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How many of these were produced and in what serial number and date range? How desirable are they?
I passed one up for sale nearly 20 years ago, in, if I recall correctly, at least 90 or 95% condition and have regretted it, to some degree, ever since. I was collecting only 1886 rifles at the time. To me, the fact it had condition, and is in .44-40, suggests desirability. Again, if I recall correctly, the one I passed on was manufactured in 1903.
They are not that desirable unless they are near mint or have some special feature. There were large groups of them made for foreign military contracts so most of them went over seas and never came back. The ones you see at gun shows that look like new are the ones in the 569,000 to 571,000 range (1903) that were never issued and were shipped back to the US with some having salt air rust spots. The first 73 made serial #1 was a musket. I owned one years ago that had a few rust spots on it, I think I paid around $1500 and sold it to a local gun shop for $2500 a few years later and the gun shop said they would buy more of them. They jacked up the price and sold them to people that just wanted a mint looking 73 and didn’t know what a musket was. Since then I found a mint one for $6000 last spring with no rust spots that I will hang on to.
Bob
WACA Life Member--- NRA Life Member---- Cody Firearms member since 1991 Researching the Winchester 1873's
Email: [email protected]
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Guys,
1873 Man is on track. IF you still desire one, seems about every auction has at least one on it in near mint if not mint condition. If the bayonet is with it, the prices seem to go up more than the price of the bayonet would imply. Keep looking and no doubt you can find one that you would be willing to pay for.
Tim Tomlinson
nascar fan said
My best 73 musket. Flea market find.
That looks more like a long barreled rifle than a musket. Nice flea market find, though.
"This is the West, sir. When the legend becomes fact, print the legend."
Could be. I don’t know the difference. Barrel is 30″. Just a neat old wall hanger.
Interesting 73, it looks like it has a leather wrap around the wrist before it was lost.
Bob
WACA Life Member--- NRA Life Member---- Cody Firearms member since 1991 Researching the Winchester 1873's
Email: [email protected]
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