Page 12 - 83-BOOK1

Excellent Antique Winchester 1873 Saddle Ring Carbine, “The Gun that Won the West”
10
LOT 1009
Excellent Early Winchester Model 1873 Lever Action
Saddle Ring Carbine with Factory Letter - Serial
no. 51750, 44-40 cal., 20 inch round bbl., blue finish, walnut stock. The accompanying factory
letter states that this carbine was
received in the warehouse on May 8, 1880 and shipped on May 11, 1880. The carbine
has the Second Model receiver with dust cover guide secured by two screws, dust cover with serrated edges and exposed trigger pin.
The carbine has a round barrel, full-length magazine tube and block-mounted front sight behind the barrel band. The front sight has a steel blade. The barrel has
a dove-tail mounted, first pattern, two-leaf rear sight. A staple-mounted saddle ring is mounted on the left side of the receiver. The straight grain, black walnut stock
and forearm have a varnish finish. The stock is fitted with a carbine style buttplate with sliding brass trap door. The forearm is secured by a single screw-fastened
barrel band. The barrel, magazine, barrel bands receiver and dust cover have a blue finish and the hammer, loading lever and buttplate are color casehardened. The
loading gate has a niter blue finish. London “crown/GP” and “crown/V” proof and inspection marks are stamped on the left side of the barrel below the rear sight. A
“crown/V” inspection mark is stamped on the top left side of the receiver. The top of the barrel 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 with the designation:
“MODEL 1873” in fancy letters. The serial number is stamped in script numbers on the lower tang between the lever latch and the rear tang screw.
CONDITION: Excellent. The carbine retains 90% plus of the original blue overall. Both barrel bands show moderate high point wear. The receiver has some slight contact wear
present on the right side and dust cover. The side plates have some minor edge wear. The loading gate retains 98% of the bright original niter blue finish. The hammer, lever and buttplate retain 90% plus of the original casehardened finish. The barrel and receiver markings are crisp. The stock and forearm are both in very fine condition with minor handling and storage marks. Most of the original oil finish remains. This is an excellent example of a Second Model 1873 Saddle Ring Carbine. Early production Winchester Model 1873 Carbines were working firearms that saw hard use; examples like this carbine in excellent original condition are very hard to find!
Estimate: 20,000 - 30,000