Special order Winchester Model 1873 rifle with the rare combination of a 24 inch full octagon barrel and half-magazine. This rifle is accompanied by a Cody Firearms Museum letter that describes this Model 1873 as: "Rifle, 44 Caliber, Octagon barrel, Plain trigger" and "1/2 Magazine". The letter states that this rifle as shipped from Winchester on July 20, 1887. The rifle has the Third Model receiver with integral dust cover rail and dust cover with serrated edges. The barrel has a sporting style front sight with nickel silver blade and buckhorn, sporting style, rear sight. The upper tang is factory drilled and tapped. The crescent buttplate has a sliding brass trap door. The top barrel flat is roll-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. The caliber designation, "44 W.C.F." is roll-stamped on the top barrel flat just in front of the receiver. "44 CAL" is stamped in script across the brass cartridge elevator. "- MODEL. 1873.-" is roll-stamped on the upper receiver tang in fancy letters with foliate devices at either end. The serial number is stamped in script numerals on the lower tang between the lever latch and rear tang screw. The rifle has a blued barrel, forearm cap, receiver, and dust cover with niter blue loading gate. The magazine tip, hammer, trigger, lever and crescent buttplate are color casehardened. The stock and forearm are straight grain American walnut with a varnish finish.

Very fine. The barrel and receiver has 80% of the original blue finish intact with high point wear on the edges and some tiny spots of age discoloration. The Winchester legend and caliber markings are sharp. The forearm cap has 75% of the blue intact with minor scuff marks. The dust cover has finish wear near the grip serrations and retains about 80% of the original finish. The blue on the bottom of the receiver at the junction with the forearm and on the dust cover rail is thin and there is edge wear and a few minor scratches on the receiver sides and side plates. The loading gate has 90% of the original nitre blue finish intact. Most of the muted case colors are present on the hammer, trigger and lever. The contact points on the bottom of the lever show traces of silvering. The case colors on the buttplate have faded to a silver patina with some spots of age discoloration near the heel and toe. The stock and forearm have most of the varnish finish intact and are in fine overall condition with scattered handling marks and light scratches. This is a very fine example of a Third Model Winchester 1873 rifle with the scarce special order combination of a 24 inch full octagon barrel and half-magazine.