Lot 784S1
A fine and rare .44-40 'Model 1873 One Of One Thousand' lever-action rifle by Winchester, no. 11856 (dated 1875) Accompanying this firearm is a letter from author R.L. Wilson identifying this gun and documenting it
29 November 2018, 10:30 GMT
London, Knightsbridge£20,000 - £30,000
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A fine and rare .44-40 'Model 1873 One Of One Thousand' lever-action rifle by Winchester, no. 11856 (dated 1875)
The 'First Model' receiver with dust-cover, plain and expertly reblued, the hammer and lever with much hardening-colour, set trigger, the highly-figured replacement stock with steel butt-plate and trap (with 4-piece cleaning rod) with much hardening-colour, the forend with steel-cap with much hardening colour, the replacement octagonal barrel inlaid with a silver metal band at muzzle and breech, engraved Winchester's-Repeating-Arms. New Haven. CT. King's-Improvement-Patented-March 29.1866.October 16.1860 and 'One of One Thousand' with bold foliate scrollwork, with full-length magazine tube, with sporting front-sight and semi-buckhorn sporting rear-sight with adjustable centre insert
24¼in. barrel, recent Birmingham nitro proof (minimal marks together with certificate)
Accompanying this firearm is a letter from author R.L. Wilson identifying this gun and documenting it
24¼in. barrel, recent Birmingham nitro proof (minimal marks together with certificate)
Accompanying this firearm is a letter from author R.L. Wilson identifying this gun and documenting it
Footnotes
Provenance
Harry H Sefried Collection
James D. Julia, Inc., Fairfield, Maine 10 & 11 March 2008, lot 1065
Literature
R.L. Wilson letter: rifle, octagonal barrel, set trigger, case-hardened, received in warehouse December 12 1875 and shipped from warehouse January 12th 1876. The letter goes on to talk about the Winchester 1 of 100, and 1 of 1000, documenting such guns for his numerous books on the subject. The letter also identifies the gun as being in the collection of "Harry H. Sefried II", a noted engineer and designer for the Winchester factory. The letter also states that Mr. Sefried himself started the restoration of this rifle.
Edmund E. Lewis, The Story of the Winchester: 1 of 1000 and 1 of 100 Rifles, 2009. p.162: Formerly in the collection of Harry H. Sefried this original Model 1873 1 of 1000 rifle has undergone extensive restoration. The warehouse record indicates that it was originally casehardened but it has been reblued. The rifle was originally stocked with XXXX wood. The barrel has been replaced and the barrel inscription is not that of a pattern used in 1875. The barrel bands also differ from those found on original 1 of 1000s. Sefried's notes on this gun state that it was a "parts gun", and some parts were from Winchester's "spare parts bin".