Winchester 1873

[rickomatic]

Hey guys and gals. Are there any Winchester experts here? I recently embarked on what some call a fool's errand of putting together an 1873 from parts and pieces. I know I know I can probably get one complete for the same or less money, but I just really like the challenge and the satisfaction of knowing tha I "built it myself".
So far I've gotten everything for a working receiver except the dust cover. Some parts are vintage, and some are new. I put those parts together and already have some satisfaction. However, I have come up against one thing that is perplexing to me. The right side (loading gate side) toggle link hangs up on the carrier lever spring and won't allow the lever to fully cock. If I remove that spring, it goes through it's full motion. When the lever is closed the little pin, or nub on the backside of the spring rests just behind the notch in the carrier lever. Is this correct? That position makes the spring just high enough to bind the toggle link. With that toggle out, that nub falls into the notch at full cock, but rides back up on the forward swing of the lever. I 'm pretty sure I must just be missing something pretty obvious, but I'm just not seeing it. Any ideas?:?::?:

[KirkD]

Don't know if this will help, but here are some diagrams. I've disassembled a few and repaired one that was really bad, but I never had that particular problem.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v497/3855Win/X-section-1873a.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v497/3855Win/X-section-1873b.jpg

[Le Loup Solitaire]

Neither of the toggle links should bind;they should work freely. You may have an incorrect part in there and it is causing the binding up by causing interference by the spring. I would suggest going to the "Gun Parts Corporation" @West Hurley N.Y. on the net as they have exploded diagrams and parts lists (and possibly dust covers) and see if what parts are involved match up. They buy, sell and trade parts and perhaps they can advise you as well. I once rebuilt a 73 musket with parts from them and everything worked fine. Give it a shot. LLS

[rickomatic]

Thanks for the replies guys. I 'very got a couple books including the assembly guide from homestead parts.com, but your diagrams are better. My assembly looks exactly like that both in and out of battery.
I went back and played with it a little more. I worked both binding parts (top,of the carrier spring and bottom of the toggle link) with a needle file to smooth them up and took off just a shade of material. Sprayed it with some Ballistol and worked the lever briskly. It now seems to be freed up and should loosen up with some use, I think.
I had read that these guns were pretty much hand assembled and fitted back in the day, so maybe that's all it needed.

[ajjohns]

I used repo springs on mine and had the same issue. The repo springs had too much arc to them. I had to find original ones and the problem went away. Have fun with this! You did the same thing I did to get a 73 and I love it.

[KirkD]

I wonder if the issue was because of a mix of old and new parts. I had to do a major re-build and had to use some new parts in with the old and had to some minor diamond file fitting.

[Speedo66]

Dixie Gun Works has a dust cover, it's the later type. The earlier type had like a cast in fingerprint to move it, the later ones have serrations on the side. They also have other parts for the '73. Here's a link http://www.dixiegunworks.com/product_info.php?cPath=22_95_418_420&products_id=5659&osCsid=i37s0de9k84h1u9khcrkcsln83

[KirkD]

Rickomatic, your project is well worth the effort. At the end you will have an original '73 that has been given a new life. External parts, such as your dust cover, can be aged to more closely match the receiver. To deteriorate the blueing, drop the cover in Realemon juice for 10 seconds and rinse. Do it again until you have the blue faded to what you think might be good. Next thing is to get a plumb-colorer patina on it. I use Birchwood Casey's Plumb, but it only seems to look alright after messing around with it, trial and error, for a while. Instead of that, you might try some other recipe that others might suggest.

[lar45]

Pics! We Need Pics! :)

[M-Tecs]

Pics! We Need Pics! :)

Second that!!!!!!

[rickomatic]

101415

Here she is so far. I've got a loading gate on the way from a Fleabay win the other day. Bit by bit, piece by piece.

