Ballpark Winchester '73 Manufacture Date

[BLTsandwedge]

I have a good suspicion that someone here knows a bit about Winchester '73s. I've one in .44WCF with one serial number stamped on the tang- 9729XX. The rifle is in great shape except that it is missing the magazine, spring, follower and magazine retainer tang. Can anyone hazard a guess as to when it may have been made?

Much appreciated!

Tom

[missionary5155]

Greetings
This book I am looking at only has dates to 1923 which ended at 720609. I would recon that was built in the 1930's. I will keep looking and add more if I can find more.
Mike in ILL

[BLTsandwedge]

Many thanks Mike!

Tom

[BLTsandwedge]

Would it matter if the last digit in the serial number is a letter?

Thanks again........

Tom

[fouronesix]

There may be something wrong with the number as the production of the 73 only went up to #720609 with production ending in about 1923. The easiest way to look up Win serial dates is at old guns.net.
Re-check the number and see if it's within the range as listed for the 73.

[w30wcf]

Would it matter if the last digit in the serial number is a letter?
Thanks again........
Tom

Yes indeed! My '73 has a serial # within 40 of yours and is followed by a letter.
Mine and yours were made in 1882.:-D (What a coincidence!)
http://www.savage99.com/winchester1873_dates.htm


http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o25/w30wcf/Leverguns/188273a.jpg

w30wcf

[BLTsandwedge]

Yes indeed! My '73 has a serial # within 40 of yours and is followed by a letter.
Mine and yours were made in 1882.:-D (What a coincidence!)
http://www.savage99.com/winchester1873_dates.htm


http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o25/w30wcf/Leverguns/188273a.jpg

w30wcf

Now that's cool! Thank you Sir!

Tom

[BLTsandwedge]

w30wcf- most likely the same people made mine and yours....over 130 years ago. I've a feeling they were also originally shipped to the same location. You see, my family acquired my 1873 about 30 years ago at a gun auction....in Lancaster, PA.

[w30wcf]

Tom,
That's a possibility, but hard to say. Some guns went into the whse and it might have been several months before they were shipped from the whse depending on the orders that Winchester received.

Special order guns (one could custom order a Winchester '73 to their specifications) were shipped within a few days of arriving in the whse. My gun was likely a special order since it is a "short rifle" and has an odd length (21") barrel that is larger in diameter than normal.

I obtained a Winchester letter from the Cody Museum a few years ago which, along withthe firearm specifications indicated that it was shipped into the whse on Aug 11, 1882 and was shipped out of the whse in Aug 14, 1882 but does not indicate the final destination.

I purchased the rifle from a fellow who had purchased it at one of the Ohio Collector Gun Shows in Cleveland, OH back in the early 1990's.

w30wcf