Winchester '73 32 WCF

[Eaglestroker]

I've been looking for a 32-20 rifle casually since I acquired a Ruger convertible in the caliber. Monday a good friend about 200 miles south of me sent a text with a link featuring yours truly. Fella picked it up cheap at an estate sale and wasn't interested in keeping it for whatever reason. I gave $450 for it which is still surprising to me but he set the price.

She sports a 24" octagonal barrel and the bore is dark, but rifling is sharp. Mostly whole including the dust cover but missing the rear site and front blade - so my first order of business is sights. The foreend is missing a triangular chunk out of it but other than wear and tear it is mostly there. There are definitely a few screw that have been messed with too but hopefully they will not fight me too much.

As is apparent most of the finish is gone and would likely rate around 35%. He mentioned that the action felt good considering the age. The serial number #3833XX seems to date it to 1890/1891. This is my vintage lever rifle, but I decided to give it to my father as he's always talked about a vintage Winchester.

Think the neatest little thing I noted was the lever lock on the lower tang. Hadn't seen that on another gun before but I've never seen another '73 in person either.

 

[6GUNSONLY]

Nice! Pretty sure you could easily quadruple your money back if so desired. Those kind of deals don't come along often. Congrats to ya.

 

[Mike Armstrong]

What a nice old rifle! (Just make sure your Dad doesn't mix any of your Ruger loads up with his '73 loads).

 

[Eaglestroker]

Nice! Pretty sure you could easily quadruple your money back if so desired. Those kind of deals don't come along often. Congrats to ya.

I don't think she'd bring quite that, but it doesn't much matter because he's not letting it go and once I get it back I won't either.

What a nice old rifle! (Just make sure your Dad doesn't mix any of your Ruger loads up with his '73 loads).

Thanks Mike! Got some low level cowboy loads mixed up for once I finish going through it and get a set of sights. Ordered some inexpensive reproductions so that I can take my time with the original hunt.

 

[WendyZXZ]

That is a great looking old rifle!

 

[Eaglestroker]

Know what impresses me most about this old rifle?

The wood-to-metal fit and finish. Isn't it amazing, how they could get it so nice back then? More than a hundred years ago?

In my opinion, those old boys who made those rifles could teach today's makers a thing or two about fit and finish.

That's a great old rifle you scored. Congrats. - DixieBoy

What they lacked in tooling was made up for in will & perseverance. Strong back helped I'm sure

Doubt a lot of today's offerings would make it through 125 years of use looking so good along with still being usable! Only time will prove that though.

 

[Mike Armstrong]

Black Hills "Cowboy" 115 gr. lead loads work very well in my vintage .32-20s; they seem to duplicate the original smokeless loads from the early 20th century. They also seem to be loaded with a powder like Unique, which is "authentically" dirty burning!

 

[TKLyden]

Slug the bore My 32/20 Winchester takes .313 and is a tack driver.

 

[6gun]

I own 2 Winchester 73's they are fine rifles and still shoot very accurately, $450 was a give away price a fraction of what it's worth you did well.

 

[TucsonDirt]

That is a beautiful old Winchester, congrats on the great deal!

 

[Joe S.]

Looks good to me. Im afraid if i had gotten my mits on it i'd have kept it.

Oh. Wait...

 

[Bucks Owin]

I own 2 Winchester 73's they are fine rifles and still shoot very accurately, $450 was a give away price a fraction of what it's worth you did well.

Well that ain't fair, I don't even own one!

(A 1935 M-54 is my nostalgia rifle... )

Lets see 'em 6gun! 8)

GREAT DEAL ON A GRAND OLD RIFLE EAGLESTROKER! :wink:

 

[ar15ed]

that's a beauty!

 

[David LaPell]

I had one in .38 WCF once, I wish I still owned that gun, it shot a lot better than one could imagine.

 

[Rumrunner]

Sweet gun and great pics and background.