Very high condition Winchester 1873 rifle with EXTREMELY RARE SPECIAL ORDER EXTRA LONG 28 INCH octagon barrel, in caliber .32-20, serial number 166939, made during the Indian Wars/Frontier Period of 1884. Winchester made over 720,000 Model 1873 rifles and carbines. According to the standard reference: The Winchester Handbook, by George Madis, of this huge number of 1873s only 1201 rifles had barrels longer than the standard length of 24”. Considering that Winchester offered extra long length barrels in all calibers, all the way to 36” in round barrels, octagon barrels and half-octagon barrels, there could only be a handful of 28” length octagon barrel .32-20 rifles manufactured...and of these the survival rate would have to be even smaller, making this rifle one of a very few in existence today. This is the classic “Gun That Won the West!” An early and very fine condition example, this 139 year old Winchester still retains fine, rich deep blue on the barrel with the magazine tube mixing naturally with aged blue to brown. The receiver and dust cover on this special 1873 display similar deep high polish blue with only light edge wear. The special order extra long 28” octagon barrel also retains excellent and clear Winchester markings as does the upper tang. The walnut butt stock is in very fine condition with only light handling marks and shows very desirable tight wood to metal fit, indicating that this rifle’s wood has never been sanded. This exceptional 1873 rifle also retains a very tight action and strong springs and the loading gate retains good deep original blue. The brass lifter on the receiver bottom is correctly engraved with “32 CAL” and shows an attractive mellow patina. The lever catch is also intact and the receiver screws are excellent. As is typical for this caliber and age, the bore is dark with faint rifling. This superior rifle is also factory fitted with a set trigger. The trigger retains the adjustment screw and will require a minor adjustment to set. This Model 1873 is in much higher condition than normally encountered on the collector market today. It is fitted with a buckhorn rear sight and Rocky Mountain blade front sight. A fine example of a rifle produced in a factory before the use of electricity that is as good and solid today as it was on the day it was made. The Model 1873 was the standard for lever actions throughout the Frontier Period in the West which, in some areas, lasted well into the twentieth century. Most surviving specimens retain little to no finish, show heavy use and often abuse with broken or missing parts, making this example in such a state of superb preservation and condition one rarely encountered. This rifle, in the very rare and desirable extra long barrel length of 28 inches plus set trigger would be the center piece of most Winchester collections. Serial Number: 166939. This firearm qualifies as an Antique, and does not require FFL Transfer or NICS Background Check.