Have a few Uberti 1873 rifle questions please

[kooz]

looking at a Uberti 1873 rifle in .45 Colt (not short stroked) . Looks very clean, CCH frame, 24" bbl, seemed to cycle very smooth. Guy is asking $760, but indicated that he would bargain a little, I am tempted, but don't have any experience with the 1873's. I am just looking for something to plink with and maybe fill a doe tag, will not be used for CAS. Was wondering if some of you with experience with these rifles could please answer a couple questions, thanks in advance.

Will these guns typically cycle with a Keith bullet or would that bullet be to long to cycle ? If so what is the max overall cartridge length these guns will tolerate ?

From what I can tell looking at the Uberti site they use 18" rifling twist ?

Do they typically cycle good out of the box, or do they require an action job right out of the gate ?

Thanks again
kooz

[Chuck 100 yd]

It will most likely NOT cycle the Keith bullet well at all. They do feed the bullet style that was most popular in the time period the gun was designed,the round nose or round nose flat point bullet.
Also the toggle link actions should not be hot rodeo with heavy loads. Stay with standard SAAMI loading screen. They are plenty strong enough for Deer at reasonable distances.
I shoot cowboy action with one just like it and stock,just as it came out of the box,works great.

[Nate C.]

Hornady LEVERevolution ammuntion will do you just fine for deer.

[Nate Kiowa Jones]

looking at a Uberti 1873 rifle in .45 Colt (not short stroked) . Looks very clean, CCH frame, 24" bbl, seemed to cycle very smooth. Guy is asking $760, but indicated that he would bargain a little, I am tempted, but don't have any experience with the 1873's. I am just looking for something to plink with and maybe fill a doe tag, will not be used for CAS. Was wondering if some of you with experience with these rifles could please answer a couple questions, thanks in advance.

Will these guns typically cycle with a Keith bullet or would that bullet be to long to cycle ? If so what is the max overall cartridge length these guns will tolerate ?

From what I can tell looking at the Uberti site they use 18" rifling twist ?

Do they typically cycle good out of the box, or do they require an action job right out of the gate ?

Thanks again
kooz

The 73 (and the 1860, and 66) have a built in ammo OAL gage. Open the action, turn the gun over and lay a round in the window where the carrier rides. If it doesn't fit, it's too long. It should be about 1/16 but not more than 1/8th inch short of not fitting tight. This length works best because the 73, 66, and 60 does not have a mag cartridge stop. The front edge of the loading gate, there just behind the carrier, is the only stop. While the carrier is in the up position it's the stop. The carrier has to bring a round up to chamber while preventing the next round in the mag from coming on to the carrier. If the ammo is too short the carrier has to push the next round back into the tube as it comes up. Make your ammo long enough so that it's a shearing action as the carrier comes up.

It will probably work just fine with the TC bullets if the chamber mouth is slightly ramped at the bottom.

[M. M. Wright]

I have a couple of them in 44-40. Never had a problem with either but then I load all my own and maintain a consistent overall length.
I did lighten the lever and lifter springs and adjusted the hammer spring. You will want to lighten the lever safety, (I don't recommend removing it but many do).
That is an excellent price by the way.

[Griff]

What them fellers above said. I have 3 toggle-links in .45Colt. I stick with either round flat nose or truncated cone bullet shapes. Plenty big meplats and smooth sides made feeding a breeze with this straight walled case. While I have used a Keith style bullets, it was ONLY because it was the only bullet available, (borrowed ammo as I was out of state). It fed, after a fashion... you needed to jostle the gun about to get the cutting band of the bullet past the rather blunt end of the breech. After that, not again. I think I shipped off my last bit of Keith bullets to another forum member! The length wasn't the issue for the rifle, it was the nose shape.

I load my normal 200 grain RFN to an OAL of 1.570". Which, is just length yielded seating it to the cannelure. My 225 grain truncated cone seat at the cannelure yields an OAL of 1.595, exactly the same length of the loaded 240HPs I keep around. I have two 1873s, one made in 1986, the other in 2014. Their carrier mortises measure 1.625" & 1.605" respectively. The older gun hasn't stretched, as headspace is still correct. So there has been some variation over the years... but I've not heard of any problems if ammo is loaded to 1.595" or less.

No need to hot rod the .45Colt in a toggle link, if the 230 ball ammo in 45ACP in a 1911 will take down 300lb hogs... the 45Colt is every bit as capable. Stick to SAAMI standard loads, your gun and shoulder will be happy.

I've heard stories about them being rough as a cob... That certainly isn't the experience I've had. The newest one, I did replace the trigger block safety spring as the factory spring was quite heavy... the older one (which I've owned since 1987), is just like it came from the factory, silky smooth. (IMO). Neither of mine have been short stroked, and I like it that way. That price sounds quite fair, I paid $600 for mine in 1987! And it was used also! If in good shape, these don't seem to lose much value in resale. They're VERY popular with CAS shooters and re-enactors...

I haven't taken a deer with any of my toggle-links, but have taken them along for the ride!!! Maybe next time!