1873 Win #158,xxx

[Old Savage]

Headed down to look at this $2250 - anyone interested if I don't take it?

[Sixgun]

OS,
If its a pistol gripped variation, grab it. I'll give you $500 profit. For real, check it out good. Sometimes dealers/auctioneers have rare variations and price them like a standard model. Thats how I bought my 1886 SRC.------------Sixgun

[Old Savage]

Here are some pics:















the bore is surprisingly good and the rust is less prevalent in person than in the pics. The tang sight looks original.

[mescalero1]

Thats a good camera you have, even my limited knowledge can see that.

[mescalero1]

Ps,
Change your avatar back, I prefer the mature OS.

[the telegraphist]

The stock wood is great, the forearm does not match. Colours on the mag compared to the barrel is a bit of a worry.
Nice looking piece. I like it it but something is ringing alarm bells, not sure what. Hope it works out for you.

[Old Savage]

The rifle looks consistent in person. I am not interested in this rifle. Very interesting to see it though. I am not interested in tang sights but this one was interesting, fit with the rifle.

[Sixgun]

OS,
Could you tell if the receiver was originally case colored or blued? I like that rifle---------Sixgun

[Old Savage]

My guess would be that is was blued but I wouldn't claim to know what color case from 1884 would look like now. One of the older gunsmiths who loves the old stuff seems to think it is original. It cycles easily and has 44 Cal on the underside of the receiver on that brass part if I recall correctly. In looking back at the pics I think the flash may make it look like color.

[hocbj23]

Im with the telegraphist on this one.interesting looking piece but something just isnt quite right.photos are excellent by the way.check it out and let us know what u find out.I have one of those in .38-40,and the weak point on mine is wear around the breech that causes the extractor to malfunction on occasion.bj

[Sixgun]

OS,
On the early 1873's the case colors were very "mottled"---not like a bright Turnbull job. ----------------Sixgun

[Ben_Rumson]

Looks good to me. I'd say that rifle was in pretty good condition before being forgotten about for several decades. The mag tube doesn't worry me..Different metals take blue differently and age differently. We see lots of old Winnys with good bluing, still blue on the barrel but the receiver blue has turned brown. That could be case coloring on the frame. The case on the hammer looks pretty close to the front portion of the frame, the nose cap could be cased too. Hmm maybe the rifle has special order features.. Case ..Tang sight.. that little tit thing for the stem to rest on I've never seen before... Cool gun

[Old Time Hunter]

I'd say that the receiver is case-colored, check out the coloring under the flipped up tang sight....sure looks to be case-colored. That and the surface rust on the receiver is more of the "dust" rusting and not the "pitting" type found on blued iron.

[bogus bill]

Old Savage, it looks straight to me. I once owned one in lesser condition. And they tell me its fairly rare to get one that still had the dust cover. When I lived in lancaster I bought a shot out .32 wcf, (maybe from jack, I forget) I had bill choat rechamber and bore it out for .38 special. (might of sent the barrel to ward crusier?)

[Old Savage]

Bill, Ron mentioned that most don't have the dust cover. Do you recall the Don the gunsmith ex sheriff? He thinks it is real and was there when Jack was there. He loves that old stuff. As to the rust - I was going to mention that this is much more of a factor in the pics than handling the gun, very surface to me.

[Old Savage]

maybe one of you knowledgeable fellows ought to fly out here and take advantage of our 110 in the shade heat at the range today weather while it lasts and look at this and render a dependable opinion.

[Grizzly Adams]

That looks like cased colored frame to me - at least as pictured. If so, special order option on the 1873.

The tang sight is a very rare bird, indeed! I watched one go for $450 on ebay a couple of years ago.

[Buck Elliott]

The stock wood is great, the forearm does not match. Colours on the mag compared to the barrel is a bit of a worry.
Nice looking piece. I like it it but something is ringing alarm bells, not sure what. Hope it works out for you.

Stock & foreend needn't "match" to be original & authentic. Barrel & magazine tube are made of different steels, and also need not "match..."

Old Winchester case-colors were typically quite 'muted' in appearance, and may well be what the rifle is wearing.

Looks like a keeper to me, Pard.

[Old Savage]

Thanks for your input Buck, I won't be taking it so it is available as far as I am concerned.

[Sixgun]

Well boys, I snoozed. OS set me up real fine with the contact info. I figured I'd call when I got off work. It was sold 15 minutes before I called. Oh well, several weeks of paychecks will be saved and now, with me not getting the 1873, I'll be able to afford the heart operation my wife needs.---------no,no....just a joke!----------Thanks OS! -------------------------Sixgun

[bogus bill]

Hey O S, Becker just called me and told me he bought that for alices 31st wedding aniversity. She wants carrie to ream her out to 44 mag!

[Old Savage]

Wow leave it to Cary and that is a dumb idea - try to explain why to her. This is a valuable piece and a collector here was very hot for it - it should not be altered.

[Old Savage]

Make that DUMB, DUMB idea.

[C. Cash]

Ps,
Change your avatar back, I prefer the mature OS.

That's not OS, that's Lee Majors!

[bogus bill]

Becker has a weird sense of humor. I knew he was putting me on (I hope) when he called me that he bought it. Thought I would just pass it on. He calls me a lot. He knows I have a fairly exstendsive library and wanted me to look up things about the gun. I said Red, I already seen it! (Thanks to O S posting the pictures). 40 years ago when we both were single and worked at lockheed, I rented a room to red. We would go out shooting several times a week. I do belive Red bought more guns, test loads for them than anybody I knew before or since. Probley messed more with guns than most gun writers that get paid for it! I never will forget the time we went deer hunting. I decided to shoot this buck with my .357 instead of my rifle. It took off and ran. We had to spread out and track him in some steep thick woods. Red got to him just before me. He was "braining" it with a rock! Looked like a caveman hunting!

[Old Savage]

That picture is a classic! I had some 300 Savage loads he made up - tested them in a buddies' son's 722 - they are really 308 level. Safe I am sure in the 722 but I wouldn't want them in a 99.

[Old Savage]

I'll check this whole thing at the Gun Shop.

[bogus bill]

Like that huh? Here is a better one. The guy in the middle is a very old close friend, Bill Sandifer. My screen name is after him, as he was a class act BSer. This was at Gold Lake in northern calif at night in a campground. I am showing bill a ruger new model army. I think Red had ate something ripe as it didnt agree with him. I remember him sprinting for the campground outhouse right after. I belive we had to nail it shut when he was done!

[KirkD]

As I told you before, I am just a girl, but I can tell you, it's dead on at 300 yards. Big game, little game, or mis-behavin' husbands, one shot will put 'em down.

That is pretty decent for a 32-20.