New purchase - Model 1873

[LeadSnowstorm]

Greetings all,

I recently purchased my first trapdoor, an 1873 with SN 237815. It was very much an impulse purchase - found it online and got it for (hopefully) the reasonable price of $700 - and what little I know about trapdoors, I've only learned *after* the purchase!

Specific questions - could a stock cartouche SWP/1883 be correct for this rifle? If I'm interpreting some online databases correctly, the serial should date to 1884.

Also, when I received it, the rear sight was completely frozen, I think from a century's accumulation of crud, to the point that the sight gradations on the ladder were nearly completely obscured. Also, there seems to be a notch in the bottom part of the sight that fits over a...plunger of some sort? not sure...but that plunger seems frozen up as well. I got it loosened up a tad with some Kroil, but figured (discretion being the better part of valor) before I did anything else I'd do better to get some expert knowledge or advice on how to freshen up this old gun without messing it up.

Buncha pics - let me know if any other photos would be helpful:

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