The new '73 is a keeper!

[2ndovc]

Even though the weather was on the cold and damp side, 45 and rain squalls, I couldn't wait any longer to shoot the new Winchester. Looking through my handloads this morning I only had a couple of boxes of .45 Colt that weren't 300 gr hard cast with a heavy load of W296. The two I took along were .454 Hornady lead "Cowboy" bullets and 9 grains of Unique. I'd made these for a Trails End '94 I had several years ago that I couldn't get to shoot better than 6-7" at 50 yds. after several tries.

Once I settled in, I was able to put the second five rounds into a nice group @ 9:00 on the target at 50 yds. Not bad for the first time out and it's really pleasant to soot as well. Bounced ten rounds in rapid succession off the 24" gong. That was fun!
My revolvers both seem to like a load I made last year with a 250 hard cast and TiteGroup so I'm going to make up some more of those. Didn't have any factory ammo on hand to try. The .45 Colt is one of those cartridges I've never bought a box of factory ammo for.
I think I'm going to need a couple more of these.




jb

[Scott Tschirhart]

Good deal. I use that same load in my '66 Miroku levergun. That oversized Hornady bullet seems to shoot well in that load in every gun I have tried.

[Blaine]

Dang it! You're fixin' to cost me some money. One of those short '73s in .357 has been on my radar for a long time, but I was gifted a Henry BIG Boy. BIG is the operative word. Almost 8 pounds, and slippery brass buttplate. I'm grateful for the gift, but it does not "do it" for me at all. Maybe I'll put one of those stimulus checks to good use.

[2ndovc]

Dang it! You're fixin' to cost me some money. One of those short '73s in .357 has been on my radar for a long time, but I was gifted a Henry BIG Boy. BIG is the operative word. Almost 8 pounds, and slippery brass buttplate. I'm grateful for the gift, but it does not "do it" for me at all. Maybe I'll put one of those stimulus checks to good use.

That's what we're here for, right?

Now the big debate in my head is; .357 or .44-40 for the next one. I have a '92 in .44WCF that was my grandfather's, it's in really good shape except the bore looks like the pavement on the East Side of Cleveland after a bad winter. It shoots better that you would think, but wow what a mess. He wasn't gentle with anything. Now my dad's fathers guns look almost new.

Thanks Scott!
It does seem to be a good all purpose load. I've only had a couple of rifles in .45 Colt, this is the first one that hasn't been a disappointment. Can't wait to get out and play with it some more.

jb

[gamekeeper]

The 73 is my favourite Leveraction, still looking for a .32/20. I'm really pleased you like your new shooter..

[AJMD429]

A 73 in 32-20 sounds really cool.

[Scott Tschirhart]

A '73 in .22 Short is the ultimate in cool!

[2ndovc]

A 73 in 32-20 sounds really cool.

I had an original in .32WCF but it was so worn out/ shot out I finally gave up. I debated for years what to do with it, restore it, leave it? Finally gave up. I have two '92s in .32-20 that are both great shooters so I sold the '73. This is the first one I've had in almost 20 years.

jb

[Ysabel Kid]

Oh that is just SWEET!!!

Congrats Jason - it's a keeper for sure!

[2ndovc]

jb

[AmBraCol]

The more I look at that rifle, the more I like it. I wonder what shooting a relatively new '73 is like. The only one I ever shot was an original basket case I swapped a single shot H&R 28 gauge shotgun for (it, too, had been a basket case). I took that rifle to a friend who was a self taught whiz with firearms. He fixed up the linkage to work proper like, but he had no knowledge of how to redo a bore or a chamber. That rifle would split every third cartridge case. I ended up swapping it for a brand new Taurus 32 SWL for my wife. Anyway, it was fun while it lasted, but didn't give me much to go on to judge the platform by.

[2ndovc]

The more I look at that rifle, the more I like it. I wonder what shooting a relatively new '73 is like. The only one I ever shot was an original basket case I swapped a single shot H&R 28 gauge shotgun for (it, too, had been a basket case). I took that rifle to a friend who was a self taught whiz with firearms. He fixed up the linkage to work proper like, but he had no knowledge of how to redo a bore or a chamber. That rifle would split every third cartridge case. I ended up swapping it for a brand new Taurus 32 SWL for my wife. Anyway, it was fun while it lasted, but didn't give me much to go on to judge the platform by.

Paul,

My first '73 experience was similar, and a long time to get back around to them. I think the biggest thing that was motivating me was that I've sold off several ARs and wanted to but the $ back into my collection. Next logical step was more lever actions, I've gotten bored with the black plastic stuff.
With Marlin MIA and Henry's going for a big number and never having one before, I started looking at the '73s again. The action on my new one is smooth and easy to operate, but it's no Model '92 which to me are the smoothest levers ever made. I'm sure it will get better the more I shoot it though, and so far it's only been 50 rounds right out of the box.
Big show this weekend, we'll see if another one follows me home.

jb

[Scott Tschirhart]

The more I look at that rifle, the more I like it. I wonder what shooting a relatively new '73 is like.

