Make: Winchester

Model: 3rd Model 1883 Hotchkiss Musket

Serial Number: 83138

Year of Manufacture: 1895

Caliber: .45-70 Government

Action Type: Bolt Action Tubular Magazine Fed Rifle

Barrel Length: 28"

Sights / Optics: The front sight is a blade pinned in a slotted base at the front of the barrel. The rear sight is a folding ladder sight presenting a wide "V"-notch when down and with a more find "V"-notch slider on the ladder. The base is graduated from 100-400 yards for use with the ladder down, the ladder is graduated from 500-1,000 yards.

Stock Configuration and Condition: The stocks are two-piece smooth walnut. The forend has a steel nosecap, two barrel bands with a sling swivel on the front band, and a slot for the included clearing rod. There is another sling swivel at the front of the trigger guard. The buttstock has a straight grip, straight comb and steel carbine-style buttplate. The plate is stamped "194" on the tang. The stocks have a few scattered nicks and scratches. There are no chips or cracks. The LOP measures 13 3/4" from the front of the trigger to the back of the buttplate. The plate has mostly muted in the face with good color on the top tang. Overall, the stocks are in Excellent condition as Antique.

Type of Finish: Blue and Case Color

Finish Originality: Original

Bore Condition: The bore is mostly bright with sharp rifling. There is infrequent light erosion in the bore. In this writer's opinion, the bore rates 8+/10.

Overall Condition: This rifle retains approximately 96% of its metal finish. The finish is generally strong throughout. The balance is mostly in minor surface oxidation with a few scattered light marks. The action shows light operational wear. The screw heads are sharp. The markings are clear. Overall, this rifle is in Excellent condition as Antique.

Mechanics: The action functions correctly. We have not fired this rifle. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.

Box, Paperwork, and Accessories: This rifle comes with a Cody Firearms Records Office search which indicates it was produced as a musket, received in warehouse March 22, 1895 and shipped January 5, 1915.

Our Assessment: The Winchester Hotchkiss is a bolt-action repeating rifle patented by Benjamin Hotchkiss in 1876 and produced by Winchester and Springfield Arsenal from 1878. The Hotchkiss, like most early bolt-actions, had a single rear locking lug integral with the bolt handle, but was unique in feeding multiple rounds from a tubular buttstock magazine similar to the Spencer rifle. A magazine cutoff mechanism was adopted, allowing use as a single-shot while retaining the magazine in reserve.

There were three variants to the Hotchkiss. The original had both the magazine cutoff and safety integral to a dial on the right side. Testing and feedback from military trials led to the 2nd "Improved" model, having separate levers to each side of the receiver. Due to frequent cracking of the stock, the 3rd Model altered the receiver once more and used two-piece stocks, largely solving the issue of cracking. The 3rd Model also coincided with personnel changes at Winchester with former Remington employees Jefferson Clough and Leander Russell hired as Superintendent and Assembly Room Department head, as well as Colt firearms and tooling designer William Mason hired as the Master Mechanic. Their efforts led to a better designed rifle which was produced much more efficiently. This model was called the Model 1883 Hotchkiss and saw significant foreign military and domestic commercial sales, though the United States elected to stay with the 1873 Trapdoor rifle.

This example is from 1895 and is in Excellent condition, showing little sign of use over the last 110 years. This may have something to do with it spending the first 20 years of its life in the Winchester factory warehouse, waiting until 1915 to actually be shipped. It has "194" stamped on the buttplate, though the significance of this marking is not clear. It is also of interest to the collectors that it has a turned-down bolt handle despite being in Musket configuration. In any case, this a wonderful example of the 1883 Hotchkiss that will add to even an advanced Winchester collection. Please see our photos and good luck!