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I just caught the tail-end of a Bonanza episode this morning. It is season 5, episode 11 and titled, “The Legacy.” Much to my visual enjoyment, I tuned in just as Little Joe rides up and gets off his horse. He has in his hand, a very fancy nickel plated ’73 SRC. I can make out fancy inlays in the stock (both sides). As he walks toward Ben and the brothers (carrying the rifle) Hoss takes the rifle from Joe’s hand, looks it over and says, “I see you got Pa’s rifle.” There’s a bit more discussion referring to the “rifle.” From what I gleaned Little Joe thought a fellow had killed his father and he hunted him down using his father’s rifle. Joe explains he didn’t shoot the guy (even though he deserved it) and states he had his finger on the trigger of his father’s rifle, “but I just couldn’t pull it.” He adds, “maybe it’s because it was your rifle.”
So, this was Ben’s rifle (carbine) but I don’t recall seeing it in any other episodes. It is a very showy, shiny full nickel-plated carbine with metal stock inlays.
I did a bit of research:
https://www.americanrifleman.org/articles/2009/8/5/ben-cartwrights-winchester-model-1873/
As it is pictured in the AR article, it seems to have suffered more wear than what I saw on TV.
It does beg the question, where is the carbine now? The AR article states where it was in 2009. Anyone here have it 
By the way, I do have a full (original) nickel plated ’73 SRC but it’s not the same one 
steve004 said
Joe explains he didn’t shoot the guy (even though he deserved it) and states he had his finger on the trigger of his father’s rifle, “but I just couldn’t pull it.” He adds, “maybe it’s because it was your rifle.”
“Because it was your rifle”? What sense does that make as a reason not to give the bad guy what he deserved? Ben should have said, “Joe, you’ve got a lot of growing up to do.”
It actually plays out in the opposite direction. When I started watching, Ben and his sons Adam and Hoss are sitting around the table discussing the possibility that Joe killed a man. Ben is troubled. Adam urges his father to consider that if Joe did kill the man, it was because Joe believed the man had killed Ben (and Ben is wearing a sling and it appears he has been recently wounded). Ben is sullen about it and says something to the effect, “didn’t I teach you boys better than eye for an eye?”
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