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Winchester 1873 with London Retailer address and a fewe problems
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January 8, 2025 - 1:43 pm
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Hello

 

Recently I bought a loverly 73,it looks like its been rebarreled as the bore is beautiful and shiny. On the left hand side of the receiver it is engraved

 

” Wilkinson & Sons”

   27 Pall Mall

   London

 

However the action is a little at fault,now and again the bolt will return to battery but the firing pin stays to the rear ontop of the hammer.Is this because the dovetail in the bolt is worn and the little hinged tag is allowing the bolt to ride past it?

I would love to share some pictures of this little gem that somehow found its way to Norway but I am struggling with the photo loading.

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1873man
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January 8, 2025 - 2:49 pm
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Open up the the left sideplate and look at the firing pin retractor. Its probably the retractor is installed wrong or is worn/broke. You can send me pictures to my email below.

Bob

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1873man
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January 9, 2025 - 2:57 pm
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Here are the pictures. I rotated and cropped some. It looks like its been refinished and the magazine tube has been replaced.

Bob

1000015752.jpgImage Enlarger1000015753.jpgImage Enlarger1000015754.jpgImage Enlarger1000015755.jpgImage Enlarger1000015757.jpgImage Enlarger1000015759.jpgImage Enlarger1000015760.jpgImage Enlarger

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Anthony
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January 9, 2025 - 5:12 pm
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I can’t remember when and where I either saw this in pictures, or on a site for sale somewhere, but the engraved side panel sure sounds familiar to me.

 

Thanks for sharing, and Bob thanks for posting the pics!

 

Anthony

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1873man
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January 10, 2025 - 2:03 am
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What is the muzzle diameter? It looks big. I’m wondering if that was a musket. You have rear swivel but no front one.

Bob

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January 10, 2025 - 7:09 am
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Hello

 

Thank you Bob for taking the time to post the pictures!

 

To answer Bob’s question,the diameter at the Muzzle is 0.722″ or 18.34mm. The barrel has been set back by the looks of things,there is a slot cut about 4″ back from the muzzle that I guess was the original pin slot to secure the magazine tube,the rear sight is also non original but I guess everyone already saw that.

 

Anthony : There was a nickle plated 73 that was previously owned by English Royalty that came up in a RIA auction last year,they featured the London address but Wilkinson probably sold hundreds of these Rifles.

 

Most of the parts on this gun bear the number 16,I guess it might have been inventory on a ship or somesuch? The forwood is all bruised and dented underneath,having lost some of its original form.I have seen this damage before on prison guns where the guards lent the guns on railings time after time,same thing could happen on a ship too I guess?

 

I have less than $600 in the gun so I am happy to just shoot and enjoy it,but would of course love to hear anymore about it.

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January 11, 2025 - 6:22 am
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[email protected] said
Recently I bought a loverly 73,it looks like its been rebarreled as the bore is beautiful and shiny. 

How many grooves does the rifling of the barrel have?

Maverick

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1873man
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January 11, 2025 - 3:16 pm
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The gun was a musket.

Bob

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January 11, 2025 - 6:57 pm
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Well that explains the barrel, magazine tube, and forearm looking the way they do.

Maverick

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January 11, 2025 - 7:30 pm
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  Anytime you see a 73 carbine with a rear sling swivel  of that type and no front swivel you think maybe it was a musket. The problem with that upgrade the barrel and forearm from a musket has the wrong dimensions, looks wrong. Most of the muskets are third model, a first model musket is scarce but still a tough sell. Most of the nice muskets are around 500,000 S/N, many are modern. $6k will get you a minty one that’s why people try to convert to carbine or simply use the back half to make up a screamer carbine. It will have sling swivels or an inlay in the stock where the swivel was.   T/R

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January 13, 2025 - 10:16 am
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Bob

Thank you very much for the fascinating information! I never considered for a moment that the gun may have originally been a Musket! 

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