This is both a very fine and totally original example of a Winchester Model 1873 lever action rifle that is chambered in the desirable .22 short rimfire caliber. This rifle was manufactured in 1901. The rifle has a blue finish on the barrel, magazine, forearm cap, receiver, lever and dust cover. The hammer and solid crescent buttplate are casehardened. The straight grain, walnut, stock and forearm have an oil finish. The rifle has the distinctive .22 caliber receiver with no loading gate and front-loading magazine with late pattern magazine tube. The octagon barrel has a standard pattern sporting style front sight with nickel-silver blade and sporting style rear sight with serrated edges and screw-adjustable sighting notch. The Third Model receiver has an integral dust cover guide and dust cover with serrated edges. The top of the barrel is roll-stamped with the two-line legend "WINCHESTER'S ARMS. NEW HAVEN. CONN. U.S.A./KING'S IMPROVEMENT PATENTED MARCH 29. 1866. OCTOBER 16. 1860." ahead of the rear sight and the caliber designation "22 SHORT" between the rear sight and the receiver. The bottom of the cartridge elevator is roll-stamped "22 CAL./SHORT." in script letters. The upper receiver tang is roll-stamped "{MODEL 1873}" in fancy letters with foliate designs at either end. The serial number, "552613B" is stamped on the lower receiver tang between the lever latch and the tang screw in script numerals. The Winchester Model 1873 rifle was the first Winchester .22 caliber rifle and the first .22 caliber repeating rifle manufactured in the United States.