Uberti '73

[WALLNUTT]

If I were to purchase a Cimmaron "73, what can i expect? Are they accurate, reliable, durable, and is customer service available?

[Naphtali]

In his book titled, Shooting Lever Guns of the Old West, Mike Venturino evaluates Uberti 1873 rifles to be the best reproduction 1873 available. He also evaluates Cimmaron as an excellent version among Uberti importers. To put this in perspective for you, I relied upon his recommendation when acquiring my 1892 reproduction carbine.* His recommendation was a good one.

Hope this helps.






* My carbine would have become a beautiful built-to-order half-pistol grip rifle. Unfortunately, the lever action gunsmith, whom I selected based upon recommendations from a lever action specialty forum, proved to be criminally inadequate. I am now just trying to get it to work. And, of course, I no longer have the resources to get this done in a timely manner.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

I've got one! Brand new, haven't fired it yet. I also have a brand new 1873 Winchester (Miroku). I'd post comparison photos, but I'm out of photo storage on this website. Of the two, the Uberti is vastly nicer. Both are 20" round barrel carbines, and I'd rate the polish and blue of the metal to be about even. But there is a tremendous difference in the wood. The Uberti has much nicer wood with some figure in it and high gloss finish. The Winchester is plain-Jane straight walnut, dull satin finish. The butt stocks are shaped very differently. The Uberti's is wider on the top and has a wider, less curved butt plate, whereas the Winchester's stock is narrower and it has the traditionally sharply curved butt plate with a sharp toe.The Uberti's front sight is mounted on top of the front barrel band which is about an inch behind the muzzle, while the Winchester's is dovetailed into the barrel itself. The Winchester does not have a barrel band at all, but has a steel fore end cap with a screw that passes side to side through a notch in the bottom of the barrel and top of the magazine tube and a spacer. The Uberti's rear sight is a flip up sight similar to a military rifle, and the Winchester's is the common semi-buckhorn with an elevation bar that slides forward/backward beneath the sight. The Uberti has a middle (lower/rear) barrel band and the fore stock has no cap. The lever and hammer of the Uberti are beautifully color case hardened, the Winchester's are blue. Price was pretty close for either. I'd buy the Uberti.

[Calamity Jake]

Go to any cowboy action match, 95% of the rifles used are Uberti 73's
They are very reliable and for the sights they come with , accurate.
Don't dry fire it much as you will break the firing pin.
With all due respect to the poster above.
Some of the statement above is wrong, the Uberti 1866 had the flip up rear sight and front barrel band.
the 73 has a the buckhorn rear and the front is fitted in a dove tail.
I own both and like them a lot.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

Not mine, Jake-- it is as I've described. Like I said, I'm out of photo space on the forum, but if you want to PM me your e-mail address I'll be happy to send you some photos to prove that my description is accurate!

[square butte]

I think one of you may be describing the carbine version and the other is describing a short rifle version. The short rifle version will not have barrel bands, and has a forearm nose cap + buckhorn rear sights. Not so with the carbine version

[Der Gebirgsjager]

Yup! Mine are both round barrel 20" carbine versions.

[KCSO]

Mine will keep 5 on a playing card at 100 long steps off the bench. 44 -40 is more accurate than the 45 Colt imho.

[ndnchf]

I thought the Uberti carbines have 19" barrels. Did they finally start making them in the correct 20" barrel?

[Harry O]

I have had a Uberti 1873 Winchester clone for the last 25 years or so and have used it for CAS almost that long. I replaced three springs (the two that lift cartridge block and the one that controls the safety above the lever) when I first got it, with other springs that were recommended by CAS folks. Doing that made it cycle much easier. Since then I have had absolutely NO problems of any kind.

I got a Japanese Winchester 1892 about 15 years ago as a backup, but have never used it other than sighting it in. The 1873 is MUCH smoother and faster than the 1892. I clean the gun after every CAS shoot and take it apart to clean the insides once a year. Nothing else has ever been done to it. I cannot speak highly enough for the Uberti 1873. Mine is the 24" barrel rifle version with a straight stock.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

I thought the Uberti carbines have 19" barrels. Did they finally start making them in the correct 20" barrel?

Correct! The Uberti is 19", the Winchester is 20". Both nice rifles (carbines), but if I could only have one of the two it would be the Uberti.

I've also got a Cimarron 1892 saddle ring carbine in .45 LC waiting to be picked up. I'm pretty sure it will turn out to be a Chiappa-made rifle. That's a company I don't know too much about, as the only Chiappa firearm I have is one of their 1911-22 handguns.

[ndnchf]

Correct! The Uberti is 19", the Winchester is 20". Both nice rifles (carbines), but if I could only have one of the two it would be the Uberti.

I've also got a Cimarron 1892 saddle ring carbine in .45 LC waiting to be picked up. I'm pretty sure it will turn out to be a Chiappa-made rifle. That's a company I don't know too much about, as the only Chiappa firearm I have is one of their 1911-22 handguns.

Ok thanks. I was hoping that had finally gone to 20" on the carbine. But I'm happy to use my original '73 carbine that was rebarreled by John Taylor.

[WALLNUTT]

Sounds like I'm safe to purchase a Cimarron 73. Thanks

[salvadore]

Just for information only...I owned an Uberti 73 deluxe short rifle, it was beautiful. After trying three or four different cast bullets and at least the same number or powders accuracy was a disaster. So I tried a fiber optic front and a Smith enterprise rear buckeye/ladder style rear as well as a Marble tang sight. Accuracy was a disaster, never getting a fifty yard group under 4 or 5 inches, forget about 100 yd. groups. I purchased a Chiappa 92 in the same calibre (.45Colt) with the first load I tried I got 2" groups at 50. All subsequent (is that a word?) were about the same. The Chiappa carbine was a cheap piece of poop, I had to send it to the warranty 3 times before they figured out it needed a set screw for the magazine, and the rear sight is a very bad joke. I believe Miroku and Chiappa are the only ones making the 92. I own a Miroku and its a beaut, and accurate. Just my long winded 2 cents.

[WALLNUTT]

I thought I was being indecisive, now I'm not so sure.

[BigAl52]

Ive got the Trapper model 1873 Uberti in 357. Its shoots very well and I am very happy with it. It has an 18 inch barrel. Pictures arent the best but it gives you and idea. Al

[Larry Gibson]

My Uberti (Cimarron) '73 in 45 Colt has a 20" barrel and 10 round magazine........love it......

[KCSO]

If you slug the bore on a poor shooting Uberti 45 colt you will most often find the bore is oversize. I have no idea why but I have had to send 3 back for bad bores. The worst in this was the Charter Arms Co I had a 38-40 that you could drop a 40 jacketed bullet down the bore and the replacement had a 400 bore and rear sight with two cuts.

[Wayne Smith]

My Uberti Short Rifle has a 20" barrel - I think the carbines have the 19"? My Short Rifle is in 44-40.

[jimb16]

I was shooting mine the other day at pieces of clay birds on the 100 yard backstop. Shooting standing off-hand, I was able to hit those chunks about every other shot. Not bad for a .45 colt pistol load. My Uberti 73 is the first lever action that I fell in love with. All the others have been like bad dates....soon gone!