Features of the Winchester
Model 1873 Rifle
First Model Rifle
 | Dust cover held in place by grooved guides on either side |
| Checkered oval finger grip on top of dust cover |
| Lever latch threaded into lower tang |
| Butt Plate metal and Crescent shaped |
| Full-, half-octagon, or round barrel |
| Fixed Front Sight |
| Caliber in 44-40 only |
| Full magazine |
| Capped forearm |
| Serial numbers on lower tang up to 31000 |
Second Model Rifle
| Dust cover operates on one central guide held in place with screws |
| Checkered oval finger grip on top of dust cover in early guns |
| Later 2nd Model guns have serrated finger grips on rear of dust cover |
| Butt Plate metal and Crescent shaped |
| Full-, half-octagon, or round barrel |
| Fixed Front Sight |
| Solid frame or take down |
| Full, 2/3 or 1/2 magazine |
| Capped forearm |
| Serial numbers on lower tang up to 90000 |
Third Model Rifle
| All guns have serrated finger grips on rare of dust cover |
| Butt Plate metal and Crescent shaped |
| Full-, half-octagon, or round barrel |
| Fixed Front Sight |
| Solid frame |
| Full magazine |
| Capped forearm |
| Serial numbers on lower tang between 90000 and 720,000 |
1873 Rifle Styles
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