Special order Winchester Model 1873 rifle manufactured in 1875. This rifle has the First Model receiver with grooved dust cover guides and dust cover with checkered oval finger grip. The rifle is accompanied by a Cody Firearms Museum letter that describes this Model 1873 as: "Rifle, 28-inch Octagon barrel, Set trigger, Checkered stock with xxx wood" and "Nickel Receiver". The letter states this rifle was shipped from Winchester on September 3, 1875. The rifle has a blued barrel, full length magazine and trigger with fire blue loading gate and casehardened forearm cap, hammer, lever and crescent buttplate. The receiver, dust cover and cartridge elevator are nickel-plated. The stock and forearm are highly figured, deluxe, 3x, fancy grain walnut with a satin finish and early 16-18 line Winchester factory checkering. The special order, 28-inch octagon barrel has a standard sporting style front sight with nickel-silver blade and a buckhorn rear sight with fixed sighting notch and four notch elevator marked "1 1/2, 2, 2 1/2" and "3" on the left side. The rifle has a single set-trigger. The upper receiver tang is factory drilled and tapped. The crescent buttplate has a sliding brass trapdoor. The top barrel flat is roll-stamped "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. The upper receiver tang is roll-stamped "MODEL. 1873." in fancy letters. The serial number is stamped in script numerals between the lever latch and the rear tang screw. There are, correctly, no caliber markings on the barrel or cartridge elevator.

Very fine. The barrel and magazine retain 60% of the original blue finish with light edge wear and small scattered spots of age discoloration. The Winchester legend is crisp. The case colors on the forearm cap, hammer and lever have faded to a mottled gray-brown with 40% of the original finish remaining. The buttplate has a dark brown patina with scattered age discoloration. The receiver, dust cover and cartridge elevator retain 70% of the nickel-plated finish with light-moderate handling wear on contact points. The loading gate retains about 50% of the fire blue finish. The 3x, fancy grain walnut stock and forearm are all in fine condition. The satin finish has a dark age patina with scattered minor handling marks. The checkered panels have light-moderate handling wear and remain in very good overall condition. This is a very good example of a desirable, early production First Model 1873 Winchester rifle with extremely rare nickel -plated receiver and other special order features.