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Mmolleck
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October 4, 2025 - 2:25 am
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Hello everyone, I just joined this site after finding it on google this afternoon.  My grandpa left me his old rifle—Winchester 1873.  I’m hoping to find ways to maybe somehow figure out the history of this gun.  There was a story to this gun, and he told my grandma one night “we need to talk about that gun” since he told her he wanted me to have it.  The next day he woke up gasping for air, ended up having a heart attack and never woke up.   So now I have it, and wondering.  I’ll never part with it, but thought it would be great to somehow figure out the story.  I have contacted the buffalo bill center and have the sheet on it, but that’s all they could give me.  It was manufactured in 1879 and has a low 40,000’s serial number.  My grandpas brother gave him this gun (who has also passed) and was a historical gun collector.  He lived in Arizona, so I only assume this gun was from the western area.   I know most records were destroyed for these winchesters.  Is there any way to figure anything out with the info on the sheet I have?  I know it’s a long shot but maybe someone out there has advice they could share.  I sure appreciate any guidance 

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Ben
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October 4, 2025 - 2:35 am
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Welcome!  This is a great place.  Lots of accurate information shared by great people… and one grouch. 🙂  If you can fit the Cody show into your summer schedule, do it!  It’s the best 4 days of my summer!  Take advantage of becoming a member of WACA… BTW: You are blessed to have a family heirloom… be sure to learn & record as much information as you can to pass on to the generation in your family!  Cheers! Ben

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TXGunNut
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October 4, 2025 - 2:39 am
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Welcome, Michael!

I’m hoping someone in Arizona may have some clues, most collectors keep some records and a few of us do a pretty good job of it. Someone in the family may have those records or know where to find them. From what you said it’s doubtful it was a family heirloom before your great uncle acquired it but we can’t rule that out. How long ago did your grandfather inherit the gun? 

 

 

Mike

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Mmolleck
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October 4, 2025 - 12:32 pm
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Ben said
Welcome!  This is a great place.  Lots of accurate information shared by great people… and one grouch. 🙂  If you can fit the Cody show into your summer schedule, do it!  It’s the best 4 days of my summer!  Take advantage of becoming a member of WACA… BTW: You are blessed to have a family heirloom… be sure to learn & record as much information as you can to pass on to the generation in your family!  Cheers! Ben
  

Thank you!  I will look in to the Cody show for sure.  Growing up this rifle hung over my grandpas fireplace….it was always just there and one of those things that was often over looked, but was kind of the image of grandpas house.  I was shocked when grandma told me that he wanted me to get it.  He had 19 grand children, and 40 great grand children…..to chose me out of all of us meant the world to me.  I’m so fascinated by the gun.  Who knows, it could just be special to him because it was a gift from his brother, but the stories I have heard of the firearms his brother owned that had such historical value to them, it really makes me want to see if this also has history to it.  Thank you for the reply and the welcome.  I look forward to reading thru these threads and learning what everyone is up to 

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426crown
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October 4, 2025 - 12:33 pm
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Welcome to our site. What is the serial number?  44WCF? Many will chime in to help you–Bill

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October 4, 2025 - 12:45 pm
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TXGunNut said
Welcome, Michael!
I’m hoping someone in Arizona may have some clues, most collectors keep some records and a few of us do a pretty good job of it. Someone in the family may have those records or know where to find them. From what you said it’s doubtful it was a family heirloom before your great uncle acquired it but we can’t rule that out. How long ago did your grandfather inherit the gun? 
 
 
Mike
  

Thank you for the welcome!  I believe all of grandpas filing cabinets have been gone thru.  I’m not sure on that tho.  Grandpa was an excessive record keeper so I’m a little surprised nothing has come up.  I will be talking to grandma this morning so I’m going to ask her again on it.  

from what I was told, my grandpa bought his house I think in 81.  He had to relocated because he took the job of police chief in another town.  He had a beautiful huge stone fireplace in the front room, and his brother came to visit.  His brother brought this rifle as a house warming gift, and grandpa displayed it over the fireplace.  It was up there for so long it, it a lot of times was overlooked, but it was just kind of the staple to grandpas house.  He was really proud of the gun. In the mid 2000’s someone came by and asked about it.  Whoever that was recommended taking the gun down and putting it in the safe because he said it was too valuable to be in easy reach.  Which he’s right for sure but from what I have found on these guns—they don’t hold a ton of value unless it’s the one in a thousand or have factory engravings, which this does not.   None the less, it’s still a $1500 gun I’m sure.  So after that, it sat in the safe and grandpa would occasionally wipe it down like he would with all of his others.  

