RARE WINCHESTER MODEL 1873 LEVER ACTION MUSKET.

RARE WINCHESTER MODEL 1873 LEVER ACTION MUSKET. SN 163542. Cal. 44 WCF (44-40). Standard third model musket with 30″ rnd bbl, full magazine, square base barleycorn front sight/bayonet lug and Spencer style musket leaf rear sight graduated to 900 yards. Receiver is third style with milled dust cover rail and smooth dust cover with serrated rear edges. Mounted with uncheckered, straight grain American walnut with full length forearm & straight stock that has carbine/musket buttplate with trap. Forearm is secured with three bands. Front band has the extremely rare feature of a saber bayonet stud on the right side. Middle band has a sling loop with corresponding loop in buttstock. Accompanied by an orig saber bayonet that has 20-1/8″ Yataghan blade, brass handle with feathered body & eagle pommel and an orig leather scabbard, with brass tip & throat. Blade has small proofs on each side of the ricasso. Also accompanied by a Cody Firearms Museum letter which identifies this musket with saber bayonet & scabbard, received in warehouse Sept. 23, 1884 and shipped same day to Order #15644. According to The Winchester Book, Madis, Model ’73 muskets with saber bayonet lugs are extremely rare, most were equipped for socket bayonets. There were about 721,000 Model 1873 firearms produced and according to the referenced publication only 5% were muskets. Extrapolation of those figures shows that there were only about 36,000 muskets produced and of those, very few were equipped with saber bayonets. PROVENANCE: Barnes Family Collection. CONDITION: Musket is very fine. Bbl retains 96-98% crisp orig blue with the bands showing high point wear and some thinning of the blue; receiver retains about 95% strong orig blue with sharp edge wear and a few surface spots and fine flaking; loading gate retains most of its orig fire blue; hammer retains strong, dark case colors and the lever bright case colors on the sides, moderately faded on outer faces, turned dark on the loop. Wood is sound with light handling & use nicks & scratches and a series of small bruises on the forearm and overall retains most of its orig oil finish. Mechanics are crisp, brilliant shiny bore. Bayonet is crisp & clean with much orig polish on the blade & light discoloration; handle is also clean & bright with light brass patina; scabbard shows some chipping in the finish, otherwise retains most of its added black finish with a couple of minor dents in the tip & throat which are a dark coffee colored patina. 4-47635 JR224 (5,000-8,000)

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
	1206	$9,200.00	RARE WINCHESTER MODEL 1873 LEVER ACTION MUSKET. SN 163542. Cal. 44 WCF (44-40). Standard third model musket with 30″ rnd bbl, full magazine, square base barleycorn front sight/bayonet lug and Spencer style musket leaf rear sight graduated to 900 yards. Receiver is third style with milled dust cover rail and smooth dust cover with serrated rear edges. Mounted with uncheckered, straight grain American walnut with full length forearm & straight stock that has carbine/musket buttplate with trap. Forearm is secured with three bands. Front band has the extremely rare feature of a saber bayonet stud on the right side. Middle band has a sling loop with corresponding loop in buttstock. Accompanied by an orig saber bayonet that has 20-1/8″ Yataghan blade, brass handle with feathered body & eagle pommel and an orig leather scabbard, with brass tip & throat. Blade has small proofs on each side of the ricasso. Also accompanied by a Cody Firearms Museum letter which identifies this musket with saber bayonet & scabbard, received in warehouse Sept. 23, 1884 and shipped same day to Order #15644. According to The Winchester Book, Madis, Model ’73 muskets with saber bayonet lugs are extremely rare, most were equipped for socket bayonets. There were about 721,000 Model 1873 firearms produced and according to the referenced publication only 5% were muskets. Extrapolation of those figures shows that there were only about 36,000 muskets produced and of those, very few were equipped with saber bayonets. PROVENANCE: Barnes Family Collection. CONDITION: Musket is very fine. Bbl retains 96-98% crisp orig blue with the bands showing high point wear and some thinning of the blue; receiver retains about 95% strong orig blue with sharp edge wear and a few surface spots and fine flaking; loading gate retains most of its orig fire blue; hammer retains strong, dark case colors and the lever bright case colors on the sides, moderately faded on outer faces, turned dark on the loop. Wood is sound with light handling & use nicks & scratches and a series of small bruises on the forearm and overall retains most of its orig oil finish. Mechanics are crisp, brilliant shiny bore. Bayonet is crisp & clean with much orig polish on the blade & light discoloration; handle is also clean & bright with light brass patina; scabbard shows some chipping in the finish, otherwise retains most of its added black finish with a couple of minor dents in the tip & throat which are a dark coffee colored patina. 4-47635 JR224 (5,000-8,000) 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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