I can bring my Japanese Winchester 66 to Raton for you to play with if you like. I may (still debating) pick up a .44 Special '73 tomorrow in Fredricksburg. If so, I will probably bring that to see what I can do with the ladder sights at longer ranges.

[AmBraCol]

Jason, I've not had a chance to look at any of the current production. Do they still use a brass lifter? That's where the Brazilian slang term came from, "papo amarelo"- "yellow throat". I'm not pulling up the 92 Winchester slang term, it's stuck back there in the memory hole somewhere. I'd like to see one of the '73 Winchesters complete with dust cover. I've STILL no idea how that thing is supposed to work, it was either loose or missing from the few I was able to coon finger back in the day.

[2ndovc]

Yep, the brass lifter is still there. I'm going to have to start calling them papo amarelo now. That's pretty cool.

jb

[marlinman93]

I have a friend who has one of these 1873's in .45 Colt and has played with it shooting long range dingers. His has a very unusual 30" full octagon barrel, and is very consistent at 450 yds. But he's also pretty consistent at 650 yds. and occasionally got good hits out at 1,000 yds. Amazed me that .45 Colt rounds loaded to about 950-1000 fps were so accurate in his 1873 replica.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LW76B4N ... hLongshots

[Griff]

I have two Uberti '73s in 45 Colt. Used mostly for cowboy action, a 24-¼" full octagon and a 18-½" half round/octagon. My usual cowboy load is 6 grains of Red Dot behind a 200 grain RFN. For anything over about 100 yards I use a load of 6.5 grains of Red Dot. Accurate out to 300 meters. Well, accurate enough to hit the pigs on a silhouette range! For the rams I go up to a 250 RFN. A little more of a problem to topple them tho'! They do well on coyotes! But, the real barn burner for accuracy is the Uberti 1860 in 45 Colt with the same loads!

[AmBraCol]

The more I look at that rifle, the more I like it. I wonder what shooting a relatively new '73 is like.

I can bring my Japanese Winchester 66 to Raton for you to play with if you like. I may (still debating) pick up a .44 Special '73 tomorrow in Fredricksburg. If so, I will probably bring that to see what I can do with the ladder sights at longer ranges.

Funny, we were typing at the same time. I didn't see this when I posted earlier. I didn't know they MADE a 44 Spl '73. Italian, I presume? The 1866 is the brass frame predecessor to the '73, right? Never seen one of those either. The one that keeps nagging at me from the past is a pistol I never saw. It was rumored that one of the local guys way back when had a "raiz" (Root) revolver. But I don't know if it was a Colt Root, or if they were referring to something else entirely. If it was an actual Colt Root, it did an amazing survival through a century and a half of Brazilian "firearms care" (mutually exclusive terms down there for most cases). There were a lot of "bones" in the local blacksmith's shop. Remnants from another time and having arrived in myriad ways to the back of no where. He had an old muzzle loader that I'd have LOVED to have seen. It took a charge of about 80-120 grains of FFFg (the only powder used by most folks there). Considering that most folks were content with a 32 SWL or 38 SPL cartridge case full of the same propellant, the fact it was known as quite a capybara and tapir killing piece with that hot of a load intrigued me. I'm assuming some kind of military musket that had somehow survived, but it was always loaned out when I happened to be in the area. Anyway, I saw a lot of different wrecks and remains, but never saw any levers other than the 73 and 92 Winchesters, not even Marlins.

[KWK]

What's left of Winchester had Miroku make 1866 pattern rifles for a number of years. They are out of production now. Uberti still makes such rifles, of course.

On Uberti's factory site you'll find listed the available chamberings for their various rifles. For the 1873 they list ".32/20 – 38SP. – .38/40 – .357MAG. – .44SP. – .44/40 – 45LC". Cimarron has listed the 44 Spl in the 1866 style rifles for many years.

[AmBraCol]

Thanks! I've obviously not been keeping up with the current market. Time up north is limited and most gun stores I get to only deal with modern stuff, bolt action hunting or "modern sporting rifle" seem to be the main stay anymore. It's good to know we've still got the old lever rifles still percolating. The Italians don't mess around with weird "safety" mods to the old designs, do they?

[KWK]

Uberti’s change to the firing pin is not visible on the outside. Miroku added a firing pin safety which shows both at the back of the pin and as a screw on the top of the receiver above the pin. Neither the 66 nor the 73 from Miroku have a tang safety.

[RIHMFIRE]

[Scott Tschirhart]

I had to buy a Winchester 66 when I had the opportunity because I figured that they wouldn’t make many of them. Besides, I needed a gun to walk down to the river with in the evenings.

[AmBraCol]

I needed a gun to walk down to the river with in the evenings.

Looks like you picked a winner for a quiet stroll in the evening.

There's something about a quiet stroll with a rifle in your hand. Not looking to start anything, but ready just the same.