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Was trolling auction sites and came across this one…Lot 361 in Five Star Auctions if link doesn’t work.
I don’t know a thing about Model 73s but I just thought the 7 leaf sight was pretty cool. Auction descr stated Cody sheet confirms 7-leaf sight but they didn’t post the Cody sheet. Good luck if you choose to bid.
Greg
Greg,
The problem with most guns with 7 leaf sights is they were exported like the guy describing it mentions but most will have British proofs which hurts its value.
Bob
WACA Life Member--- NRA Life Member---- Cody Firearms member since 1991 Researching the Winchester 1873's
Email: [email protected]
January 26, 2011
Online
I ran across one of these at a gun show last year and I think it had the sling eyes and a set trigger also. The fact that the rear dovetail slot is absent helps confirm the 7 leaf may have come on it, but it would be good to see the letter showing the three options.
~Gary~
Curious! Why would British Proof marks lower the value of a Winchester? Be it an 1873 or ’76. Many Winchesters were exported to England where they would be proofed assuring these firearms met the British standards of the time. Many ended up in India or Africa. I’m at a lose as to why this would reduce any collector value. Please explain. Thank you, Apache.
The bulk of American Winchester collectors want American guns that tamed the West and when they see foreign proofs it is no longer a true American gun. There are collectors that my not care one way or the other but there is enough of them to that don’t like proofs that it influences the price.
Bob
WACA Life Member--- NRA Life Member---- Cody Firearms member since 1991 Researching the Winchester 1873's
Email: [email protected]
1873man said
The bulk of American Winchester collectors want American guns that tamed the West and when they see foreign proofs it is no longer a true American gun. There are collectors that my not care one way or the other but there is enough of them to that don’t like proofs that it influences the price.
Bob
I learn something today, I did not know British proof mark down grad the role.
NRA, SAFARI CLUB INT'L SASS LIFE MEBER, POW MIA ACTIVE MEMEBER.
A friend of mine just acquired an 1886 .45/90 with half magazine, round barrel, rifle butt and it has British Broad Arrow proofs from British military service. Seems odd and I know the Royal Navy purchased 1892 and 1894 saddle ring carbines in 1914/1915 for use but I also read that the fledgling RFC purchased 1886 levers for use also. Anyone else have any information on the subject. I don’t think military proofs hurt value as much as commercial proofs and I think the RN Winchesters should really fetch higher prices as only 20,000 92 and 5,000 or 7,000 94 carbines were purchased.
I have a standard 92 in 44 RBR shipped 1907 order#95352 that has British proofs. I bought it in Canada in the 70’s and the gun store at that time (Traders Den Toronto ) said it was shipped to England for Home guard WW1 . They Stressed that feature and demanded a premium to the price
Phil
I think the deal was that if a firearm is sold commercially in the UK it has British proofs but anything used by the military has the British Broad Arrow and sometimes that is it. Many of the Ross rifles shipped to England for Home Guard use in early WW2 were sold commercially afterwards and proofed and marked but also stamped “NOT ENGLISH MAKE” for whatever reason. Unless there is a broad arrow on your 92 I would say it was probably shipped to Great Britain to an individual and ended up in Canada later on. Plus it is quite a stretch between 1907 and the outbreak of WW1.
Thanks Mike I just got my 92 out to check marks. The Bolt top , Receiver Ring , and barrel , are marked with a small stamp with a crown over something I cant see even with magnification , only other stamp added is on the Barrel “44 40–200”. Does that tell you anything ? I wasnt insinuating info from store at that time was correct. I had no way to verify facts back then . Have had fun with it over the years. And this post brought back the memory
Phil
I’m no expert and I wasn’t insinuating anything. But it sounds like British commercial proofs to me. Still a nice gun with interesting history. I think it is too late for a BBHS letter and that is too bad. The proof marks wouldn’t put me off but I’m afraid I’m in the minority.
One of the oddities of British proofed guns being less attractive to collectors because they didn’t involve the ” taming of the West ” is that 
high conditioned guns sat in a closet of some aristocrat and and had nothing to do with the premise. They never saw any action based on their condition.
Bill
I wrote a follow up question about British Proofed Winchesters being of a lesser value than American “Won the West” “Closet Queens”, manufactured long after Arizona became a state in 1912, the West having already been won. (Most 1894’s and 1892’s would qualify). I’ll just have to assume that it’s just the Market and nothing more.
To understand this you have to understand what made the guns so highly collectable in the first place. Its not that the gun itself went West that caused their value increase, it started with the Cowboy movies and shows that made the Winchester and Colt values go up. People wanted to collect these guns that won the West and when they see guns that have foreign proofs, they don’t see that gun in the same light as the gun that was in their cowboy shows and since there are enough people that think that way, they can influence the market. Now this might change over time as the age of collectors that grew up on the John Wayne movies die and are replaced by new collectors that have different values.
Bob
WACA Life Member--- NRA Life Member---- Cody Firearms member since 1991 Researching the Winchester 1873's
Email: [email protected]
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