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Winchester 1873 2nd Model Saddle Ring Carbine ++NICE++
Guns International #: 101134175 Seller's Inventory #:
Category: Winchester Rifles - Model 1873 - Winchester Rifles - Antique Lever
Seller's Information
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Seller: Brent Wilburn
Company: Antique Arms, Inc.
Member Since: 11/19/15
First Name: Brent
Last Name: Wilburn
State: Georgia
Zip: 30052
Country: United States
Phone: (678) 471-1432
Phone2: (678) 471-1432
Premium Seller
Number of Active Listings: 36
Total Number of Listings: 580
Seller: Private Seller
Return Policy: 3 day inspection and return policy on used guns.
Payment Types Accepted: Money Order, Certified Check
Description:
This is one of the nicest 2nd Model Winchester 1873 Saddle Ring Carbines I've ever seen in 35 years of collecting. Standard carbine in 44-40. The 2nd Model was produced from 1879-1882 from serial numbers approx. 30,000 to 87,000. This means that out of roughly 720,000 Model 1873's produced from 1873-1923, 30,000 were 1st Models, about 57,000 were 2nd Models, and about 633,000 were 3rd Models. Of the few I've seen (2nd Model carbines) that were better than this, almost all had English Proofmarks. This one DOES NOT! This one is in the 65,000 serial range and was manufactured in early 1881. Putting that into a bit of historical perspective, this was the same year that Billy the Kid was killed by Sheriff Pat Garrett and Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday squared off against the Clantons at the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral. It was also the year prior to Jesse James being killed and Frank James surrendering. The frontier was still the Wild West in 1881 and a nice Winchester Repeater was not something to be pampered and admired, but used...and quite often USED A LOT! That said, this one is an exception to the rule. It was used as though it were a tool, but sparingly and for a much shorter duration than most. The Receiver shows 65% original blue...strongest around the saddle ring (because the staple protects this side better) and thinning more on the right side. Even the areas that look worn still have thinning original blue. The loading port still shows most of its original bright nitre blue so this wasn't loaded and fired very often. The barrel and magazine tube have about 30% original blue that is a bit splotchy with the balance a smooth grey patina...like it was in a saddle scabbard where the leather contacted the metal and took off some of the blue. The case colors on the hammer and lever had faded but you can still see the shadows where there were once mottled colors. The firing pin and bolt still show a fair bit of original blue suggesting this carbine wasn't fired much. The bore has nice lands and grooves...with the early style wide lands....still fairly bright but shows some scattered light pits from black powder being properly cleaned (which is a several hour chore when done right). I'd grade the bore Very Good Plus to Fine Overall. The action is crisp and tight...lever still snaps shut and the firing pin still indexes. The wood is fantastic for a carbine...tight wood to metal fit with the wood standing slightly proud over the metal which is the way it left the factory. And NO CRACKS! Being a carbine and its short use as a utility gun, the walnut shows some dings and scratches, and a little black streak down the left side of the stock from a drop or two of oil running down, but its still the original light brown Winchester oil finish. Exceptional for a 1881 vintage saddle ring carbine and nobody has ever cleaned or enhanced it. It has its original sights with the early style short flip up rear sight like you find on the Model 1866 and 1st Model 1873 carbines...with 3 and 5 graduations. There is no caliber marking on the barrel or the loading block as 44's weren't marked until 1884. At 65,000 serial range, this was just after the first 38-40's had been introduced....yes, they say 1879, but nothing other than a few samples were shipped in quantity until about 60,000 at the end of 1881/early 1882.. The upper tang has the "MODEL 1873" stamped with no Fleur De Lis bracketing the marking. There is one interesting thing we found on this carbine which is a factory error. The barrel address was accidentally stamped twice by the factory as they are slightly overlapping about half a font offset. At first, you think you need to get a pair of glasses it gives the appearance of being blurry not unlike an astigmatism. Then you see what's going on...its rolled twice slightly offset. See Photo. I don't know if this was a workman simply not paying attention and ran the barrel through the roller twice or someone reversing the roll die backwards after the first pass...but the lettering and numbers are crisp and identical from both strikes. Given the condition of the carbine, this was never used or worn enough (there is still orignal blue all over the place) to warrant any spurious restoration work. It is simply a factory mistake. Being a carbine that was destined to be used as a work tool, Winchester must have let this go out the door but I doubt they would have done the same if this had been a sporting rifle. Carbines were to sporting rifles what a Chevy pickup truck would be to a Corvette. A Fronteir era cowboy wasn't going to care but a New England Doctor would have likely objected. In fact, Winchester did not put the same fine mirror polish on their carbines as they did their rifles but you'd have to collect them for a lot of years to see enough examples to notice these little differences. At any rate, it has grown on me and I think the barrel mistake is neat, not unlike the famous "thumb print" Colt Walker where we see an obvious flaw in the Whitney factory during the finishing process or the broken "O" from a bad die used on the early Model 1890 Barrel addresses. If you have a nice 3rd Model Carbine and maybe a 1st Model, this 2nd Model would complete your grouping. That is the situation I'm in right now so if I can move some other things to free up the funds, I will probably hold onto it. Until then, it's for sale. I've got it priced for about half of what a 1st Model Carbine in similar condition would go for and just a bit more than a 3rd Model...which aren't hard to find as the 2nd Model in comparison. Nice example and like I said, one of the best I've seen that wasn't English proofed.
SOLD
Antique: Yes
Manufacturer: Winchester
Model: 1873
Caliber Info: 44-40