Winchester Model 1873 Carbine with Cody Firearms Museum letter. The letter states that this carbine was shipped from the Winchester warehouse on May 11, 1880. The letter does not identify any special features. The carbine has the Second Model receiver with dust cover guide secured by two screws, dust cover with serrated edges and exposed trigger pin. The carbine has a round barrel, full-length magazine tube and block-mounted front sight behind the barrel band. The front sight has a steel blade. The barrel has a dove-tail mounted, first pattern, two-leaf rear sight. A staple-mounted saddle ring is mounted on the left side of the receiver. The straight grain, black walnut stock and forearm have a varnish finish. The stock is fitted with a carbine style buttplate with sliding brass trap door. The forearm is secured by a single screw-fastened barrel band. The barrel, magazine, barrel bands receiver and dust cover have a blue finish and the hammer, loading lever and buttplate are color casehardened. The loading gate has a niter blue finish. London "Crown/GP" and "Crown/V" proof and inspection marks are stamped on the left side of the barrel below the rear sight. A "Crown/V" inspection mark is stamped on the top left side of the receiver. The top of the barrel is roll-stamped: "WINCHESTER'S-REPEATING-ARMS. NEW HAVEN. CT./KING'S-IMPROVEMENT-PATENTED-MARCH 29. 1866. OCTOBER 16. 1860." in two lines ahead of the rear sight. The upper receiver tang is roll-stamped with the designation: "MODEL 1873" in fancy letters. The serial number, "51750" is stamped in script numbers on the lower tang between the lever latch and the rear tang screw.
BBL: 20 inch round
Stock: walnut
Gauge: 44-40
Finish: blue
Grips:
Serial Number: 51750

Excellent. The carbine retains over 90% of the original blue overall. Both barrel bands show moderate high point wear. The receiver has some slight contact wear present on the right side of the receiver and dust cover. The side plates have some minor edge wear. The loading gate retains 98% of the bright original niter blue finish. The hammer, lever and buttplate retain more than 90% of the original case-hardened finish. The bore is mirror bright. The barrel and receiver markings are crisp. The stock and forearm are both in very fine condition with minor handling and storage marks. Most of the original oil finish remains intact. This is an excellent example of a Second Model 1873 Saddle Ring Carbine. Early production Winchester Model 1873 Carbines were working firearms that saw hard use; examples like this carbine in excellent original condition are very hard to find.