Special order, deluxe, Winchester Model 1873 rifle that was manufactured in 1882. This rifle has the Second Model receiver with screw-fastened dust cover rail and dust cover with serrated finger grips on the rear. This rifle is accompanied by a Winchester Museum letter that states: "This Winchester Model 1873 as a rifle, octagon barrel, casehardened, checked stock pistol grip, plain trigger. Graduated peep and Beach sights." The letter further states that this rifle was shipped from Winchester on February 2, 1882. The rifle has a charcoal blue, full octagon barrel and full length magazine. The dust cover has a high polish blue finish. The loading gate is fire blue. The forearm cap, receiver, hammer, trigger, lever and crescent buttplate are color casehardened with vivid case colors. The pistol grip stock and forearm are highly figured 3X fancy grain walnut with Winchester "Style H" checkering and a piano finish. The bottom of the pistol grip has an ebony inlay. The barrel is fitted with a special order, gold-plated, Beach folding combination front sight and buckhorn, sporting style rear sight with knurled edges and a solid back. A folding peep sight with fifty minute graduation is mounted on the receiver tang. The crescent buttplate has a sliding brass trapdoor and the butt trap contains a four-piece, jointed, steel cleaning rod with brass tip. The top barrel flat 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." ahead of the rear sight. The serial number is stamped in small script numerals between the lever latch and the rear tang screw. The barrel and brass cartridge elevator, correctly, lack caliber markings.

Exceptionally fine. This stunning rifle is all original and retains 85% plus of the blue and color casehardened finish. Wear on the barrel and magazine is limited to very minor edge wear at the muzzle and traces of high point wear on the upper edges of the barrel. The Beach front sight retains nearly 95% of the gold-plated finish and nearly all of the dark, oil quenched finish is present of the folding peep tang sight. Nearly all of the high polish blue finish is present on the dust cover and significant amounts of blue remain on the dust cover rail and bolt. The loading gate has nearly all of the fire blue finish. The forearm cap, receiver, hammer, trigger, lever and buttplate retain at least 85% of the vivid case colors. There are traces of silvering on the edges of the receiver at the junction with the forearm and on the bottom of the lever. The highly figured, fancy grain, walnut stock and forearm are in excellent condition and have nearly 95% of the piano finish intact. The finish has dulled slightly on the right side of the forearm between the receiver and the checkered panels and on the stock along the edges of the buttplate. The stock and forearm show only a few very insignificant handling or storage marks. The "Style H" checkering is sharp. The barrel legend and serial number are crisp. This is a stunning example of a special order, deluxe Winchester Second Model 1873 rifle that would be the stand-out piece in the finest collection of Winchester firearms.