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This rifle walked into my local gunshop a couple of months ago. As you can see it is a must have gun so I bought it. The only problem is the missing rear sight. It had a later Lyman tang sight on it when I got it but that came off first thing. Aside from the obvious question, does anyone have a rear sight? The other questions I would like ask are more along the lines of reference data. How many of the early guns were Deluxe Models? Is there any way to tell how many Deluxe Models were made before this one. I awaiting the Cody Search results as I write. It was requested just yesterday. This is 4th or 5th high condition antique Winchester I have bought there. The last one was a very nice second Model 66 Musket.
THIS ALL STARTED WITH JUST ONE GUN!
That is a very rare rifle in excellent condition? I can only imagine what it cost you. There was 6 deluxe guns before that one that were deluxes. I have 305 deluxes in my survey so far below serial 30,000 which is the range of first models. The rear sight will be very hard to find. Your looking for a reverse sight like pictured below. Is there a wear pattern in front of the dove tail from the sight?
Bob
WACA Life Member--- NRA Life Member---- Cody Firearms member since 1991 Researching the Winchester 1873's
Email: [email protected]
Old Guns,
Thats a super nice 1873. They dont get much better. Anyone would be proud to add that one to their collection.
Bob,
Noticed that the checking at the wrist closest to the receiver is rounded. Ive seen one other early 1873 deluxe (straight grip) that was checked in a non-standardized pattern (think we both saw it at Tulsa a few years back, the one that Brent had–think it had a 30″ barrel and 24″ magazine tube). At at what point or SN does the straight grip (or PG) checking pattern on the buttstock become a standardized pattern (the one that Gordon describes as “Early”)? Can that be pinpointed in your survey? I find it interesting because these early checking patterns were developed prior to an established “Early” standardized pattern.
And the checking pattern on the forearm for Old Guns rifle, is there a point where you no longer see this pattern of forearm checking and the “H” style becomes the predominant pattern for deluxe guns?
Chris
1892takedown @sbcglobal.net ......NRA Endowment Life Member.....WACA Member
"God is great.....beer is good.....and people are crazy"... Billy Currington
Chris,
I didn’t track checkering patterns in the survey but it worth looking into. I think it will be a very short period that it was done.
Bob
WACA Life Member--- NRA Life Member---- Cody Firearms member since 1991 Researching the Winchester 1873's
Email: [email protected]
Bob, Thanks for the info on the other Deluxe Models. I could not guess how many were built this early in production. When I first saw the gun I was in awe and when I turned it over an saw the serial number I about fell over.
The gun had a Lyman 2A sight on the tang but it was not correct and had only one screw. Thankfully no one drilled another hole for the missing screw. First thing I did was take it off and put in the proper filler screw. As for the area in front of the dove tail I am posting a picture. There is very little wear from a sight. It is like it was installed new and never moved and when it was removed little evidence was left.
THIS ALL STARTED WITH JUST ONE GUN!
I can just make out a mark from the elevator from the reverse sight that was on it. Like I said before, it is going to be a long search to find one and to find one to match the condition of the gun is harder yet.
Bob
WACA Life Member--- NRA Life Member---- Cody Firearms member since 1991 Researching the Winchester 1873's
Email: [email protected]
In awe is a good way to describe my thoughts on this gun. Where has the gun been for all these years – was it ever sold at an auction or noted in someone’s collection. When I first saw the pictures I was puzzled by the checking – but that is because I have never seen such an early checkered 73. Once I looked at a couple of reference books and read the comments from Bob and Chris I figured it out. Amazing something so rare and in such great condition just walks into a gun shop! I was also puzzled about the serial # and model designation located together on the lower tang- once again because I have never seen a 73 this early. I did find a photo of serial # 11 which Leroy Merz sold and which also had the serial # and model together. Serial # 111 is in the Madis book and the model/serial # are together. But I did find another early one that had the serial # in that location but not the model. Just out of curiosity, was the cleaning rod still in the butt? I am just amazed at the condition of the burl wood stocks and amount of blue it still has. Thank you for sharing pictures of this real treasure. Burt
Old Guns said
This rifle walked into my local gunshop a couple of months ago. As you can see it is a must have gun so I bought it. The only problem is the missing rear sight. It had a later Lyman tang sight on it when I got it but that came off first thing. Aside from the obvious question, does anyone have a rear sight? The other questions I would like ask are more along the lines of reference data. How many of the early guns were Deluxe Models? Is there any way to tell how many Deluxe Models were made before this one. I awaiting the Cody Search results as I write. It was requested just yesterday. This is 4th or 5th high condition antique Winchester I have bought there. The last one was a very nice second Model 66 Musket.
