Scarce First Model Winchester 1873 Rifle with Cody Firearms Museum letter. The letter states that the rifle has a 24 inch round barrel and was shipped from the Winchester warehouse on September 21, 1874. The rifle has a blue barrel, magazine, forearm cap and receiver. The hammer, lever and crescent buttplate are casehardened. The stock and forearm are straight grain black walnut with an oil finish. The round barrel has a dovetail mounted sporting front sight with a nickel silver blade and a sporting rear sight with knurled edges. The receiver has the distinctive First Model dust cover with raised oval thumbprint and grooved guides on the sides. The first style lever latch has visible threads. The upper receiver tang is drilled and tapped for a rear sight. The crescent buttplate has a sliding brass trap door and the butt trap contains a four piece jointed steel cleaning rod. The top of the barrel is roll stamped with the legend "WINCHESTER'S-REPEATING-ARMS. NEW HAVEN. CT./KING'S-IMPROVEMENT-PATENTED-MARCH 29. 1866. OCTOBER 16. 1860." ahead of the rear sight. The upper receiver tang is roll stamped "MODEL 1873" in fancy letters. The serial number "2232" is stamped in script numerals on the lower tang between the lever latch and the rear tang screw.

Very fine. The rifle is all original and retains 70% of the original blue finish. Most of the blue finish in present on the barrel, magazine and forearm cap. Wear is limited to some finish loss and light pitting on the right side of the barrel between the muzzle and the magazine band and some handling marks on the top of the barrel and bottom of the magazine. The receiver and side plates have finish loss on contact points and high points along with some scattered light scratches and small spots of surface discoloration. Most of the wear is concentrated on the upper right edge of the receiver. The dust cover has about 50% of the blue finish intact. The hammer, lever and buttplate have about 80% of the casehardened finish intact with faded case colors. The stock and forearm are very good and retain close to 90% of the original finish, wear is limited to a few very minor handling marks. The markings on the barrel and receiver are crisp. First Model Winchester 1873 rifles are scarce in any condition. This is an outstanding example of a First Model 1873 Rifle.