I’m really hoping someone in Arizona has a record, or even just figuring out when my great uncle got it.  If I can’t figure out the guns full story, it would be great to just figure out my family’s story on it so when I pass it on, it can go with it 

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October 4, 2025 - 1:02 pm
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426crown said
Welcome to our site. What is the serial number?  44WCF? Many will chime in to help you–Bill
  

 Thank you for the welcome.  Its serial number is 40785.  The letter doesn’t specify the caliber, and I haven’t found any markings on it saying the caliber.  So I’m assuming a 44-40.   I will post a picture of the sheet in this main thread 

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October 4, 2025 - 1:03 pm
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Here’s is a picture of the sheet I received on it 

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1873man
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October 4, 2025 - 3:08 pm
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The first 73’s Winchester made were only 44 Caliber (44WCF / 44-40) so they didn’t fell the need to mark the gun. Even after the 38 and 32 calibers came out they didn’t mark the 44’s. It wasn’t until about serial 150,000 that they started to mark the 44’s.  The Cody letter you have does not list the caliber because it was considered the standard caliber and in the Warehouse ledger which is the only remaining records Winchester had beside the serialization records if any of the guns features were standard they didn’t write them down.  That is why the letter does not state caliber, barrel length or receiver finish, because its was standard at the time. 

I checked the serial number to my research data base and it didn’t show up  so its was probably in his brother collection for some time. I afraid the only source for its personal history would have come from  your Grandfathers  brother. If the gun had some historical importance I would think he would of given your Grandfather some document. Those documents can get separated from the guns over the years when the caretaker of the gun does not inform a spouse or relative where the guns documents are stored since rarely does someone attach the paperwork to the gun. The only thing I can think of is if you can go through your grandfather papers  before they get thrown out. If he had many guns he would of had a binder or folder with any gun documents.

If you want, take pictures of any marking you find on the gun and you can post them or email them to me at the below address so if there are any non Winchester marking that might indicate it being used in some historical setting. The other thing to do is open the cleaning rod slide door on the butt plate and see if there is something other than cleaning rods in there. Someone could of put a piece of paper in there.

Bob

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Researching the Winchester 1873's

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Anthony
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October 4, 2025 - 3:39 pm
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Welcome Michael,

Once again, our resident expert on the Winchester model 73, has done another fine job in his explanation and a few good suggestions.

A nice family rifle handed down to you that is nice to have and keep in the family, as some have said above.Smile

 

Anthony

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1873man
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October 4, 2025 - 4:24 pm
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Michael,

To dive into what the Cody letter order number can tell us is if the Winchester office records were around that would only get you who purchased and where it was sent but the office records were burnt in the boilers of the factory otherwise they would of been over run with paperwork. Many guns were sent to distributors and dealers and sold from there but your letter does not indicate a multi gun order from just the Cody letter. You can spot special order guns since the gun enters the warehouse and ships the same or next day. Yours is four days later which I can’t say one  way or the other what that means. From the guns appearance it does not look like it had Indian use or was in Mexico. 

Bob

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Researching the Winchester 1873's

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Mmolleck
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October 4, 2025 - 5:10 pm
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1873man said
The first 73’s Winchester made were only 44 Caliber (44WCF / 44-40) so they didn’t fell the need to mark the gun. Even after the 38 and 32 calibers came out they didn’t mark the 44’s. It wasn’t until about serial 150,000 that they started to mark the 44’s.  The Cody letter you have does not list the caliber because it was considered the standard caliber and in the Warehouse ledger which is the only remaining records Winchester had beside the serialization records if any of the guns features were standard they didn’t write them down.  That is why the letter does not state caliber, barrel length or receiver finish, because its was standard at the time. 
I checked the serial number to my research data base and it didn’t show up  so its was probably in his brother collection for some time. I afraid the only source for its personal history would have come from  your Grandfathers  brother. If the gun had some historical importance I would think he would of given your Grandfather some document. Those documents can get separated from the guns over the years when the caretaker of the gun does not inform a spouse or relative where the guns documents are stored since rarely does someone attach the paperwork to the gun. The only thing I can think of is if you can go through your grandfather papers  before they get thrown out. If he had many guns he would of had a binder or folder with any gun documents.
If you want, take pictures of any marking you find on the gun and you can post them or email them to me at the below address so if there are any non Winchester marking that might indicate it being used in some historical setting. The other thing to do is open the cleaning rod slide door on the butt plate and see if there is something other than cleaning rods in there. Someone could of put a piece of paper in there.
Bob
  

