Frontier era Winchester Model 1873 octagon rifle in .32-20 caliber. This early Model 1873 with serial number 230436 was made in 1887. An early Winchester Model 1873 rifle produced with standard 24” octagon barrel, full magazine, crescent butt plate and chambered for the popular .32 Winchester Center Fire cartridge. The .32 Winchester Center Fire cartridge (better known today as the .32-20) was first introduced in 1882. According to the standard reference work THE WINCHESTER HANDBOOK by George Madis, “along with the .38-40 introduced about this time, sales for rifles in these two chamberings were slow with early examples in these calibers very scarce.” The Model 1873 is the famed “Gun That Won the West,” and undoubtedly one of Winchesters earliest and most popular repeating rifles. This example is typical of those found in every barn, saddle scabbard and behind every ranch house kitchen door during the Frontier Years. Made uninterruptedly from 1873 through 1923, the 1873 is perhaps the most iconic of Winchester’s early products and found favor with hunters, ranchers, farmers, cowboys, lawmen and outlaws. It was, and still is, known for having the smoothest action of any Winchester model. Its mechanism has few internal parts and, by removing the side plates, is extremely simple to clean and repair if needed. This was a huge selling point in sparsely populated areas where a gunsmith might be many days’ ride away. A frontiersman or hunter with a few spare parts and a screwdriver would never have to worry about his rifle becoming out of service. This rifle shows a deep aged appearance on the barrel, magazine tube and receiver. The loading gate retains good aged blue and the screw heads are in fine condition. Further, it retains the original dust cover, and the mellow brass lifter on the bottom of the receiver is correctly engraved “32 CAL” and has never been polished. Frequently dust covers are missing, but this rifle has managed to retain the original. The Walnut butt stock and forearm also show no signs of being sanded or replaced. Aside from a shallow sliver from the right forward portion of the forend top, the stock and forend are in fine condition showing only normal handling/hunting wear. The wood to metal fit is tight and the steel butt plate has no provision for a trapdoor for cleaning rods which is correct for the .32-20 chambered Model 1873- only the .38-40 and .44-40 caliber rifles had the sliding trap in the butt plate. Correct Winchester markings and patent dates on the barrel and upper tang are fairly sharp and clear and the mechanism is tight and crisp with strong springs and solid safety half-cock notch on the hammer. The bore is dark with visible rifling all the way through with the normal roughness that one would certainly expect of such an early black powder era Winchester. The barrel retains a correct buckhorn rear sight with elevator bar and matching original standard Winchester blade front sight. This is an attractive and original 135 year old Model 1873 rifle that only recently came out Arizona. It would be difficult to find an earlier production Model 1873 in this scarce caliber. Antique firearm, NO FFL.