Winchester Model 1873

[RCS]

My father bought this rifle in a pawn shop outside of Fort Sheridan in 1936. it has a 30 inch barrel and is in 38-40 caliber, magazine holds 17 cartridges plus another in the chamber. Some
years I ago I did shoot some nice 100 yard targets from a rest using the tang sight. I did manage to save one target. In 1991 I got a Winchester Factory letter which did not really state that much information but still interesting.Attachment 105494Attachment 105495Attachment 105496

Information

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[browningautorifle]

Nice old rifle, I was fortunate to own a carbine some decades back in mid '80's. All I could find out at the time was because of the collector that owned it, there was some odd feature. I never found out what.

[GeeRam]

What a lovely old '73, and amazing to be in one family for so long too....

[#1oilman]

Odd that the factory letter doesn't mention the barrel length 2" longer than standard

[RCS]

Over the years I have seen a few 38-40 caliber rifles with a 30 inch barrel, longest that I know about is 34 inch Model 1873 in 32-20 caliber.

I was told that the rear tang sight on my 1873 is from a Winchester Model 1886 rifle, no reason to change it as it has no doubt been on the
rifle over a hundred years now and does work very well.

[vintage hunter]

Odd that the factory letter doesn't mention the barrel length 2" longer than standard

Standard barrel length for an 1873 rifle was 24". Anything more or less is/was special order. Longest known is 37" shortest is 12".

[#1oilman]

The models 1873 and 1876 are my favorites, I have 2 -73's with longer than standard barrels. A 44 WCF Deluxe with 28" octagon barrel pistol grip and checkered XXX wood and case colored receiver and a 38 WCF with 30" round barrel that letters with plain wood and a pistol grip which was an unusual request.

[browningautorifle]

We used to see lots of those when Vern Vosler was still alive and packing his Winchester collectibles around the prairie gunshows. I was posted to Wainwright through the '80's and used to go over all his finery...muskets with bayonets, special order guns and like new early Winchesters... Those were the days.

[boltaction]

I remember Vern well, Vossler Collectibles. I remember when his stuff went through the Haynes auction too. I was never really into Winchesters but his stuff was nice!

[#1oilman]

Vern's guns still show up in Calgary, just in other hands. By the way the Calgary show is coming fast!