Factory engraved Winchester Model 1873 Sporting Rifle with Cody Firearms Museum letter. This rifle is illustrated and described on page 192 of "WINCHESTER ENGRAVING" by R.L. Wilson, page 195 of "THE WINCHESTER BOOK" by George Madis and pages 446-447 of "WINCHESTER'S NEW MODEL of 1873, A TRIBUTE, VOL. II, by James Gordon. The Cody Museum letter describes "Model 1873, serial number 256160" as: "Type: Rifle, Caliber: 44, Barrel Type: Octagon, Trigger: Plain, Checkered stock with pistol grip, Shotgun butt, Casehardened" and "Engraved: $4.00". The Cody letter states this rifle was shipped from the Winchester warehouse on March 3, 1888, and returned and re-shipped twice on August 26 and October 15, 1892. According to the letter, the rifle was sent to Melbourne, Australia and New York City, New York. The shipment and return dates correspond to exhibitions held in Australia and New York. Melbourne hosted the Centennial International Exhibition from August 1, 1888 to January 31, 1889, and the International Industrial Fair was held in Buffalo, New York, in 1889. This rifle has the Third Model receiver with integral dust cover guide rail and dust cover with serrated rear edge. The rifle has a blue, full octagon barrel, full length magazine, bright blue dust cover, loading gate, bolt, trigger and shotgun buttplate. The forearm cap, receiver, hammer and lever are casehardened. The forearm and pistol grip stock are deluxe, fancy grain walnut with factory "Style H" checkering and a high polish piano finish. The forearm cap, dust cover, cartridge elevator, top, sides and bottom of the receiver, side plates and the buttplate heel feature Winchester scroll engraving. The scrollwork has a rare, finely hatched, background rather than the usual punch-dots. The game scene on the right side plate features a puma and the left side plate features a bull elk. R.L. Wilson's description of the engraving on this rifle states that the hatched background and puma game scene are quite rare. Wilson further states that the engraving was probably executed by Conrad F. Ulrich. The barrel has a rare "Rocky Mountain" front sight blade with insert on the rear face and sporting style, buckhorn, rear sight with serrated edges and solid back. The receiver is factory drilled and tapped. The bottom of the stock pistol grip has an ebony inlay. The top- barrel flat is roll-stamped with the two-line legend: "WINCHESTER'S REPEATING ARMS. NEW HAVE. CONN. U.S.A./- KING'S IMPROVEMENT PATENTED MARCH 29.1866. OCTOBER 16.1860.-" ahead of the rear sight. The caliber designation: "44 W.C.F." is roll-stamped on the top barrel flat between the rear sight and the receiver. "- MODEL. 1873.-" is roll-stamped on the upper receiver tang with foliate devices on either end of the marking. "44 CAL." is roll-stamped in script on the bottom of the cartridge elevator above the engraved scrollwork. The serial number is stamped across the lower tang in tiny numerals between the lower tang screw and the lever latch.

Very fine. This deluxe Model 1873 rifle is all original. The barrel retains 80% plus of the original blue with minimal finish loss; the edges of the barrel are sharp and the Winchester legend and caliber markings are crisp. Some finish loss and age discoloration is visible on the right side below the barrel band. The dust cover has 85% of the bright blue finish. The nitre blue on the loading gate has faded to a mottled blue gray. No finish remains on the shotgun buttplate which has aged to a steel gray with scattered light pitting and traces of age discoloration. The forearm cap, receiver, side plates, hammer and lever are covered with an old coat of protective varnish which imparts a yellow tone to the case colors. The casehardened finish is 60% intact. The flawlessly executed engraving on the forearm cap, dust cover, cartridge elevator, receiver and side plates is deep and sharp. The scrollwork on the buttplate heel is light. The fancy grain walnut stock and forearm are in very fine-excellent condition with sharp checkering and only minor, scattered, handling wear. At least 90% of the high polish piano finish remains on the stock and forearm. This is a very fine example of an exceptionally well documented deluxe, special order, Winchester Model 1873 rifle with rare factory engraving.