Special order Winchester Model 1873 Deluxe Sporting Rifle manufactured in 1883. This rifle has the Third Style receiver with integral dust cover tail and dust cover with serrated edges. The front of the receiver has the rounded top found on .22, .32 and .38 caliber Model 1873 rifles. This rifle is accompanied by a Cody Firearms Museum letter that describes this rifle as: "Type: Rifle, Caliber: 32, Barrel Type: Octagon, Trigger: Plain, Checkered stock, Pistol grip" and "Casehardened". The letter states that this rifle was shipped from Winchester on July 20, 1883, returned by William P. Mills and re-shipped on September 2, 1884. The rifle has a full octagon barrel with full-length magazine. The barrel has a Beach folding combination front sight and sporting style rear sight with low flat top. The barrel and magazine have the Winchester charcoal blue finish. The loading gate and dust cover are niter blue. The forearm cap, receiver, hammer, trigger, lever and crescent buttplate are color casehardened. The forearm and pistol grip stock are highly figured, fancy grade walnut with factory "Style H" checkering and a piano finish. The bottom of the buttplate has an ebony inlay. The top barrel flat is roll-stamped with the two-line legend "WINCHESTER'S REPEATING ARMS. NEW HAVEN. CONN. U.S.A./-KING'S IMPROVEMENT PATENTED MARCH 29. 1866. OCTOBER 16. 1860.-" ahead of the rear sight. The first line utilizes serif letters and the second line uses block letters. The caliber "32 W.C.F." is stamped on the top barrel flat between the rear sight, and the receiver. "32 CAL." is stamped in script across the bottom of the brass cartridge elevator. The upper receiver tang is factory drilled and tapped and is roll-stamped "- MODEl. 1873 -" in fancy letters with foliate devices at either end of the marking. The serial number is stamped in small characters across the lower tang behind the lever latch.

Very good. The barrel has light edge wear and the barrel and magazine have scattered age spotting. The barrel legend and caliber marking are clear. The loading gate retains close to 90% of the refinished fire blue finish. The dust cover shows wear and the blue finish has faded to a blue-gray patina. The forearm cap, receiver, hammer and crescent buttplate have 80% of the refurbished casehardened finish with strong case colors. The lever has silvered on contact points and has scattered age spotting. The highly figured walnut stock and forearm are refinished with 80% of the piano finish remaining. The finish has flaked slightly around the borders of the checkered panels. The stock and forearm show light-moderate handling wear and the checkering is sharp. This is a very good example of a special order Winchester Model 1873 Deluxe Sporting Rifle.