Manufactured in 1876, this is an exceptionally fine example of a special ordered Winchester deluxe First Model 1873 rifle in a very attractive configuration. The included factory letter lists the rifle with a 30 inch octagon barrel, set trigger, "XX" checkered wood, and casehardened finish when received at the warehouse on 15 November 1876 and shipped on 19 January 1877 in order number 8163. According to noted Winchester historian and author George Madis, approximately one in every 600 Model 1873s was ordered with a longer than standard barrel, one in every 600 had special wood, one in every 700 had checkering, and one in every 26 had a set trigger. Though these statistics are approximations, they show how rare this specific rifle is in its special ordered, deluxe configuration. The "first model" receiver has the integral dust cover guides and dust cover with the flush "thumbprint" checkering. The top barrel flat has the standard two-line Winchester address and King's patent marking, and both the barrel and cartridge elevator correctly lack a caliber marking, as .44-40 W.C.F. was the only caliber offered for the model until 1879. The upper tang has the model marking and the lower tang is marked with the early style, small script serial number, which was seen on the model up until around serial number 30,000. The left side of the lower tang is marked "XXX 450", with "450" repeated in the stock inlet and inside the buttplate. It is unclear if the discrepancy between the wood grade in the factory letter in that marked on the gun is a ledger notation error or simply the factory providing a slightly higher wood grade than what was ordered. It is fitted with a period replacement German silver blade front sight, elevation adjustable notch rear sight, and the special ordered set trigger. It is mounted with a nicely figured checkered forearm and straight grip stock with the early style checkering pattern and a trapdoor crescent buttplate. Included with the rifle is a "V.L.&A./CHICAGO" marked leather scabbard/travel case.

Exceptionally fine, with 50% of the thinned original blue finish, 60% of the vibrant original case colors, and 75% of the bright original nitre blue on the loading gate with the balance having thinned to a smooth grey patina with some scattered patches of very light freckling. The fine wood has been very lightly reoiled with attention taken to avoid the checkering, which remains crisp, and a few scattered light handling marks overall. Mechanically excellent. The leather scabbard/case is fine with some mild wear and age-related flex cracking. It would be very difficult to find a finer special ordered Winchester first Model 1873 in such high condition!