Cal. 22 Short.
S# 173891A.
Very rare early special order third model deluxe rifle with takedown features and 24″ round barrel with full-length saddle cut, hand-filed, matted panel which superimposes the standard barrel address. Proper inverted “22 Cal” marking on right side at breech. Full magazine, Knife Blade front sight and Sporting rear sight. Early fine knurled Lyman Combination tang sight installed. Takedown frame is case hardened with extremely rare hand filed matted dust cover that matches bbl. Carrier is marked 22 Cal Short. Mounted with checkered XXX quality fancy American feathercrotch walnut with pistol grip and ebony insert. Shotgun type steel buttplate and matching checkered forend. Left side of lower tang is marked with the assembly number “320 XXX 38 S”, matching assembly number is also found in mortise of buttstock. Toe of buttplate is stamped “6”. Internal parts of inside mag. tube are intact and original.
UNATTACHED ACCESSORIES: accompanied by a Cody Firearms Museum Factory Letter which confirms this rifle in Cal. 22 Cal with Round Bbl-Matted, Plain Trigger, Checkered Stock, Pistol Grip, Case Hardened, Sights Per Order. Received in warehouse February 21,1885 and shipped the same day. No order number is given. Also accompanied by a Cody Firearms Museum Letter and corresponding data compilation table from Research Specialist Jessica Bennett documenting her extended research into the unique nature of SN 173891. It was forensically determined that this configuration is unique within production between SN 150001-225000 (the approx. 1873 Takedown Rimfire SN range). Whereas there are six recorded 22 Cal rifles with matted barrels, there are no other round barrel configurations of Model 1873s ordered in this serial range, making this a One-of-a-Kind example!
