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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 Michael Kelley Sr. on September 26, 2013 at 2:07

Hey charles...Finally found this thread again...here's a pic of my '94.

Didn't know how else to get the picture to you. Sorry in advance for disrupting your thread.

Whenever I see a '73 it takes me back to when I was a kid, that and the SAA started it for me.

BTW, nice knife.

FeaturedPermalink Reply by Charles Sample on September 26, 2013 at 8:07

Michael, you didn't disrupt the thread. The more replies to it the better. Also would love to see more of your pics and discussions posted in the Arsenal group. That is the reason for the knife contest, to promote more interest and participation in the group.

BTW, nice '94. Looks like an earlier model. Do you know when it was made?

That is why I post this link whenever I get a chance.

http://www.iknifecollector.com/group/ikc-arsenal/forum/topics/enter...

Permalink Reply by Michael Kelley Sr. on September 27, 2013 at 0:08

Date of mfg. 1909

Chambered for the .25-35

First firearm I ever owned was a early model Winchester .30-30, it was also the first firearm I ever sold...arg!!!

FeaturedPermalink Reply by Charles Sample on September 27, 2013 at 8:32

Michael, I know how you feel about selling a gun. In my young and dumb days I sold or traded a lot of guns. Several of which I wish I still had.

Your '94 and my '73 are both over 100 years old!

Permalink Reply by Brian Koehler on November 2, 2013 at 8:01

Very nice old Winchester there Charles!!!!!!!!

Permalink Reply by Andy Moon on November 7, 2013 at 6:33

Very nice piece! I have never had the pleasure of handling one of those.

best

mqqn

Permalink Reply by Thor Lars Laizans on January 11, 2014 at 1:14

I love that gun!!! My first gun was a Winchester 94ranger, its very short, perfect bush gun, and it loads .45cal.LC rounds.

Permalink Reply by Thor Lars Laizans on January 11, 2014 at 1:18

Winchester rifles are a flawless design. The perfect all around rifle. Thanks for sharing that one.

KnifeMakerPermalink Reply by Carl Rechsteiner on January 11, 2014 at 5:49

Both are beautiful old school rifles from back when QC and workman's pride were obviously more important, even with production guns.

Wouldn't you have loved to be the first to unwrap either one?

Thanks for sharing.

FeaturedPermalink Reply by Charles Sample on January 11, 2014 at 11:01

Carl, I imagine whoever first unwrapped my '73 back in 1891 was very proud of it. Of course if it had been me there is little if any probability that I would be here to tell about now. I am sure about it being in my family since about 1930. My father bought it from a cousin but I have no idea how long he had it. I do know the cousin also bought it used.

I sure wish it could talk so it could tell me its history between 1891 and 1930!

In MemoriamPermalink Reply by Terry Ray on January 15, 2014 at 17:16