An amazing rifle. Just curious, I assume the gun shop owner knew what he had and it was priced accordingly as opposed to your getting a super deal on it as a result of owner not knowing how rare it is?
Winchester Model 1873 44-40 circa 1886
1873man said
That is a very rare rifle in excellent condition? I can only imagine what it cost you. There was 6 deluxe guns before that one that were deluxes. I have 305 deluxes in my survey so far below serial 30,000 which is the range of first models. The rear sight will be very hard to find. Your looking for a reverse sight like pictured below. Is there a wear pattern in front of the dove tail from the sight?Bob
Bob, I’ve never seen a reverse sight, looks kind of strange.
Doesn’t seem like it would be very functional, any additional info you could provide as to when/why Winchester used them?
Winchester Model 1873 44-40 circa 1886
Winchester was still using some 66 barrels at that point that used the ladder sight like a Henry rifle.
Kevin,
As Casey said they were using 66 barrel which had the dovetail close to the barrel. They could not use the normally sight you see on first models so the made one that sat backwards until they starting making a new barrel with the dove tail farther forward. They went to the new barrel on the 73’s and 66″s at the same time.
Bob
WACA Life Member--- NRA Life Member---- Cody Firearms member since 1991 Researching the Winchester 1873's
Email: [email protected]
November 7, 2015
Offline
In a word: wow! My next thoughts were along the same line as Burt’s but my theory is that only a small percentage of collectable Winchesters are held by active collectors and the balance are sitting around somewhere quietly waiting for an heir or executor to decide to sell them. A find like this is good motivation for trolling the local gun shops.
What a great find and definitely an inducement for trolling gun stores. Now if one only had a fish finder, er “Winchester finder” .
"This is the West, sir. When the legend becomes fact, print the legend."
Wow, beautiful “73” I never realized that Winchester ever did checkering like that.
Thanks.
Al
You could troll this shop all day every day and never find anything as I buy nearly all the good stuff. I help them out with online photography and as a result I get first shot at anything coming in. I have come across a few guns in other shops but the price is usually a sticking point. I like to buy a gun with built in equity. This gun came from the estate of a small local collector. He had a good idea of what he had but the gun has not seen the open market for many years. I have some guns from that come from a consignor whose grandfather most likely assembled the collection back in the 1920s and 30s. He has brought in 3 batches so far and each time it cost me a fair amount of money. Some very nice Winchesters came out of those batches as well as Colts and antique pistols. I never buy from an auction house or major online seller, all I have is local.
This gun is by far the nicest and most interesting of all that I have come by but it is not the rarest by any means. One day a Standard Products M1 Carbine Presentation model walked in and went home with me. There were probably less the 10 of them ever made.
THIS ALL STARTED WITH JUST ONE GUN!
Old Guns said
You could troll this shop all day every day and never find anything as I buy nearly all the good stuff. I help them out with online photography and as a result I get first shot at anything coming in. I have come across a few guns in other shops but the price is usually a sticking point. I like to buy a gun with built in equity. This gun came from the estate of a small local collector. He had a good idea of what he had but the gun has not seen the open market for many years. I have some guns from that come from a consignor whose grandfather most likely assembled the collection back in the 1920s and 30s. He has brought in 3 batches so far and each time it cost me a fair amount of money. Some very nice Winchesters came out of those batches as well as Colts and antique pistols. I never buy from an auction house or major online seller, all I have is local.This gun is by far the nicest and most interesting of all that I have come by but it is not the rarest by any means. One day a Standard Products M1 Carbine Presentation model walked in and went home with me. There were probably less the 10 of them ever made.
Old Guns last sentence, “probably less the 10 of them ever made”,might not be as rare as his Deluxe 73. A Deluxe 73 with the model number on the lower tang would have to be under s/n 360. If Bob says there are six Deluxe guns before his, and his is s/n 350, maybe his is one of 7. The condition of that 73 on a first model first variation in a Deluxe is rare, rare, and rare. The gun is worth well north of 100K. Congratulations on a “super gun”. T/R
Old Guns,
I was thinking of your missing sight problem and I think a good gunsmith could take a standard first model sight and weld up the sight and machine it to look like a reverse sight. You can keep looking for a real one in the mean time.
Bob
WACA Life Member--- NRA Life Member---- Cody Firearms member since 1991 Researching the Winchester 1873's
Email: [email protected]
I had the search result in an old email address I don’t check too often. Here it is. What does V and Checkered mean? What does Target 3 mean?
THIS ALL STARTED WITH JUST ONE GUN!
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