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Winning Bid US $1776 First bid $1100 Quantity 1 # of bids 10 Time left Auction has ended   Started 2025-05-07 00:00:00 Ended 2025-11-21 22:35:25

Winchester, Model: Hotchkiss Carbine, 2nd model, Cal: .45-70, MFG: April 1881, S/N: 12632, Bolt action rifle, 24'' barrel.

HISTORY: The US Navy would adopt the Winchester Hotchkiss in 1879 & designate it the M1878, later in 1883 the Army & several state militias would adopt it & designate it the M1883. It was the first ever bolt action center fire magazine fed rifle to be adopted by a major military, the first bolt action repeater being the Swiss Vetterli M1869. The first model has problems with stocks breaking since the safety & magazine cutoff knob was embedded into the right wrist of the stock, weakening it. This would be updated to two levers on the top of the receiver in the second model like we have here. The army would go back & convert most of their first model rifles into second model carbines. This one was built from the factory as a second model. The Hotchkiss would be pulled from service after field trials in 1883, where the M1873 trapdoor Springfield was judged superior. Some Hotchkiss guns would be used by the navy until they were replaced by the M1895 Lee-Navy. Lots of these rifles were used by US scouts during the Indian wars.

CONDITION: The straight wrist walnut stock is very good as having two arsenal repaired cracks. One on the left side of the stock, between the receiver & the sling ring mount. the other is on the left side of the wrist & runs from the upper tang down the wrist about 2'', it turns back on its self & runs about 5'' up the forend. crack repairs are tight & solid. Stock has a couple resin/puddy repairs, unknow if its arsenal or aftermarket repairs. They appear to be arsenal as they are professional & nice. Small chip in the toe. No cartouches on the stock. Army reports from around this time state that the Cavalry was breaking about 40 to 50 stocks of Hotchkiss carbines a month that were being repaired/replaced in the field. This stock appears to be one that was replaced in the field & was likely repaired again in the field with the fixed cracks in the stock. The forend tip is nickeled brass, some of the nickel is flaking & the brass under is exposed. The blued finish on the barrel rates 25% with most of the metal having thinned finish & starting to tone brown. The receiver retains about 10% blue, again covered in thinned blue that starting to tone brown, some blue remains in protected areas. the left side of the receiver is marked with the Winchester Repeating Arms address & patent dates ending in ''JAN.23.1877''. The top left edge of the receiver is marked with the S/N, & the inspectors initials ''H.N.'', this is for Henry Nettleton. The rear of the barrel is marked ''V'' over ''P'' over a eagles head, ''H.N.'', ''R''. the bolt face & striker body is marked ''H.N.''. rear sight base & ladder are marked ''H.N''. The barrel band ius marked ''U''. The bore is excellent. Its bright & mirrorlike with very little visible wear. The barrel holds a barleycorn front sight with a tangent/ladder U-notch rear sight marked 1 to 6 & the ladder is marked 7 to 14. The stock carries a blued steel buttplate. buttplate has spots of wear & roughness. Rifle has a left side mounted sling ring. Antique, No FFL Req - Value: 2200 to 4000

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Price

Winchester, Model: Hotchkiss Carbine, 2nd model, Cal: .45-70, MF... Item # 4430 This auction is over. No new bids can be placed. Price: US $1776

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