Winchester Model 1873 Short Rifle with Cody Firearms Museum letter. The letter describes this rifle as "44 caliber" with 20-inch octagon barrel, set trigger, "Fancy" stock and forearm, "Rod in butt" and "Engraved $2.00, Style 10". The letter shows that this rifle was received in the Winchester warehouse on June 20, 1900 and subsequently shipped and returned on five occasions; the last return was on October 19, 1912. This unique rifle was most likely a Winchester factory exhibition piece. Found in 1949 by Harry Sefried of New Haven, Conn., in a Winchester sales office. This exact rifle is illustrated and described on page 200 of "THE WINCHESTER ENGRAVING BOOK" by R.L. Wilson. The rifle has a blue finish on the barrel, magazine, forearm cap, frame, dust cover and crescent buttplate. The hammer and lever are color casehardened. The stock and forearm are deluxe fancy gain walnut with fine checkered panels and a high polish piano finish. The left side plate is factory engraved with a whitetail buck in an oval panel surrounded by open scroll engraving. The right side plate and frame are decorated with open scrollwork and single line borders. Scrollwork flourishes are engraved on the dust cover, top of the receiver, upper tang, bottom of the receiver and cartridge elevator. The receiver has the step found on later production short rifles and Third Model integral dust cover rail and dust cover with serrated edges. The barrel has a dovetail mounted Sheard front sight with brass bead and rare Winchester folding leaf express rear sight. The rear sight features one fixed and three folding leaves graduated from 100-400 yards. In addition to the factory set trigger and crescent buttplate with sliding brass trap door, mounts for detachable sling swivels are located on the forearm cap and stock. The left barrel flat is die-stamped "WINCHESTER'S REPEATING ARMS, NEW HAVEN, CONN. U.S.A./KING"S IMPROVEMENT PATENTED MARCH 29, 1866. OCTOBER 16, 1860." in two lines ahead of the rear sight. "44 W.C.F." is roll stamped on the left barrel flat just ahead of the receiver. The oval "W/P" Winchester proofmarks are stamped on the top barrel flat and top of the receiver. "44 CAL" is stamped on the cartridge elevator in script letters. The upper receiver tang is die-stamped" "{MODEL 1873}" in fancy letters with foliate devices at either end. The serial number "549178B" is stamped in script numerals between the lever latch and the tang screw. The combination of a short rifle configuration with factory engraving, deluxe stock and forearm and special order features make this rifle a one-of-a-kind piece. Provence: John R. Woods collection.

Excellent. The rifle retains 99% of the original blue and casehardened finish with some very minor wear on the buttplate. The factory markings and flawlessly executed engraving are crisp. The highly figured walnut stock and forearm are in excellent plus condition; the checkering is extremely sharp and nearly all of the high polish piano finish remains intact. Wear is limited to a few very insignificant storage marks and a small scuff mark on the right side of the stock. This is an exceptional example of an extremely rare, deluxe, factory engraved Winchester Model 1873 Short Rifle with special order front and rear sights, set-trigger, crescent buttplate with trap and mounts for sling swivels.