[rickomatic]

Rickomatic, your project is well worth the effort. At the end you will have an original '73 that has been given a new life. External parts, such as your dust cover, can be aged to more closely match the receiver. To deteriorate the blueing, drop the cover in Realemon juice for 10 seconds and rinse. Do it again until you have the blue faded to what you think might be good. Next thing is to get a plumb-colorer patina on it. I use Birchwood Casey's Plumb, but it only seems to look alright after messing around with it, trial and error, for a while. Instead of that, you might try some other recipe that others might suggest.

Great suggestions. I had already been thinking along the Birchwood Casey Plum, but was unsure about how to initially fade the blue. Only thing I could think of was 0000 steel wool. I think I'll end up going with a repro stock set, since the ones on Ebay and Gunbroker seem to go for a fortune. Any ideas on how to lay some age on a new stock? I know that http://precision gunstocks.com has a good stain kit, but I want it to show some age too.

[TXGunNut]

Cool project, any thoughts on chambering? I like the reproduction stocks idea and I'd think a nice satin oil finish will look great on your project, no need for aging.

[rickomatic]

Cool project, any thoughts on chambering? I like the reproduction stocks idea and I'd think a nice satin oil finish will look great on your project, no need for aging.
As far as chambering goes, I think the lower tang # indicates 32-20, or at least that's what the auction listing stated. I sent off for a Cody Museum letter to verify that. And since I recently got my bucket list gun, a first generation Colt Single Action Army, which is chambered in 32-20, that would work out just fine for me.

[rickomatic]

Oh, and as far as aging the stock, I wasn't planning on any kind of physical distress. I was thinking more along the lines of slight darkening along the wood to metal meeting surfaces such as you see on older guns from oiling staining. That along with a good "original" red/brown Winchester color hand rubbed finish should look nice. At least that's what my minds eye is seeing. We shall see how that comes to fruition. :) .

[win1906]

winchester bob has all the parts for old winchesters.they are new made but fit just like the originals.gun parts corp has nothing but garbage now days.

[smokeywolf]

Looking forward to seeing your finished Winchester.

smokeywolf

[rickomatic]

Here is a list of the parts I've gotten so far, and their vintage.
Upper tang-original
Lower tang-original
Trigger/sear/pin-original
Trigger spring-new
Hammer/stirrup/pin-original
Mainspring-new
Safety bar catch/spring/pin/screw-new
Brass carrier/carrier lever-original
Finger lever/finger lever cam/pin-original
Finger lever latch/spring/pin-original
Finger lever screw-new
Carrier lever spring/finger lever spring/screws-new (have original springs coming)
Bolt/extractor/pin-original (have replacement extractor and pin coming as original is cracked)
Firing pin/retractor/pin-new
Misc tang screws-new
Toggle links-original
Toggle link pins-new
Buttplate-original (en route)
Stock-new(en route)

I think that's it so far.


Safety

[ajjohns]

I second that on original wood, expensive but I suppose it should be? I used Precision Gun stocks wood. It fit real nice, you buy from them or like ebay, and it turned out good with not so darn much to rasp off to the right size. I just didn't use the red finish on it, only Tru-oil because it's what I had and I like it when I put on a few good coats, oooo steel wooling it at the end for a nice, but dull finish. I also used them and Winchester Bob for the odds and parts I needed.

[KirkD]

Several years ago, Tapaderas Winchesters had a very good article on refinishing stocks. Their suggestion for 'aging' your stocks was when you apply the oil to your stocks, wipe it off with dirty hands. They said, 'Wipe them (hands) on the shop floor and make sure they have a little dirt.' You then wipe off the oil with your dirty hands. That might not be enough, so you may wish to experiment with different dirty oily rags. I wonder what a little used engine oil would do re. aging. If you botch it up and get it too dirty, you can always clean the stocks with a bit of solvent and giver 'er another try. The photo in this link here gives you and idea of different shades. http://www.tapaderaswinchesters.com/gunstockstain.html To make it look old, you want it to look dark.