Winchester Model 1873 Third Model Sporting Rifle, .32-20 Win., 24 in Full-Octagon Barrel, 1889 Antique
This 1889 Winchester Model 1873 Third Model Sporting Rifle is an antique, rifle-configuration example chambered in .32-20 Win. It features a 24-inch full-octagon barrel, a steel receiver with the integral Third Model dust-cover guide, and period-correct barrel and tang markings. A brass/bronze cartridge lifter is visible, and the rifle retains classic iron sights and furniture that define the Sporting Rifle pattern.
Condition
Overall Condition: Poor condition.
Bore Overall Condition: Poor - Noticeable dirt, stains, significant corrosion or damage.
Bore Rifling: Poor Rifling - Rifling heavily worn or filled with fouling or debris.
Specific Condition Notes: The rifle is not functioning. The magazine tube is missing the follower. The lever is loose. The hammer falls when the trigger is pulled, but the action does not function. There is heavy pitting over the receiver, barrel, and in the bore.
Have a qualified gunsmith verify it is safe to fire prior to shooting. Gunsmith special sold as is.
What’s Included
- Magazine tube spring (loose, not installed)
- Magazine end plug (loose, not installed)
This Third Model rifle uses the later steel receiver (post-1884 change) with the integral dust-cover guide; the dust cover is absent. The rifle configuration includes a full-length tubular magazine with a 14+1 capacity and a 24-inch full-octagon barrel in .32-20 Win.
Barrel-top markings read: 'WINCHESTER'S REPEATING ARMS, NEW HAVEN, CONN. U.S.A. — KING'S IMPROVEMENT PATENTED MARCH 29, 1866; OCTOBER 16, 1860 —'. The upper tang is marked 'Model 1873' in script. A brass/bronze cartridge lifter is visible in the receiver.
The rifle wears a straight-grip wood stock with a crescent steel buttplate and a wood forend capped by a steel forend cap retained by a single screw. Length of pull measures 13.0 inches. There is no saddle ring.
Iron sights include a dovetailed blade front and a semi-buckhorn rear sight with elevator. This antique Winchester was manufactured in the United States in 1889.