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1873 Winchester with Colt Barrel

WHITEWOLFDAKOTA
I've had this gun in my safe for over 30 years and have never got any
feedback on what it's worth if anything. The gun was delivered with 19 others on Oct 19th,1886 to order #11060. It came with round barrel and plain trigger. It now has a Colt octoganal 24" barrel on it. The gun is in good condition and the barrel looks like it has always been there. One fella said it might have been owned by a gunsmith due to the installation.
Here are the markings on barrel:

32 CAL

COLT'S PT.F.A.MFG.CO.HARTFORD.CT.U.S.A.
PATENTED MAY 29.SEPT.18.83.MAY 26.85.JUNE 15.86.FEB 22.87

The rifle is complete otherwise. Really nice piece except for the barrel. Why would someone do this? Non original makes it junk in most areas of a collector I assume.

WHITEWOLFDAKOTA
WATCH YOUR TOPKNOT!
lIFE IS GOOD IN LOW RANGE!
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Comments

8 comments

Date Votes
  • captkirk3@dslextreme.com
    Morning WWD...This question about the Barrel conversion is going to Be a Tough One....I believe 'BERT H.' is gonna have to be the One to Tackle this Question....I won't even speculate on the reason for making the change...I'm sure 'Bert' will be along shortly....and I'm sure We'll get some answers....By the Way...Welcome to the Ask the Experts Forum and becoming a member of the <gunbroker.com> family....

    Captain Kirk, Tech Staff
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  • Bert H.
    Hello WWD...

    It appears that the barrel on your Winchester was originally on a Colt Lightning (medium frame) slide-action rifle. Why somebody installed it is anyone's guess.

    From a collector's viewpoint, it is an absolute crying shame that TWO highly collectable rifles were sacrificed to make a simple shooter. I am curious as to how the magazine tube was attached to the Colt barrel (if it is actually attached). Does the rifle have a full length magazine tube?

    Undoubtedly, the Colt barrel was modified to fit the Winchester frame, and as such, it no longer has any value. The remainder of the rifle is probably worth about $300 - $400 if you were to break it down and sell it as individual parts. As a complete rifle in its current configuration, it has essentially zero collector value.

    Bert H.

    Real Men use a SINGLE-SHOT!
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  • MIKE WISKEY
    what the other posters said is certainly true but the rifle has considerable value as a shooter (assuming it is in shootable condition). I can just see it now; some SSAS shooter coming to a shoot with his colt/winchester (winchester/colt?). Anyway just about any shootable '73 will bring $500 +. By-the-way, I've seen several firearms rebarreled with other makers barrels, I've even had a .22 Stevens Favorite muzzle loader (cap lock).
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  • WildBill
    People do strange things to guns. I just bought a Savage 1899 takedown with the butt stock cut off and lengthened about 2 inches with a Winchester crescent shaped but plate attached. Who knows ?

    Old PT Barnum had the answer, theres one born every minute. Well thats close anyway.

    Wildbill
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  • v35
    The barrel must have been shortened 2 inches from the Lightning length of 26 inches.
    I've also seen cut down Winchester 38-40 and 44-40 barrels on SAA Colts.
    It probably was an early rebarreling job.
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  • WHITEWOLFDAKOTA
    Found a camera. Here's my attempt to show the rifle:

    IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v480/whitewolfdakota/1873Winchester001.jpg[/IMG]

    IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v480/whitewolfdakota/1873Winchester003.jpg[/IMG]

    IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v480/whitewolfdakota/1873Winchester002.jpg[/IMG]

    THANKS FOR ALL YOUR HELP!

    WHITEWOLFDAKOTA
    WATCH YOUR TOPKNOT!
    lIFE IS GOOD IN LOW RANGE!
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  • wundudnee
    1873Winchester002.jpg
    It's nice enough to live in my safe. I have a 1890 Winchester WRF that is made with two different serial #s and a Marlin .22 S, L, LR barrel installed on it. I know, it's not supposed to work, but I've shot it for years with acceptable accuracy.

    Anything is possible for a good blacksmith or mechanic.

    1873Winchester003.jpg

    ....................
    Whenever I see a cow eat grass, I am reminded that "This too shall pass."............ Baxter Black
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  • v35
    Using the very corrosive ammo of the day it's easy to ruin a barrel. Texas being a long way from Hartford, Connecticut, especially in those days, it's easy to see why the gunsmith used what was at hand.
    The Colt barrel could have been a replacement spare parts barrel.
    In any event, it's an old, professional conversion. The dust cover looks like a replacement and the ferrule magazine guide found on some Winchesters was not installed.
    A Frontier gunsmith named Freund did professional modifications and conversions of Sharps rifles. There's no reason to believe he was alone in doing good work on firearms.
    The value of that rifle is in the eyes of the beholder. It's a beauty.

    I could use the one piece SAA ivories.
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