RARE HALF NICKEL FACTORY ENGRAVED WINCHESTER MODEL 1873 LEVER ACTION RIFLE.

RARE HALF NICKEL FACTORY ENGRAVED WINCHESTER MODEL 1873 LEVER ACTION RIFLE. SN 127938. Cal. 44 WCF (44-40). Beautiful ’73 with 24-1/4″ oct bbl, full magazine, half nickel front sight and short semi-buckhorn rear sight with checkered edges. Mounted with very nicely figured, center crotch,flame grain American walnut, uncheckered, with straight stock & crescent buttplate with trap containing a 4-pc brass & iron cleaning rod. Receiver has a sgl set trigger. Left side of lower tang is stamped with assembly number “4835”, “XXX” and an “R”. Matching assembly number is found in top tang channel of buttstock which also has an “S”. Matching number is also stamped inside toe of buttplate. Receiver, forend cap & buttplate are nickel finished. Receiver & sideplates are engraved by one of the Ulrichs, probably John. Engraving consists of the small rnd vignette of a standing whitetail buck in a field & forest scene with foliate arabesque patterns fore & aft with one scroll terminating in a large flower blossom. Front & rear flats of receiver are engraved to match. Right side has matching engraving with foliate arabesque patterns terminating in a large flower blossom on the sideplate. Top & bottom of receiver, dust cover, top tang, forend cap & buttplate tang are engraved to match. This exact rifle, identified by SN, is pictured, both sides, on p. 190 of the book Winchester Engraving, Wilson. Accompanied by a Cody Firearms Museum letter addressed to renowned Winchester researcher, author & authority, George Madis, which identifies this rifle with oct bbl, set trigger, fancy nickel trim & engraved; received in warehouse July 11, 1883 and shipped same day with four other arms to Order #4755. Such early 1873s are rarely found with nickel trim and engraved. PROVENANCE: Wes Adams Estate Collection. CONDITION: Extremely fine, all matching. Bbl & magazine tube retain 98-99% strong orig factory blue with only very light sharp edge wear and slight thinning in one spot on magazine tube and a few pin pricks of light surface discoloration over forearm area; receiver, dust cover & forend cap retain virtually all of their strong, bright, orig nickel with a few pin pricks of flaking on receiver and some minor flaking on bottom rear edge; buttplate retains about 96% orig nickel turned milky with wear on heel & toe; hammer retains about all of its orig factory case colors, turned a little dark; lever retains bright case colors on sides, faded on outer faces; wood is sound with a few very minor nicks & scratches with some oil staining around tangs and overall retains most of its orig factory varnish. Set trigger needs adjusting, otherwise mechanics are crisp, brilliant shiny bore, may be unfired; bolt face retains virtually all of its orig factory blue. 4-44568 (20,000-35,000)

Auction: Firearms - Spring 2013

Please Note: All prices include the hammer price plus the buyer’s premium, which is paid by the buyer as part of the purchase price. The prices noted here after the auction are considered unofficial and do not become official until after the 46th day.

Image	Lot	Price	Description
	1002	$40,250.00	RARE HALF NICKEL FACTORY ENGRAVED WINCHESTER MODEL 1873 LEVER ACTION RIFLE. SN 127938. Cal. 44 WCF (44-40). Beautiful ’73 with 24-1/4″ oct bbl, full magazine, half nickel front sight and short semi-buckhorn rear sight with checkered edges. Mounted with very nicely figured, center crotch,flame grain American walnut, uncheckered, with straight stock & crescent buttplate with trap containing a 4-pc brass & iron cleaning rod. Receiver has a sgl set trigger. Left side of lower tang is stamped with assembly number “4835”, “XXX” and an “R”. Matching assembly number is found in top tang channel of buttstock which also has an “S”. Matching number is also stamped inside toe of buttplate. Receiver, forend cap & buttplate are nickel finished. Receiver & sideplates are engraved by one of the Ulrichs, probably John. Engraving consists of the small rnd vignette of a standing whitetail buck in a field & forest scene with foliate arabesque patterns fore & aft with one scroll terminating in a large flower blossom. Front & rear flats of receiver are engraved to match. Right side has matching engraving with foliate arabesque patterns terminating in a large flower blossom on the sideplate. Top & bottom of receiver, dust cover, top tang, forend cap & buttplate tang are engraved to match. This exact rifle, identified by SN, is pictured, both sides, on p. 190 of the book Winchester Engraving, Wilson. Accompanied by a Cody Firearms Museum letter addressed to renowned Winchester researcher, author & authority, George Madis, which identifies this rifle with oct bbl, set trigger, fancy nickel trim & engraved; received in warehouse July 11, 1883 and shipped same day with four other arms to Order #4755. Such early 1873s are rarely found with nickel trim and engraved. PROVENANCE: Wes Adams Estate Collection. CONDITION: Extremely fine, all matching. Bbl & magazine tube retain 98-99% strong orig factory blue with only very light sharp edge wear and slight thinning in one spot on magazine tube and a few pin pricks of light surface discoloration over forearm area; receiver, dust cover & forend cap retain virtually all of their strong, bright, orig nickel with a few pin pricks of flaking on receiver and some minor flaking on bottom rear edge; buttplate retains about 96% orig nickel turned milky with wear on heel & toe; hammer retains about all of its orig factory case colors, turned a little dark; lever retains bright case colors on sides, faded on outer faces; wood is sound with a few very minor nicks & scratches with some oil staining around tangs and overall retains most of its orig factory varnish. Set trigger needs adjusting, otherwise mechanics are crisp, brilliant shiny bore, may be unfired; bolt face retains virtually all of its orig factory blue. 4-44568 (20,000-35,000) Auction: Firearms - Spring 2013 Please Note: All prices include the hammer price plus the buyer’s premium, which is paid by the buyer as part of the purchase price. The prices noted here after the auction are considered unofficial and do not become official until after the 46th day.

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