Early carbine without original stock

[rickhill]

Dick:

Here are a couple more short comb, long wrist 1873's for your survey: #30997 all original rifle & #43332 all original carbine. I can send more detail and/or pictures if desired.


Rick Hill

[mr.j]

Add photos

[Dick Hosmer]

Dick:

Here are a couple more short comb, long wrist 1873's for your survey: #30997 all original rifle & #43332 all original carbine. I can send more detail and/or pictures if desired.


Rick Hill

Thanks Rick - you had given me that data in 2005, but I appreciate the continued support.

[Sturwilh]

Add photos

Photos would be great!!

[Sturwilh]

The gold standard is obviously an unaltered long wrist, and they are hard to find and expensive when you do. Less that 750 short wrist/no trap stocks were made, so they are equally - if not more - hard to find. I've handled exactly one in 50 years of collecting but have owned several long wrists. So, if you are determined to have an "as made" early carbine, it will not be easy.

A decent M1877, or low numbered "M1879" (actually of course a late 1873) can be had in the $1000 to $1500 range, for a filler until you find your goal. If you do buy a parts gun - which will be a lot cheaper and you do not have to take any guff from the seller - look for one where the patina matches, and where the replacement parts make logical and chronological sense.

I just looked over this post from a few months ago and was wondering what is meant here by "parts gun". I'm assuming this term used here by Dick Hosmer is not referring to a damaged gun with some useful or salvageable parts. I'm thinking it is reference to a "put together" gun. Am I right?

[Dick Hosmer]

Yes, that is correct - in the context of that discussion I was speaking of a put-together piece. Virgins are always hard to find, and there are a lot of reasons why "as made" long-wrist carbines have become really scarce.

Sad to say (as it is my generation) but I'd think that some of the larger trapdoor collections that were begun in the 1970s (which is about when the arms finally became noticed) will be broken up over the next few years.

[Sturwilh]

Thanks Dick, I'm getting up there too so I'm afraid I'm not likely to find an "as made" early carbine with the REPLACEMENT stock but but I'll be trying to "put together" one of them. I'm up for the challenge!!

[sdkrag]

Dick, What was the story behind the "Star" Serial numbers? My father-in-law had a carbine at one time.