The 1873: True Icon Of The Old West

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Arguably the most famous and recognizable rifle of the Old West, the 1873 is a true icon of the frontier. The iron-framed, lever-action rifle was ideal in a saddle scabbard or at the homestead to take care of any chore a revolver couldn’t handle. And plenty of good and bad men had chores for the 1873, with the likes of William F. Cody, the Texas Rangers, Billy the Kid, Butch Cassidy and a long list of other western notables employing the rifle.

In addition to its ease of use and low maintenance, what made the 1873 a success was Winchester chambering it for its proprietary pistol ammunition — .44-40, .38-40 and .32-20. This took a load of burden off a buckaroo, during a period when logistics were not at the top of their game. A fella never