Winchester Model 1873 Sporting Rifle with Cody Firearms Museum letter. The Cody letter describes this rifle as "Type: Rifle, Caliber: 32, Barrel Type: Round, Trigger: Plain", and "1/2 Magazine" and states that it was shipped from the Winchester warehouse on May 14, 1884. The rifle has a 24-inch round barrel with screw-fastened, button tip, half-magazine. The Third Style receiver has a integral dust cover rail and dust cover with serrated rear edges. The receiver has the step at the junction with the barrel found on 22, 32 and 38 caliber Model 1873s. The barrel has a standard sporting style front sight with nickel silver blade and buckhorn, sporting style, rear sight with serrated edges and solid face. The upper receiver tang is factory drilled and tapped. The top barrel flat is roll-stamped: "WINCHESTER'S-REPEATING-ARMS. NEW HAVEN. CT./KING'S-IMPROVEMENT-PATENTED-MARCH 29. 1865. OCTOBER 15. 1860" in two lines ahead of the rear sight. "32-CAL." is roll-stamped on the top of the barrel just in front of the receiver. The upper receiver tang is roll-stamped: "-MODEL 1873-" in fancy letters with foliate devices at either end of the marking. "32 CAL." is roll-stamped in script across the bottom of the brass cartridge elevator. The serial number is roll-stamped in script numerals on the lower tang between the lever latch and rear tang screw. The barrel has a blue finish and the forearm cap, receiver and dust cover are a high polish blue. The loading gate has a fire blue finish. The hammer, trigger, lever and crescent buttplate are casehardened. The stock and forearm are straight grain American walnut with a varnish finish.

Excellent. The rifle is all original and retains 97% of the blue and casehardened finish. The blue on the barrel, forearm cap, receiver and dust cover shows only a few scattered and very insignificant storage marks. The side plates show traces of finish wear on the edges and several shallow, hairline scratches. The loading gate retains nearly 95% of the fire blue finish. 85% of the case colors remain on the hammer, trigger and crescent buttplate remain. The bottom of the lever has traces of silvering. The markings on the barrel and receiver are extremely crisp. The stock and forearm are in the same near new condition as the other components; nearly all of the high polish varnish finish remains. Wear is limited to a few very minor storage and handling marks. This is an exceptional documented special order Winchester Model 1873 Sporting Rifle.