Winchester 1873 attic find, got questions

SuperThor · July 3, 2011, 02:47 PM

Hi

So, while cleaning my grandfather's attic recently we found a winchester 1873 that belonged to my great grandfather. The gun was smuggled here (here means Norway BTW) during WW1 and used in the resistance.

Now, I've identified it as a 2nd or 3rd version winchester 1873 carbine in 44-40. It's in pretty bad shape, the outside is rusty but seems to have been oiled so it might clean up. Looking in the ejector hole the insides look worse, could be better than it looks or could be worse, I'll be looking in to it when i get the time. All the external moving parts can be moved, but i have not tried to cycle or cock it to be sure not to damage anything.

Anyone know what something like this might be worth, and if it could be possible to restore it? I know the info is a bit thin, pictures will come but i need to find the camera cable and take some. Any tips as to what should be done with it to preserve, and maybe save, it are greatly welcome, and stuff we can do ourselves is even better.

Thanks a lot in advace
Thor

salvadore · July 3, 2011, 05:42 PM

Who was Norway resisting during WW1?

aarondhgraham · July 3, 2011, 05:46 PM

Even if it doesn't clean up as a shooter,,,
It's worth a lot in sentimental value as an heirloom.

Make a case for it,,,
Hang it up and display it on your wall,,,
Document the history of the rifle as well as you can discover.

It will be like a suit of armor in an old British mansion.

It wouldn't matter what the gun was,,,
I would love to have a family heirloom like yours.

Aarond

James K · July 3, 2011, 06:26 PM

Winchester 73's have a very wide price range, depending on the variation and, as always, the condition. In general, the .44-40 carbine will bring the higest price of the common guns, all else being equal. I have no idea what the value would be in Norway. Some good pictures would certainly help.

Just be careful if you choose to clean it that you don't remove any of the original finish or even a patina. Full restoration is possible, but fairly expensive in the U.S.; again, I don't know the situation in Norway.

Jim

SuperThor · July 3, 2011, 06:27 PM

Salvadore: yeah, i know it doesn't add up, he might have been a sailor or something, i really don't know but I'm working on it. Wat's certain is that it was smuggled here from some relatives in the US during WW1. He was in the resistance in WW2, might be some confusion there.

aarondhgraham: I wish i could put it on a wall but that could put me in jail

Together with one of my other great grandfather's service pistol (1909 swiss luger in good shooting condition) and his swords I've got a nice family "service record"

Makes me sad they'll both have to live in a safe.

I know what you mean about the sentimental value, these are never going to be sold!

T. O'Heir · July 3, 2011, 06:45 PM

"...during WW1..." Norway was neutral in W.W. I. That doesn't mean it couldn't have been used by the Resistance during W.W. II though.
I'd almost bet it was there before W.W.I. Winchester's had a habit of appearing everywhere.
You might be able to get more info from the Cody Museum.
http://www.bbhc.org/firearms/records/
A rusted rifle won't be worth much, but I wouldn't do anything to it until you talk to them.

SuperThor · July 4, 2011, 04:56 PM

A little more info. Seems i was wrong, it's not a carbine but a sportsman model. The serial is very hard to read, had to take a pic with flash to make any kind of sense and still got very little as there is a big dried stain of some glue or something partially covering it. Serial number seems to start with a 4, then a there is a 9, then a space (nothing i can see there anyways) then there migh be two numbers very close together with the first being not readable (could be a scratch) and second being partially readable, then two more partially readable. So it looks like it is a 49xxxx series, anyone got more info based on that?

Also, it is now kept company in the corner by an old enemy, we found a ww2 Mauser in the attic today! The Mauser is very badly rusted and missing parts after it spent 15 years in a river. It was brought up by my dad when he was a kid. Thing is, he did not find it by accident as he was diving at the spot were his grandfather, the one who owned the winchester, blew up the track under a German troop train during the war. Kinda cool to have two guns that different yet tied that close together!

I'll have the pic's up in a few days, need to source a new cable for the camera first.

Edit: judging by the flash pic's the wood on the winchester seems to be in pretty good condition under all the dust and crap

Jim Watson · July 4, 2011, 06:33 PM

I have not heard of a "sportsman" model Winchester 1873.
There is a Sporting Model 1885 Single shot but I do not see the term used on repeaters.
Pictures are getting even more important.

SuperThor · July 5, 2011, 04:47 AM

According to this its the sporting rifle, it has the metal cap on the forearm and 24" barrel.

