rifle's prize plaque in the film and also demonstrates that this is the same rifle cradled by Jimmy Stewart in the promotional photo of him with blood on his face. It was naturally also used for a great many other scenes in the movie. Provenance: The Mac McCroskie Collection

Exceptionally fine with 98% factory plus blue finish on the barrel, magazine tube, side plates, dust cover, lever, buttplate, and small parts, 80% plus factory blue finish remaining on the frame with a slight plum cast and fading mainly on the upper tang, strong factory gold finish on the scrollwork, crisp engraving, attractively aged patina on the plaque, deformation on the bottom of the cartridge elevator, and generally fairly minor overall wear for a rifle used in a western. The wood is also excellent and has crisp checkering, stunning figure, and only minor dings and scratches from screen use. Mechanically excellent. This is an extraordinarily rare opportunity to get your hands on one of the most iconic and significant firearms in the history of western films and Winchester collecting. This "hero gun" was a major player in generating excitement around the iconic Winchester Model 1873, the ever rare "One of One Thousand" rifles, and the history of the American West.