Rare 1st Model Winchester 1873 Open-Top Rifle with Set Trigger

Serial #27908, .44 WCF (.44-40), 26" octagon barrel with a fine, bright bore that has some mild freckling within the grooves. This is an 1878-made rifle that has about 10-20% of the original blue finish, mostly on protected areas, with the balance having aged to a mellow plum-brown patina with gray fading along the high edges and projections. The correct, unmarked cartridge lifter has an overall yellow-ochre tarnish, and no dustcover was ever fitted to the receiver. The lever and hammer have a mottled gray-brown patina, and the action is tight, with virtually no play in the lever when unlocked. The rifle is equipped with a factory single-set trigger which breaks cleanly and crisply. The smooth walnut forend and buttstock have numerous small handling marks and bruises throughout the original oil finish. The crescent buttplate has an overall mottled gray-brown patina with areas of brown oxidation at the toe and heel, and the stock compartment is empty. The rifle is further equipped with a period bone sliver front sight blade, and an original buckhorn rear sight that has been milled flat along the sides. The accompanying 2022-dated Cody Firearms Data Sheet specifies that the rifle was received in the warehouse on January 26, 1878, and shipped out on April 2 of the same year. Little is known about these open-top Model 1873s, but all known examples are found within the 27200 – 27999 serial number range. This is a very good-fine example of a highly desirable Model 1873 Winchester variant, and would make a great addition to any collection. Antique