For your consideration is an early production Winchester Model 1873 Saddle Ring Carbine in desirable caliber .44-40, serial number 115082, made in 1883. Of the over 750,000 Model 1873’s made by Winchester less than one third were carbines, and of those carbines, the most powerful caliber was .44-40. The Model 1873 was Winchester’s earliest center fire cartridge firing rifle and was immediately popular with frontiersmen, lawmen and outlaws alike, ranchers, cowboys, and Native Americans. Made in more limited numbers, the famed saddle ring carbine is often seen in period photographs of the Texas and Arizona Rangers as well as outlaw gangs. One of the only authenticated photographs of outlaw Billy The Kid shows him holding a Winchester 1873 saddle ring carbine. This fine example, aside from being in the big chambering of .44 WCF (.44-40 Win.), is in unaltered, fine condition. This is unusual as most saddle ring carbines were used hard in the Western Frontier and the few surviving examples typically found on the collector market today often show extremely hard use and often abuse with replaced parts and broken stocks etc. This example came out of Arizona and displays fine wood with very tight wood to metal fit, showing that the walnut stock and forend have not been sanded or replaced. The forend shows some honest saddle wear on the rear right side giving it an intriguing western flavor. The overall metal on the receiver, correct 20” barrel and magazine display a wonderful soft aged blue patina with fine original blue on the loading gate. The unpolished brass lifter on the bottom of the receiver displays a desirable mustard yellow uncleaned finish. It retains the original front sight as well as the saddle ring and original staple in the left side of the receiver. The rear sight is a simple buckhorn often seen on early production 1873 Saddle Ring Carbines where the rear sight dovetail is cut too close to the receiver for the more common later style ladder rear sight with longer base. The dust cover is also intact which is unusual as most are missing from this model, especially on carbines. The correct carbine butt plate has the brass sliding trap door for cleaning rod storage and the lever catch is also intact. The barrel top is clearly marked in two lines: “WINCHESTER’S-REPEATING-ARMS NEW HAVEN CT” over “KING’S IMPROVEMENT-PATENTED- MARCH 29, 1866 OCTOBER 16, 1860 The upper tang is also clearly marked “MODEL 1873.” The action is tight and fully functioning. In all, an exceptional early example 1873 Winchester Saddle Ring Carbine in superior, unaltered, original condition that is significantly rarer than the Winchester 1873 rifle version. The survival rate of Pre-1885 Model 1873 Saddle Ring Carbines is small. This firearm qualifies as an Antique, and does not require FFL Transfer or NICS Background Check.