model 1873 winchester rifle

Question
Hello my name is Robbie and my dad recently became the owner of a model 1873 winchester rifle through his now deceased mother. The gun was completly covered in corrosion. My dad has had our gunsmith completly restore the gun back to orignal state. The gun turned out great and nothing had to be replaced except for a couple of internal screws. My inquiry is mainly on history and value. We are just clueless on this old of a gun. We would greatly appreciate any info you could fill us in on. Our intensions are not to sell at all. Thank you ever so much , Robbie

Serial #466678 Model 1873 winchester, 32 wcf

Answer
Hello Robbie Morris. The loss of a mother can be overwhelming. I am sorry for your loss. You ask about a Winchester 1873 rifle. Your rifle was manufactured in 1894 in caliber.32-20 Winchester Center Fire. Out of 15,184 made that year, your's was the 36th one. Not that it makes a difference in any way, but I enjoy relating to numbers. I would definitely search into the type of employeement of your grandfather or greatgrandfather. Since this rifle cost around $100.00 in 1894, there may have been a special need for this rifle and caliber. This part of history can only be written by you. The value is relative. If the gunsmith did not exchange external parts for others that do not match, $900-1,500. "GUN SMITH ALERT". Have your gunsmith check it for function and if it looks good, get a box of ammo and go shoot it! I hope this answers your questions and thank you for asking for me. Charles Gage