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August 6, 2008
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Local guy has an 1873 that Im gonna go look at tomorrow. It is serial number 96375. It has a 26" octagon barrel. I asked the caliber and he says he can’t find a marking anywhere? He thought it was a 38-40 but for a gun that has all of the other markings pretty clear, wouldn’t it be pretty easy to see the caliber? If it’s a 44-40 would it be marked? It also has a rear peep in the dovetail. It looks just like the rest of the gun and seems to have been there for the last 132 years like the rest of the gun. It’s a pretty simple sight thats just flat metal that looks like a penny cut in half with a 1/16" hole in it. He said you have to cock the gun to see through the sight? I can’t find a picture of it in Madis’s book so do you guys know what sight it might be?
May 2, 2009
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Mike,
Early guns were not caliber marked and when they introduced other calibers they marked them but the 44 continued to be unmarked for a while. The way I tell the caliber of a 73 at a glance is if the top of the receiver has a step or not. If it does not have the step its a 44, if it does I then look at the mag tube. If the mag tube is small its a 32 if its big its a 38 or 22 and a 22 can be IDed by the lack of loading gate and the end of the mag tube.
Bob
WACA Life Member--- NRA Life Member---- Cody Firearms member since 1991 Researching the Winchester 1873's
Email: [email protected]
May 23, 2009
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Mike,
Is the gun a 2nd or 3rd Model receiver? 96375 is in the range when guns transitioned into the 3rd model receivers. It wouldn’t be uncommon for the gun being in 44-40 not to be marked so in that serial range. Guns in 44-40 didn’t start being marked (as for caliber) into the 100,000 range or so.
If the gun has the stepped receiver as Bob suggests most likely it has had the caliber marking worn off.
Don’t know what to make of the sight without any pictures, sorry.
Sincerely,
Maverick
WACA #8783 - Checkout my Reloading Tool Survey!
https://winchestercollector.org/forum/winchester-research-surveys/winchester-reloading-tool-survey/