Hi Bob, thank you very much for all of that information, and running the serial number.  That’s really great of you to do.  I’ve shined a flashlight down the barrel and in the cleaning rod compartment and there’s nothing there.  Cleaning rods are also missing.  This very well could be just a gun that my great uncle spotted and thought “I bet Bob would like this” (Bob is my grandpa, not you haha) 

I talked with my grandma this morning, and she mentioned that my grandpa and the fire chief at the time were good friends, and he was a gun enthusiast as well, so she’s going to reach out to him and see if the gun ever came up in conversation.  Maybe he was the one that cautioned him not to display it.  

I would sure think that if there was any kind of significant story to this gun, it would have been known in the family, or atleast my grandma would have known.  But then again, my grandpa, with his law enforcement back ground was careful with information.   It’s too bad the records were destroyed, if anything it would be a neat part of the story to know who bought or ordered the gun.  

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October 8, 2025 - 1:42 pm
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Very cool that you ended up with this rifle.  You are right to feel honored to be the custodian.

 

So much history in these old guns! I am guessing this will not be your only old Winchester!

 

Tim

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October 9, 2025 - 1:33 pm
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Mmolleck said

TXGunNut said
Welcome, Michael!
I’m hoping someone in Arizona may have some clues, most collectors keep some records and a few of us do a pretty good job of it. Someone in the family may have those records or know where to find them. From what you said it’s doubtful it was a family heirloom before your great uncle acquired it but we can’t rule that out. How long ago did your grandfather inherit the gun? 
 
 
Mike
  

Thank you for the welcome!  I believe all of grandpas filing cabinets have been gone thru.  I’m not sure on that tho.  Grandpa was an excessive record keeper so I’m a little surprised nothing has come up.  I will be talking to grandma this morning so I’m going to ask her again on it.  
from what I was told, my grandpa bought his house I think in 81.  He had to relocated because he took the job of police chief in another town.  He had a beautiful huge stone fireplace in the front room, and his brother came to visit.  His brother brought this rifle as a house warming gift, and grandpa displayed it over the fireplace.  It was up there for so long it, it a lot of times was overlooked, but it was just kind of the staple to grandpas house.  He was really proud of the gun. In the mid 2000’s someone came by and asked about it.  Whoever that was recommended taking the gun down and putting it in the safe because he said it was too valuable to be in easy reach.  Which he’s right for sure but from what I have found on these guns—they don’t hold a ton of value unless it’s the one in a thousand or have factory engravings, which this does not.   None the less, it’s still a $1500 gun I’m sure.  So after that, it sat in the safe and grandpa would occasionally wipe it down like he would with all of his others.  
I’m really hoping someone in Arizona has a record, or even just figuring out when my great uncle got it.  If I can’t figure out the guns full story, it would be great to just figure out my family’s story on it so when I pass it on, it can go with it 
  

I am almost completely ignorant about the Model 1873.  However, it’s my understanding the “standard” round barrel on your rifle was less popular than the extra-cost octagonal barrel. Others with expertise in the subject might know but I would guess most merchants would order rifles with octagonal barrels for inventory and the round barrel rifles are at least slightly more seldom. 

If you were willing to do so, posting legible closeups of all the rollmarks and stamps might allow our resident experts to discern a bit more information. Perhaps not but any surviving 1873 of that vintage and in that condition is a.worthy artifact. Do you have an idea of its functional condition?

- Bill 

 

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"I have seen wicked men and fools, a great many of both, and I believe they both get paid in the end, but the fools first." -- David Balfour, narrator and protagonist of the novel, Kidnapped, by Robert Louis Stevenson.

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October 11, 2025 - 11:21 pm
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Zebulon said

Mmolleck said

TXGunNut said
Welcome, Michael!
I’m hoping someone in Arizona may have some clues, most collectors keep some records and a few of us do a pretty good job of it. Someone in the family may have those records or know where to find them. From what you said it’s doubtful it was a family heirloom before your great uncle acquired it but we can’t rule that out. How long ago did your grandfather inherit the gun? 
 
