EXTREMELY RARE WINCHESTER MODEL 1873 SMOOTHBORE LEVER ACTION RIFLE WITH FACTORY LETTER.

SN 295916. Cal. 32 WCF (32-20). Standard grade rifle with 24-1/4″ oct bbl, full magazine, half nickel front sight and semi-buckhorn rear sight. Receiver is small frame, 3rd type with stepped receiver ring and integral dust cover rail & 3rd type dust cover. Mounted with a replacement, highly figured, custom pistol grip buttstock that has a rosewood grip cap & crescent buttplate without trap. Forearm is orig and shows very nice figure. Accompanied by a Cody Firearms Museum letter which identifies this rifle in caliber 32 smoothbore, with oct bbl and plain trigger, received in the warehouse May 14, 1889 and shipped the next day. Order number not indicated. The lower tang was apparently for a straight stock rifle and was bent just above the lever latch to accommodate the custom pistol grip stock. This rifle was produced in about 1889 and in all probability was ordered by a trick-shot artist or wild-west showman. There is a remote possibility that it may have been ordered as a garden pest gun. The vast majority of smoothbore Winchesters examined by this cataloger have been in caliber 44 which leaves one to believe the small bore center fire smooth bore rifles are quite rare. CONDITION: Fair to good. Traces of orig finish remain in most sheltered areas with the bbl & magazine tube an artificially aged plummy brown patina over scattered pitting. Forend cap is matching patina. Receiver retains traces of orig blue in the most sheltered areas being mostly a smooth, even, plummy blue/brown patina. Hammer retains silvered case colors and the lever an artificially aged brown patina. Forearm has a crack on each side of the bbl channel at the forend cap, otherwise wood is sound and overall retains a fine custom restored finish. Barrel slightly loose in the frame. Mechanics are fine, bright bore with good shine and scattered pitting. 52692-2 JRL (5,000-8,000) – Lot 1046

Auction: Firearms - October 2017

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
	1046	$0.00	EXTREMELY RARE WINCHESTER MODEL 1873 SMOOTHBORE LEVER ACTION RIFLE WITH FACTORY LETTER. SN 295916. Cal. 32 WCF (32-20). Standard grade rifle with 24-1/4″ oct bbl, full magazine, half nickel front sight and semi-buckhorn rear sight. Receiver is small frame, 3rd type with stepped receiver ring and integral dust cover rail & 3rd type dust cover. Mounted with a replacement, highly figured, custom pistol grip buttstock that has a rosewood grip cap & crescent buttplate without trap. Forearm is orig and shows very nice figure. Accompanied by a Cody Firearms Museum letter which identifies this rifle in caliber 32 smoothbore, with oct bbl and plain trigger, received in the warehouse May 14, 1889 and shipped the next day. Order number not indicated. The lower tang was apparently for a straight stock rifle and was bent just above the lever latch to accommodate the custom pistol grip stock. This rifle was produced in about 1889 and in all probability was ordered by a trick-shot artist or wild-west showman. There is a remote possibility that it may have been ordered as a garden pest gun. The vast majority of smoothbore Winchesters examined by this cataloger have been in caliber 44 which leaves one to believe the small bore center fire smooth bore rifles are quite rare. CONDITION: Fair to good. Traces of orig finish remain in most sheltered areas with the bbl & magazine tube an artificially aged plummy brown patina over scattered pitting. Forend cap is matching patina. Receiver retains traces of orig blue in the most sheltered areas being mostly a smooth, even, plummy blue/brown patina. Hammer retains silvered case colors and the lever an artificially aged brown patina. Forearm has a crack on each side of the bbl channel at the forend cap, otherwise wood is sound and overall retains a fine custom restored finish. Barrel slightly loose in the frame. Mechanics are fine, bright bore with good shine and scattered pitting. 52692-2 JRL (5,000-8,000) – Lot 1046 Auction: Firearms - October 2017 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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EXTREMELY RARE WINCHESTER MODEL 1873 SMOOTHBORE LEVER ACTION RIFLE WITH FACTORY LETTER.