Lot 1009 : Winchester "One of One Thousand" 1873 Lever Action Rifle with Factory Documentation
Rock Island Auction - Moline - 07 September 2008
Premiere Firearms Auction Day II
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Title:
Winchester "One of One Thousand" 1873 Lever Action Rifle with Factory Documentation
Description:
Winchester "One of One Thousand" 1873 Lever Action Rifle with Factory Documentation
This is a very fine example of an all original factory documented Winchester 1873 "One of One Thousand" lever action rifle. The factory letter that accompanies this rifle is date August 1989 shows this rifle was shipped from the Winchester factory in November 1879 along with five other rifles on order number 13488 and verifies the exact configuration (26 inch octagon barrel, set trigger, checkered stock, casehardened) of this rifle with the extremely important notation "1 of 1000". Everyone knows the story with these rifle, they were originally intended as a sales strategy by Winchester to market a more accurate higher grade of Winchester 1873 rifle, obviously with the intention that they could charge a higher price. These rifles were originally produced by selecting barrels that showed the ability to fire more accurate or consistent groups, which where then completely hand fitted to deluxe factory engraved receivers, special select fancy walnut stock and forend. So the story goes, some were even intended to be given away as shooting prizes by the traveling Circus shows. These rifles have always been considered the Ultimate rifle for the Winchester collection and since only approximately 136 were ever made (with a considerable number still unaccounted for) they are highly sought after by all collectors. This Winchester rifle model is the same one that Jimmy Stewart starred in the late 1940s,and portrayed one of these rifles being given away as a shooting prize. This specific rifle has the type two receiver with the dust cover guide held on by two screws, with the 1/2 inch impressed oval with medium checkering dust cover, with the pinned set trigger, along with the early style tang markings of "MODEL 1873" with the serial number engraved length wise in a script pattern on the end of the lower tang. The top of the barrel has the early style markings of "WINCHESTER REPEATING ARMS, NEW HAVEN CT. over KING'S-IMPROVEMENT-PATENTED-MARCH 29 1866. OCT 16 1860." without the lines before and after the lower line. The muzzle and breech ends of the have the correct style of factory scroll engraving on the exposed barrel flats with a platinum or silver inlayed barrel band on each end and of course directly in front of the receiver it is engraved in script "One of One Thousand". It has the correct half-German silver fixed front sight with the semi-buckhorn adjustable rear sight. It is correctly fitted with a set of deluxe 3x fancy figured walnut stock and forend with factory checkering. These rifles had a color case-hardened receiver, hammer, loading lever, forend cap and buttplate with the barrel, magazine tube and trigger being blued. This is just an exceptionally fine, all original, unmessed with example of a Winchester 1873 lever action rifle. As noted in the first line this lot is accompanied by a factory letter, but also a bound leather book entitled Winchester Model 1873, "One of One Thousand". That contains an assemblage of various letters from the previous owner, (noterizer) which provides a family history on the rifle along with correspondence from the Winchester factory and several magazine articles from the 1950's when they conducted the first search for the legendary rifle. Very interesting reading!
Condition:
Very fine overall the barrel and magazine tube retaining approximately 60% of the original Winchester blued finish with the balance of that finish having browned out. The case colors on the receiver, hammer, loading lever and buttplate have all faded to a light brown patina finish overall, mixed in with a more silvered look on the side plates and high wear areas. The stock and forend both show most of their respective high polish finish having dulled a little overall and showing some minor handling marks from actual use. The checkering on both the stock and forend are still all original and fully detailed on the pistol grip while the forend show a little more even honest wear on the underside of checkering, but no abuse. The thing that I like most about this rifle is that it has that actual look of "having been there" out west. The finish maybe more worn than what you see on other rifles, but it's all original and totally untouched. The screws are all still unbuggered with and they have dried oil and dirt still in the screw heads and around the side plate and edges of the metal. The stock and forend is the same way, it looks like it has never been off the rifle in over 100 years, has some light handling marks here and there showing honest frontier use but no abuse. A completely straight, honest, all original Winchester "One of One Thousand" rifle. Certainly this would be the center piece of any advanced Winchester collection or Western collection.
