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Show RlBv JIM RHODYpfrfrj ?e Seorcj On A nationwide search for 124 rare old rifles of the 1870's has just been sparked by The American rifleman, official publication of the National Hifle Association. The 124 guns are the only ones ever made of the little known "One of One Thousand" variety of the Model 73 lever action repeating rifle which Western pioneers said could be loaded on Sunday and fired all week. In its current issue The American Rifleman describes in detail for the first time this high accuracy rifle about which few of the country's leading gun experts even know about. The magazine asks gun lovers lov-ers and collectors who own lever action rifles to examine them carefully care-fully for the words "One of One Thousand" engraved on the top of the barrel just ahead of the receiver. re-ceiver. Owners of these rifles have been asked to notify the magazine, giving the serial number of the rifle and any historical facts about it they may know. The year 1950 is the seventy-fifth anniversary of the introduction of the "One of One Thousand" which was made by Winchester from the years 1875 through 1879. How many of these rifles are still in existence is not known. The "One of One Thousand" is a variety of the famous fa-mous model 73 "the gun that won the West" of which the New Haven company made 720,610 from 1873 until un-til 1924 when the model was discontinued. discon-tinued. It was the second rifle to bear the name of Oliver F. Winchester, Win-chester, pioneer firearms manufacturer. manufac-turer. In announcing the "One of One Thousand." the company described it as follows: "The barrel of every sporting rifle we make will be proved and shot at 1 a target, and the target will be numbered to correspond with the barrel and be attached to it. "All of those barrels that are found to make targets of extra merit will be made up into guns with set-triggers and extra finish and marked as a designating name 'One of One Thousand' and sold at $100.00." One of the few known rifles of this variety was loaned by New Haven firearms manufacturer for use in the motion picture "Winchester 73," in which it plays the leading role with such stars as Jimmy Stewart and Shelly Winters appearing in "supporting" parts. |