Winchester 1873...

[Bearhands]

What do I have to know in order to value this gun? I Believe this to be in very good original condition. 44 Cal s/r 2145__B "King's Improvement patented March 29, 1866 Oct. 16, 1850
Thanks for any help.
BH

[pwl44m]

Couple Hundred bucks, do U want a Money Order or can U do Pay Pal ? lol Really can't tell much without Gun in Hand. Too many variants.
Perry

[Centennial]

Search Armslist. Gunlist, GunsAmerica, Gunbroker, AntiqueGuns.com , see what they are selling for. You might be able to calculate an average price that way.
Get a letter on it from Cody Winchester Museum in Cody Wyoming.
21,000 serial number range puts it in 1886 manufacture date.

You didn't mention configuration; carbine, rifle, saddle ring, octagon, round barrel, barrel length , butt plate, sights, dust cover, all the details matter.

[Griff]

Search Armslist. Gunlist, GunsAmerica, Gunbroker, AntiqueGuns.com , see what they are selling for. You might be able to calculate an average price that way.
Get a letter on it from Cody Winchester Museum in Cody Wyoming.
21,000 serial number range puts it in 1886 manufacture date.
You didn't mention configuration; carbine, rifle, saddle ring, octagon, round barrel, barrel length , butt plate, sights, dust cover, all the details matter.

+1.

[Mescalero]

My .22 rimfire has that Kings Improvement thing on the barrel.

[Centennial]

Nelson King's Patented Improvement was the loading gate for cartridges (instead of down the front of the magazine tube like the Henry.), and the fore-arm wood over the magazine tube.

[Mescalero]

Then why would my rimfire have it on it?

[Centennial]

The fore-arm wood.

[Bearhands]

I'm going to give this pic thing a try.... btw, it is an octagon barrel (20") has the dust cover, no saddle ring.

[Gobblerforge]

I don't know what to make of it. I can't see it very well but the butt says carbine and the front says rifle. I like it. What caliber?
Gobbler

[Bearhands]

I'm assuming it's 44-40?

[Centennial]

20" octagon rifle is non-standard barrel length( 24" is standard). So it was either ordered that way or cut later. 20" octagon makes it what's known as a "short rifle".
Carbine butt plate is not standard on a rifle, could be special order or done later.
Sling swivels is not standard.

Should be 44 WCF on the barrel and 44 inscribed in the bottom side of the brass cartridge elevator.
44 WCF is 44-40.

[Bearhands]

We're hoping to get some info from the Cody Museum.

[Centennial]

DO you know any of the history of it?

[Bearhands]

All we know is that it was shipped from Calif. to Pa. in the 70's, wrapped in newspaper and stored along with several other interesting guns since that time.

[M. M. Wright]

May I just offer the advice to not try to "clean it up". Leave as much of the patina as you can. I've had the misfortune to trade for several of these 100 year old guns that someone had rubbed $1000s of dollars from by trying to get rid of all that old crud.

[Bearhands]

Thanks M. M., I kinda figured that'd be a bad move so no cleaning has been done nor shall it be.

[twobit]

Hello,

The barrel and magazine have both been cut down from the original length which was most likely 24 inches. I can barely make out the magazine retaining band and it should be positioned as in the attached photos and not found adjacent to the muzzle as on your rifle. Additionally the butt stock appears to be cracked and fits poorly. It is a carbine style and is probably not original to the gun. As a result of these alterations the rifle has no value to serious Winchester collectors. As a low condition shooter it is only going to be worth what the next guy is willing to pay. Anything close to $500 would be top dollar.




Michael

[twobit]

Mescalero wrote:

My .22 rimfire has that Kings Improvement thing on the barrel.

The "thing" is called the barrel address stamp. ALL Model 1873's have this notation as part
of the barrel address. This is referring to the inventor of the side loading gate on the right side of the receiver
which was created by Winchester employee Nelson King.

Michael