This is a very fine example of a Winchester Model 1873 .22 Rimfire Lever Action rifle that was manufactured in 1890. This rifle has standard blue finish on the barrel, magazine, forearm cap, dust cover, receiver and trigger. The hammer, lever and crescent buttplate are color casehardened. The stock and forearm are straight grain American walnut. The rifle has the Third Style receiver with integral dust cover rail and dust cover with serrated edges. The receiver has the 'step' found on .22 caliber Model 1873 rifles and lacks a loading gate. The octagon barrel has a standard, sporting style, front sight with nickel-silver blade and sporting style, buckhorn, rear sight. The magazine has the second style tube with flared ends. The top of the barrel is roll-stamped with the two-line legend "WINCHESTER'S REPEATING ARMS.NEW HAVEN, CONN. U.S.A/.-KING'S IMPROVEMENT PATENTED MARCH 29. 1866. OCTOBER 16. 1860.-" ahead of the rear sight. The caliber designation "22 SHORT" is roll-stamped of the top of the barrel ahead of the receiver. ".22 CAL/SHORT" is stamped in script letters on the bottom of the brass cartridge elevator. The upper receiver tang is roll-stamped "MODEL. 1873" in fancy script with foliate designs at either end of the marking. The serial number "390619B" is stamped in script on the lower tang behind the lever latch. The Winchester Model 1873 .22 Rimfire Rifle was the first Winchester .22 caliber rifle and the first .22 caliber repeating rifle manufactured in the United States.

Exceptionally fine. The barrel and magazine have 90% of the original blue finish and sharp markings. The receiver, dust cover and side plates retain 80% plus of the blue finish with a few minor scratches and handling marks. The right side plate has some age spotting and shows slightly more handling wear than the opposite side plate and the receiver. The hammer and sides of the lever have much of the casehardened finish. The case colors on the bottom of the lever show some contact wear and have traces of case colors. The crescent buttplate retains 50% of the smooth casehardened finish. The stock and forearm are both in excellent condition. Nearly all of the original vanish finish is present and the stocky and forearm show only scattered and very minor storage and handling marks. This is an exceptional example of a Winchester Model 1873 .22 Rimfire Lever Action Rifle. Provenance: Robert M. Lee Collection.