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New member and his guns

Hello everyone

I am new to iKnife Collector. Just joined recently. I not only have a knife collection but am also into guns and hunting.

Here are some photos of my favorite gun. It is a Model 1873 Winchester rifle. It was manufactured in 1891. It is .38-40 caliber.

I hope my father didn't put too much money into it. He paid $5 for it. His cousin had bought it for $8 and needed some money and sold it to Dad. That doesn't sound like a lot now but when he bought it about 1930, he was making 15 cents an hour. At the time it was almost a weeks pay for him.

It may not be in mint condition, but for being over 120 years old, it is not in bad condition. Mechanically it is perfect. It still shoots just fine. For nearly the first century of its life it received no special treatment. It just stood in the corner with the rest of the guns. It was a using gun.

I wish I knew its history between 1891 and 1930. Who knows what stories it could tell if it could talk.

13 members like this

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Mike Baugh on December 16, 2014 at 6:27

Gorgeous rifle!!

Winchesters are my specialty, but I love all old guns and especially their history. I have a '73 I will share soon that is from the same year as yours as well!!

Have you had the wood off of yours Charles? I am betting by looking at it, the wood is super pretty, I am certain on the bottom tang when you take off the buttstock, it will have xx which signifies deluxe wood and would have been a special order gun. I would be surprised if it wasn't. Also is the barrel longer than 24 inches? It looks as if it is, which would be special order as well.

FeaturedPermalink Reply by Charles Sample on December 16, 2014 at 7:02

Mike, no I haven't. I was not aware of that. That is one thing I will have to check. Also the barrel length. Although I think it is 24 inches.

I really like my Winchester. When I throw it to my shoulder with my cheek on the stock, the sights are perfectly aligned. It has been several years since I shot it. I once fired a three shot group at 50 yards. Two of the holes overlapped and the third was about a half inch from the other two. For most of the first hundred years of its life, it received no special treatment. It just stood in the corner with the other guns. It was a using gun.

I like lever actions. I have one other, a 1967 vintage Marlin 39A Golden Mountie.

Permalink Reply by Philip on July 15, 2017 at 0:09

Awesome gun. What beautiful wood.

FeaturedPermalink Reply by Charles Sample on July 15, 2017 at 13:01

Thanks Philip.

KnifeMakerPermalink Reply by Carl Rechsteiner on July 20, 2017 at 6:24

That's a beauty for sure! Like the old lever guns alot.

I have one (not a lever action) that has a little more age on it. Rem Rollingblock #1 action with a .58 Springfield barrel. It was one of the earliest ones Rem put out there to try to get into the breech loading/cartridge race right at the end of the Civil War.

I was able to take a .577 Snyder casing and cut it down to fit. Have fired a few squib loads through it for grins but don't shoot it. It has a 4 digit serial #. Rem has been trying to buy it from me, but I kind of like having it. Traded one of my custom handmade powder horns for it back in the early 70"s.