**Aguila Blanca** · July 5, 2011, 06:12 AM

I recently saw a reference to some super magic rust remover stuff that's supposed to be safe for soaking rusted parts (and guns) in the remove the rust without affecting the solid metal underneath. It sounds like that's what you need. I'll see if I can find the reference. It was probably on this forum -- if not, then it would probably have been the forum at www.m1911.org

bbqncigars · July 9, 2011, 09:42 PM

Anything that I've seen that will remove rust, will remove any bluing as well. I'd start with steel wool and CLP and see how it goes.

Buzzcook · July 9, 2011, 10:08 PM

There is another Norwegian that posts to the forum. He hunts and owns guns.

0000grit steel wool and light oil for surface rust. a bronze brush and light oil for internal rust.
If you do his yourself it'll be a good idea to take the gun all the way down and clean each part separately.

Probably not a good idea to advertise that you are breaking the law.

SuperThor · July 10, 2011, 02:04 PM

So here are some pic's. We've desided not to clean it til we are sure of the correct procedure or can find a gunsmith to do it.

The whole thing, as it was found:

As for the serial number i'm really stuggeling to desifer it, anyone have a good pic of what one should look like, a drawing of the font or something similar it would be a great help in finding what is numbers and what is random scratches or other things.

shutrbkr · July 11, 2011, 07:11 AM

WOW, I would love to hear if that rifle could talk!!!!!

Hawg · July 11, 2011, 07:23 AM

I'd submerge the action in a bucket of kerosene for a month or two. That will free up the action. I dug up this 92 Winchester a few years ago. It was completely frozen. Two months in a kerosene bath freed it up.

July 3, 2011, 02:47 PM	#1
SuperThor Junior Member Join Date: July 3, 2011 Posts: 5	Winchester 1873 attic find, got questions Hi So, while cleaning my grandfather's attic recently we found a winchester 1873 that belonged to my great grandfather. The gun was smuggled here (here means Norway BTW) during WW1 and used in the resistance. Now, I've identified it as a 2nd or 3rd version winchester 1873 carbine in 44-40. It's in pretty bad shape, the outside is rusty but seems to have been oiled so it might clean up. Looking in the ejector hole the insides look worse, could be better than it looks or could be worse, I'll be looking in to it when i get the time. All the external moving parts can be moved, but i have not tried to cycle or cock it to be sure not to damage anything. Anyone know what something like this might be worth, and if it could be possible to restore it? I know the info is a bit thin, pictures will come but i need to find the camera cable and take some. Any tips as to what should be done with it to preserve, and maybe save, it are greatly welcome, and stuff we can do ourselves is even better. Thanks a lot in advace Thor

July 3, 2011, 05:46 PM	#3
aarondhgraham Senior Member Join Date: December 1, 2009 Location: Stillwater, OKlahoma Posts: 8,638	That is very cool,,, Even if it doesn't clean up as a shooter,,, It's worth a lot in sentimental value as an heirloom. Make a case for it,,, Hang it up and display it on your wall,,, Document the history of the rifle as well as you can discover. It will be like a suit of armor in an old British mansion. It wouldn't matter what the gun was,,, I would love to have a family heirloom like yours. Aarond __________________ Never ever give an enemy the advantage of a verbal threat. Caje: The coward dies a thousand times, the brave only once. Kirby: That's about all it takes, ain't it? Aarond is good,,, Aarond is wise,,, Always trust Aarond! (most of the time)

July 3, 2011, 06:45 PM	#6
T. O'Heir Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2002 Location: Canada Posts: 12,453	"...during WW1..." Norway was neutral in W.W. I. That doesn't mean it couldn't have been used by the Resistance during W.W. II though. I'd almost bet it was there before W.W.I. Winchester's had a habit of appearing everywhere. You might be able to get more info from the Cody Museum. http://www.bbhc.org/firearms/records/ A rusted rifle won't be worth much, but I wouldn't do anything to it until you talk to them. __________________ Spelling and grammar count!

July 9, 2011, 09:42 PM	#11
bbqncigars Senior Member Join Date: February 1, 2009 Location: Iowa Posts: 525	Anything that I've seen that will remove rust, will remove any bluing as well. I'd start with steel wool and CLP and see how it goes. __________________ "Of all the things I've lost, I miss my mind the most." A. Brilliant

July 3, 2011, 05:42 PM	#2
salvadore Junior member Join Date: January 1, 2007 Location: Idaho Posts: 2,282	Who was Norway resisting during WW1?

