Manufactured in 1881, this Second Model production features the dust cover guide rail secured on the top of the receiver with two screws and dust cover has the serrated finger grip on the rear. This particular rifle features a special order half octagon barrel with a brass blade front and adjustable buck horn sporting rear sights. The top barrel flat ahead of he rear sight is marked with the two line address/King's Improvement marking, the upper tang is marked MODEL 1873" and then serial number is on the lower tang. Blue finish with casehardened hammer, lever and buttplate, half magazine tube and mounted with a smooth forearm and straight grip stock with a steel end cap and crescent buttplate with compartment (cleaning rod not included). The copy of the accompanying Cody Firearms Museum Records Office sheet verifies serial number 65721 as a 1873 rifle, 1/2 octagon barrel, plain trigger, 1/2 magazine and that it was received in and shipped out on order number 24243, 2-17-1881.

Very fine. The barrel shows 30% dark original finish concentrated mainly on the octagon portion, with a smooth grayish brown patina on the balance. The receiver retains 75% original blue finish with loss due to flaking with areas of smooth brown patina and a number of scratches. The hammer retains most of the original case colors and the lever shows some darkened case colors with the balance having a smooth mottled grayish brown patina. The buttplate has a mottled gray patina with some minor pitting on the heel. The very fine wood has been refinished and with the exception of a minor 1" crack in the upper right front of the forearm there are only a few scattered minor dings and handling marks. The markings are crisp and clear. Mechanically excellent. The fine model 1873 appears to have seen little use.