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The original .45 Colt cartridge had just enough rim for the SAA. I find it hard to believe that Winchester would not chamber their rifle for the Gov't cartridge if it would have worked. The addition of a rim for the 1909 revolver solved that but by then it didn't matter. IMO.
Happy New Year !
Thomas
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Probly cuz the 45 Colt is a straight wall case and there is too much blowby, rifle got too dirty too fast.
I went with the 45 Colt in my Uberti M1873 because my two SAAs are 45 Colts. I load 7.2 gr Bullseye under a 200 - 205 gr RNFP. Runs 950 fps out of the SAs and 1150 fps out of the M1873 at a measured psi right at 14,000. Easy on brass, a pleasure to shoot and extremely accurate.
I like them both, you didn’t have an option for that, so I didn’t vote. Really love my colt burgess Taylor repro in 45 colt and am loading a 400 round ammo can for use as plinking ammo but it’s not quite the plinker as a 357/38 can be. While the 45 DOES work on deer and other game of the same size, the 357 CAN work on deer. Decide what your going to primarily use it for.
There is your awnser, buy both. Life is short.
I chose the .45 Colt only because I had no other choice. That being said, The .45 Colt can be loaded light for small game using a round ball, target wad cutter or SWC. It can also be loaded hot for medium to large game using a heavy, 250 - 300 grain bullet with a RNFP or Truncated Cone nose.
You can use a hard grooved bullet or a dead soft paper patched bullet for hunting or defense. Another plus is if you have a handgun chambered for the same round, it simplifies your ammo requirements.
That being said, The .45 Colt was never chambered in the 1873 Winchester because 1.) the straight walled case allowed to much blowback fouling the rifle badly. 2). The rim on the original .45 Colt case is pathetic. Way too small in diameter, having only enough to stop it from entering the chamber in the Colt SAA. 3). There was no extractor grove on the Originals. On today's cases the rim diameter is slightly larger and they do have an extractor grove.
So, in reality, I would rather have the .44WCF chambering. For the record, I do own a '73 Carbine in .45 Colt, but I shoot my '66 Yellowboy in .44WCF with Black Powder exclusively.
Because I never have owned a .357 lever gun. But if you had all so given .44 spl. as a choiceI would have picked that.
I would choose the .357, both because I have hundreds of rounds of ammunition already, versus a few hundred 45 Colts. But beyond that, I have had better results accuracy wise from the 357 than the 45 colt. Over the years, there have been some pretty non-standard, standard chambers in the various 45 Colts I have used or owned, which makes for some challenges when trying to get multiple guns to shoot straight. (Or even one--yeah, you, Ruger Bisley.)
I would choose the 45 colt over the 357 in a lever action, when choosing from those 2 calibers.
I shoot the 45 colt, usually in 250/255 grains, in an 1866, sometimes in CAS shooting, but usually because I like the shooting the load and the gun.
I like the bigger diameter, the way shoots and feels, in lever guns and six guns.
I choose 44/40 - too bad if ya didnt include that in the options - I have shot the "dash" cartridges since I was ten years old - the supposed disadvantages of the proper rounds in winchester rifles is an illusion - a figment of the overfertile imagination of fellers who for the most part have not shot them -Quote:
Originally Posted by Texas by God
I have marlins in 357 and 45 both. I use th 357 more in 38 for plinking but on the other hand I jst ran 150 round through the 45 for the same purposes. Losing 45 colt brass hurts more then losing 38 brass.
Neither 44-40 as intended. The 45 Colt has too small a rim in some cases and dosn't feed as well or seal as well. The 357 in it's modern incantation is borderline pressure wise for a 73 action and in the old ammo way too hot. In addition the 45 Colt in a rifle is just not as accurate as the 44-40.
Voted for the Colt but would really prefer 38 - 40 .
I don't have a vote as the only 2 choices listed are not my preference. As far as I am concerned there is only one cartridge I would want in a 1873 Winchester and that is .44-40. I love that cartridge. Beside I am a history buff and the original 73 was never chambered in .357 Magnum or .45 Colt. my opinion and not worth much to anyone but me, james
What TN said. I have one in .45 L.C. Used to have one in .357 Mag., but it just didn't seem like I was shooting a rifle, so I sold it off. But .44-40 is my favorite.
38-40 hands down! Got two and love them! Both group within 4” at 100 yards with iron sights! Probably would do better with someone that can see! I’m old enough to draw my government pension now![smilie=s:
Another action and another caliber, but for 1873 Winchester 38-40.
45 Colt. You can push a 250 gr cast easily to 1250 fps for deer.
Personally, I would pick up a 44 Magnum Uberti 1873 Carbine. Load up some duplicate 44-40 High Velocity ammo for it. 200 gr bullet at 1600 fps. The original H.V. loads were JSPs but I would use a cast bullet, maybe with a gas check.
neat thread. My choice would be purely selfish.. first of all a reproduction is just that.. it is stronger and not original.. it need not shoot black powder. I would choose the .357 again.. purely selfish. for one.. I have handguns and leverguns in 44 mag... I also have a lot of handguns in .357 none in 45Colt or 44-40 at this time. 45 Colt looks too much like a 44 mag for me.. harder to sort brass if I am shooting em both. So I pretty much avoid 45 Colt.. and there is no 45 special.. I shoot SAA clones in 44 special and .357
Then there is the 44-40... I do not want to lube cases and.. I know folks say the new starline and such brass is way better but I use that brass in 32-20 and that necked down portion is just as flimsy as ever IN MY OPINION Sooo.. no.. Don't want necked down cases unless I have to.. in the case of the 32-20 it is for a Ruger Blackhawk in .30 carbine so the ammo would not work in a 32-20 lever gun in any case.
The .357... no matter what anyone says.. it is a sweet sweet round in .357 or in 38 spl trim. I don't hunt... and shooting a big lever gun in .357 all day is great fun. it is also a very easy and cheap round to load. Also I cast and coat bullets. Can do a lot more in .357 for cheaper.
lazs
There are 45 specials, several in fact, just not by "special" name. 45 Schofield, 45 ACP, 45 Cowboy Special, shoot, you can even call the 45 Auto Rim a 45 special if you want to.
My go-to revolver cartridge is the 44 Special, and when a Uberti '73 Trapper in 44 Special hit my radar I snapped it up. Also in 44 Magnum, I have a couple Chiappa repro '92s, a 16" and 20", a Marlin 16" 1894, and a Ruger 96. None have seen a single 44 Magnum cartridge. The Ruger chamber mouth needed a slight break / chamfer polish for 44 Special, but it runs them reliably.
I also have 20" '73s in 45 Colt, 357, and 32-20, and a '66 Trapper in 45 Colt. No problems with RNFPs, or some SWCs depending on how sharp the transition is between the nose and the full diameter in front of the crimp groove.
Noah
Neither. 38 or 44 WCF. It's almost like the '73 was made for them or something.