Welcome to today’s Photo of the Day! This 1887-manufactured Winchester Model 1873 represents the perfect marriage of firearms history and frontier showmanship. Chambered in .32 WCF, this rifle features a distinctive bone blade front sight—a practical frontier modification that enhanced visibility in the variable lighting conditions of early 20th century Wild West shows.
The rifle’s Third Model frame with integral dust cover guide rail, adjustable sporting rear sight, and smooth walnut furniture mark it as a standard production Model 1873. However, what elevates this particular Winchester from thousands of others is its documented provenance—it’s been conclusively photo-matched to numerous period images showing its owner performing at rodeos and Wild West shows across America. That owner was Oran Ardious Woodman (1870-1957), who crafted an entirely fictional frontier identity as “Uncle Kit Carson.” This Winchester became a central prop in Woodman’s elaborate performance of Western authenticity, helping sell his manufactured biography that included being Kit Carson’s nephew (despite being born years after Carson’s death), capture by Comanches, and participation in the arrest of Sitting Bull.
This rifle’s historical significance lies not in any mechanical innovation but in its role creating the mythology of the American West. It represents a fascinating period when entertainment and history blurred, fabricating the romanticized frontier that continues to shape American identity today.
“Archive of Wild West Showman ‘Uncle Kit Carson.’” Rock Island Auction Company, https://www.rockislandauction.com/detail/4094/3032/archive-of-wild-west-showman-uncle-kit-carson. Accessed 12 May 2025.
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