MovieChat Forums > Winchester '73 (1950) Discussion > 1 in 1000

1 in 1000

posted 14 years ago by bill3-1
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So what exactly made the 1 in 1000 so special? How does is differ from an ordinary Win '73? I'm interested to know if its the wood stock, something to do with the finish, rifling; if it was more ornate, engraved, etc.

Was manufacturing craftsmanship and machine tolerance really that low back then that only one made in one thousand turned out perfectly without a flaw? Seems like a high number.

If this gun was so highly prized, rare and valuable it's kind of ridiculous that it would be raffled off by a six man shooting contest, what did the presenter get out of it? Just the enjoyment of watching a shooting contest?

Good movie though, I gave it 7/10

[–] Captain_Augustus_McCrae 13 years ago

When factory inspections/tests indicated that a barrel was "of exceptional accuracy", that barrel would be used to produce a "ONE OF ONE THOUSAND" rifle. The rifle would have more hand fitting than a standard production model, it might have double-set triggers, it might be decoratively engraved and have a checkered stock (though not necessarily), but would always be engraved with the "One of one Thousand" or "One of 1000" mark. Both formats were used. Governor George Pardee of California owned two of this model.

"It ain't dying I'm talking about, it's LIVING!"
Captain Augustus McCrae