July 3, 2011, 06:26 PM	#4
James K Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 17, 1999 Posts: 24,383	Winchester 73's have a very wide price range, depending on the variation and, as always, the condition. In general, the .44-40 carbine will bring the higest price of the common guns, all else being equal. I have no idea what the value would be in Norway. Some good pictures would certainly help. Just be careful if you choose to clean it that you don't remove any of the original finish or even a patina. Full restoration is possible, but fairly expensive in the U.S.; again, I don't know the situation in Norway. Jim

July 3, 2011, 06:27 PM	#5
SuperThor Junior Member Join Date: July 3, 2011 Posts: 5	Salvadore: yeah, i know it doesn't add up, he might have been a sailor or something, i really don't know but I'm working on it. Wat's certain is that it was smuggled here from some relatives in the US during WW1. He was in the resistance in WW2, might be some confusion there. aarondhgraham: I wish i could put it on a wall but that could put me in jail Together with one of my other great grandfather's service pistol (1909 swiss luger in good shooting condition) and his swords I've got a nice family "service record" Makes me sad they'll both have to live in a safe. I know what you mean about the sentimental value, these are never going to be sold!

July 4, 2011, 04:56 PM	#7
SuperThor Junior Member Join Date: July 3, 2011 Posts: 5	A little more info. Seems i was wrong, it's not a carbine but a sportsman model. The serial is very hard to read, had to take a pic with flash to make any kind of sense and still got very little as there is a big dried stain of some glue or something partially covering it. Serial number seems to start with a 4, then a there is a 9, then a space (nothing i can see there anyways) then there migh be two numbers very close together with the first being not readable (could be a scratch) and second being partially readable, then two more partially readable. So it looks like it is a 49xxxx series, anyone got more info based on that? Also, it is now kept company in the corner by an old enemy, we found a ww2 Mauser in the attic today! The Mauser is very badly rusted and missing parts after it spent 15 years in a river. It was brought up by my dad when he was a kid. Thing is, he did not find it by accident as he was diving at the spot were his grandfather, the one who owned the winchester, blew up the track under a German troop train during the war. Kinda cool to have two guns that different yet tied that close together! I'll have the pic's up in a few days, need to source a new cable for the camera first. Edit: judging by the flash pic's the wood on the winchester seems to be in pretty good condition under all the dust and crap

July 4, 2011, 06:33 PM	#8
Jim Watson Senior Member Join Date: October 25, 2001 Location: Alabama Posts: 18,539	I have not heard of a "sportsman" model Winchester 1873. There is a Sporting Model 1885 Single shot but I do not see the term used on repeaters. Pictures are getting even more important.

July 5, 2011, 04:47 AM	#9
SuperThor Junior Member Join Date: July 3, 2011 Posts: 5	According to this its the sporting rifle, it has the metal cap on the forearm and 24" barrel.

July 5, 2011, 06:12 AM	#10
Aguila Blanca Staff Join Date: September 25, 2008 Location: CONUS Posts: 18,460	I recently saw a reference to some super magic rust remover stuff that's supposed to be safe for soaking rusted parts (and guns) in the remove the rust without affecting the solid metal underneath. It sounds like that's what you need. I'll see if I can find the reference. It was probably on this forum -- if not, then it would probably have been the forum at www.m1911.org

July 9, 2011, 10:08 PM	#12
Buzzcook Senior Member Join Date: November 29, 2007 Location: Everett, WA Posts: 6,126	There is another Norwegian that posts to the forum. He hunts and owns guns. 0000grit steel wool and light oil for surface rust. a bronze brush and light oil for internal rust. If you do his yourself it'll be a good idea to take the gun all the way down and clean each part separately. Probably not a good idea to advertise that you are breaking the law.

July 10, 2011, 02:04 PM	#13
SuperThor Junior Member Join Date: July 3, 2011 Posts: 5	So here are some pic's. We've desided not to clean it til we are sure of the correct procedure or can find a gunsmith to do it. The whole thing, as it was found: As for the serial number i'm really stuggeling to desifer it, anyone have a good pic of what one should look like, a drawing of the font or something similar it would be a great help in finding what is numbers and what is random scratches or other things.

July 11, 2011, 07:11 AM	#14
shutrbkr Junior Member Join Date: May 22, 2010 Posts: 4	WOW, I would love to hear if that rifle could talk!!!!!

July 11, 2011, 07:23 AM	#15
Hawg Senior Member Join Date: September 8, 2007 Location: Mississippi Posts: 16,188	I'd submerge the action in a bucket of kerosene for a month or two. That will free up the action. I dug up this 92 Winchester a few years ago. It was completely frozen. Two months in a kerosene bath freed it up.