Lot 19: Winchester 1873 Rifle 38-40 WCF

Winchester Model 1873 Sporting rifle that was manufactured in 1886. This rifle has the Third Model receiver with integral dust cover rail and dust cover with serrated edges. The top of the receiver has the 'step' at the junction with the barrel found on .22, .32, and .38 caliber Model 1873 rifles. The rifle has a 24 inch round barrel with half-magazine. The barrel has a Rocky Mountain front sight with steel blade and a sporting style buckhorn rear sight with serrated edges and fixed aperture. The upper receiver tang is factory drilled and tapped. The crescent buttplate has a sliding trap door. The barrel, half-magazine, dust cover and loading gate are blued, and the forearm cap, receiver, hammer, trigger, lever and buttplate are color casehardened. The stock and forearm are "Extra Finish" walnut with a high polish piano finish. The top of the barrel is roll-stamped with the two-line legend: "WINCHESTER'S-REPEATING-ARMS. NEW HAVEN. CT./KING'S-IMPROVEMENT-PATENTED-MARCH 29. 1866. OCTOBER 16. 1860." in two lines ahead of the rear sight. "38 CAL" is roll-stamped on the top of the barrel at the junction with the receiver. The upper receiver tang is roll-stamped "{ MODEL. 1873.}" in fancy letters with foliate devices at either end. "38 CAL" is stamped in script across the bottom of the cartridge elevator and the serial number "222273B" is stamped in script numerals on the lower tang between the lever latch and the tang screw.

Very fine as partially restored (all casehardened parts). 75% of the original blue finish is present on the barrel and sights. Wear is limited to a few minor dents and scratches. The barrel legend is sharp. The dust cover retains 70% of the blue finish while the loading gate has about 60% of the blue finish. The forearm cap, receiver, hammer and lever have more than 90% of the professionally restored casehardened finish. The case colors are slightly muted purposely to duplicate age but silvering is limited to contact points on the upper receiver tang and bottom of the lever. The case colors on the crescent buttplate show slightly more wear than the receiver but remain at least 85%. The extra finish stock and forearm are both in fine condition and retain much of the high polish piano finish. The forearm finish shows moderate handling wear while the stock has nearly all of the finish intact. Both the stock and forearm have scattered, minor dents and handling marks. This is an attractive Winchester Model 1873 rifle with very desirable casehardened receiver.