 
Mike
  

Thank you for the welcome!  I believe all of grandpas filing cabinets have been gone thru.  I’m not sure on that tho.  Grandpa was an excessive record keeper so I’m a little surprised nothing has come up.  I will be talking to grandma this morning so I’m going to ask her again on it.  
from what I was told, my grandpa bought his house I think in 81.  He had to relocated because he took the job of police chief in another town.  He had a beautiful huge stone fireplace in the front room, and his brother came to visit.  His brother brought this rifle as a house warming gift, and grandpa displayed it over the fireplace.  It was up there for so long it, it a lot of times was overlooked, but it was just kind of the staple to grandpas house.  He was really proud of the gun. In the mid 2000’s someone came by and asked about it.  Whoever that was recommended taking the gun down and putting it in the safe because he said it was too valuable to be in easy reach.  Which he’s right for sure but from what I have found on these guns—they don’t hold a ton of value unless it’s the one in a thousand or have factory engravings, which this does not.   None the less, it’s still a $1500 gun I’m sure.  So after that, it sat in the safe and grandpa would occasionally wipe it down like he would with all of his others.  
I’m really hoping someone in Arizona has a record, or even just figuring out when my great uncle got it.  If I can’t figure out the guns full story, it would be great to just figure out my family’s story on it so when I pass it on, it can go with it 
  

I am almost completely ignorant about the Model 1873.  However, it’s my understanding the “standard” round barrel on your rifle was less popular than the extra-cost octagonal barrel. Others with expertise in the subject might know but I would guess most merchants would order rifles with octagonal barrels for inventory and the round barrel rifles are at least slightly more seldom. 
If you were willing to do so, posting legible closeups of all the rollmarks and stamps might allow our resident experts to discern a bit more information. Perhaps not but any surviving 1873 of that vintage and in that condition is a.worthy artifact. Do you have an idea of its functional condition?
  

Hi bill, I have also read that the round barrels were a little more rare just because of what you also mentioned, that most wanted the octagon barrel.  I haven’t had time to get it out since Bob responded.  Here are a couple more photos I have on my phone from when I first got it.  Working condition—it cocks, and trigger works but I’ve never ran a round thru it.  I’m too afraid of ruining it.  It’s got wear to it but still retains its bluing—judging by its consistent wear, I dont believe it’s ever been refurbished.  But then again, it is a 146 year old rifle, so it’s impossible to say.  I’ll post pictures below 

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October 11, 2025 - 11:25 pm
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1873man
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October 12, 2025 - 1:15 am
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In the early 73’s it was $5 more for a octagon barrel but later the price dropped to just $1.50 for half octagon or full octagon. The Octagon barrel is by far the most common barrel shape at 68.8%, round 27.5% and Half octagon  3.7%. The reason I understood why the octagon was more popular is it was thought to be more accurate because with the corners of the octagon made it more rigid. 

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October 12, 2025 - 12:01 pm
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1873man said
In the early 73’s it was $5 more for a octagon barrel but later the price dropped to just $1.50 for half octagon or full octagon. The Octagon barrel is by far the most common barrel shape at 68.8%, round 27.5% and Half octagon  3.7%. The reason I understood why the octagon was more popular is it was thought to be more accurate because with the corners of the octagon made it more rigid. 
Bob
  

That’s interesting! It makes sense on the thought of the octagon being more accurate.  Half octagon half round would be a cool gun to see!  

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October 12, 2025 - 1:07 pm
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The half-octagon Winchester is a very nice find.  Off the top of my head, I would say that by far you see the most in the M1894.  Next would be the M1886, and then the M1892 and then the M1873 and then the M1876 and the least found would be the found on the M1895.  

That’s just my speculation – I’m happy to be corrected. I puzzled a bit between the M1873 and the M1892.

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October 12, 2025 - 2:11 pm
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steve004 said
The half-octagon Winchester is a very nice find.  Off the top of my head, I would say that by far you see the most in the M1894.  Next would be the M1886, and then the M1892 and then the M1873 and then the M1876 and the least found would be the found on the M1895.  
That’s just my speculation – I’m happy to be corrected. I puzzled a bit between the M1873 and the M1892.
  

Steve, a half-octagon 73/76 & 95 are on my radar. Will find them eventually!

 Rick C 

   

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