Got a 'new' vintage '73 (photos)

[KirkD]

I had the opportunity to purchase an original Winchester 1873 44-40 in very nice condition. I had to sell a couple old Winchesters to come up with the $$. I never thought I'd ever own such a beautiful example of an original '73. Why this old rifle hardly got used in the last 123 years is beyond me, but it's gonna get used now (albeit with great care). Here's the info:

Serial number applied to receiver: May 28, 1889
Date received in the warehouse: August 1, 1889
Type: Rifle
Caliber: 44
Barrel: Round
Trigger: Plain
Date shipped: September 18, 1889
Order: 2378

Boys, I am happy. This 123 year-old Winchester still has most of its blue and a shiny mint bore. I can hardly wait to get it to the range to see how the old timer shoots. I have casted up a bunch of bullets using an RCBS mould that drops nice 200 grain 44-40 bullets and I've sized them to .429. Hope to load up a few cartridges and take it to the range next week. I took a few photos at lunch today and here is the new addition to my small collection ....

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v497/3855Win/Desktop%20Photos/full-side-view.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v497/3855Win/Desktop%20Photos/oblique-view.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v497/3855Win/Desktop%20Photos/Receiver.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v497/3855Win/Desktop%20Photos/Leaning-on-fence.jpg

[Hang Fire]

Very nice indeed.

[LUCKYDAWG13]

wow that is sweet :drinks:

[405]

Wholly cow! Another great rifle. Agreed, amazing how any survived in such good shape. Thru their lifetime, it takes only one careless owner, a youngster playing cowboys and Indians in a single afternoon, one flood, one fire or one drop to really degrade.

[TXGunNut]

Wow! Congrats!

[Dan Cash]

Uff Dah!!! You are truly fortunate.

[shovel80]

Damn, That's a NICE Rifle!!...It'd look good with My Old '94....

Terry

[smoked turkey]

Truly amazing how nice that old Winchester is. Hummm...not supposed to covet. Boy am I in trouble!

[405]

Post em if you got em.

Long ago had to give up looking for a top condition 73 44-40 SRC- too much premium! Settled on the more ho-hum, mundane (lower premium)... like this 73 musket 44-40 with correct bayonet. Likely unfired (except by me).

[KirkD]

I like those '73 muskets. They must hold a lot of rounds. Maybe Custer and his men should have all been equipped with those. That musket of yours is a beauty. But I find myself admiring your NWMP '76 the most!

[405]

The mag capacity of the 73 muskets is pretty high. But I think the LBH battle pre-dates the first 73 musket by a couple of years.

As you know if you've looked for 76 SRCs, they are somewhat rare, especially with any kind of condition or bore. I think most older SRCs of any model got used hard and are usually pretty beat up. I was looking and looking for a decent 76 carbine of any caliber when this NWMP showed up. Just had to take a deep breath, gulp and bite the bullet. The NWMP carbines that survived are no exception to the general rule that most SRCs saw hard use. Somehow this one survived in pretty good condition and does have a really fine bore. It was made in 1884 and shipped by Win along with a small group of carbines to the NWMP in early 1885. Was later re-issued to the Alberta Provencial Police (therefore the APP stamp in addition to the NWMP cartouche). I assume remained with the APP until retired from service probably sometime after 1900. Somehow made its way back to the US after that. At least it doesn't have the horrible pencil engraving Export/Import mark as seen on the more recently imported guns. And no it doesn't have a "CR" engraved on the side plate as per Crossfire Trail :)

[Jim Flinchbaugh]

Man that is a beauty! Congrats

[Te Hopo]

Wow! Absolutely stunning!

[Throckmorton]

That i9s truly one fine '73 ! Just to hold it would make my face hurt from :) ! to shoot it..?? well,youi'll have to tell us !

[MtGun44]

What lovely old rifle. You are now curator for that piece and don't let it down. It
sounds like you will be the perfect curator - since we can not truly own things that
will certainly outlive us by many times - we are only the current caretaker.

I have seen Win rifles in this condition in museums and in shows, but they are far
beyond my cash resources.

Please let us vicariously enjoy - post some info on shooting results and how it works.

Thanks.

Bill

[KirkD]

I will certainly do that, Bill. I hope to chronograph a couple loads tomorrow afternoon. Once I have the right velocity (just a tad under 1,300 fps) with 5744 and SR4759, I'll load up about 10 of each for a visit to the range this week. I love to shoot and hunt with these old rifles, but I also try to do it in a way that will not mar the finish of the gun in even the smallest way. To reduce wear from carrying, I am finding Conservator's Wax to be just perfect. Oil tends to rub off on mitts and gloves, but the microcrystalline wax smudges around but still sticks to the surface of the metal and wood. It does wear off eventually, but I apply a fresh coat whenever necessary. This microcrystalline wax was what David Kennedy recommended, former curator at Cody. He said they did it to all their guns. Anyway, the objective is to enjoy these old guns and leave them in the same condition I found them in.

[9.3X62AL]

Kirk, that is a REMARKABLE example! Enjoy it, and it sounds like the rifle is in safe hands.

[missionary5155]

Greetings
Great find ! I would be posting photos weekly if-en that rifle was with me.
I would take a close look at the throat diameter if you are going to shoot smokeless. .431 was the minimal diameter I found that shot well in my old Winchesters. Hopefully your thraot is smaller.
3F will bump a 200 + grainer up some if cast soft. I use 40-1 in my 3 SRC 44-40´s with 28 grains 3f. This is with a Saeco 443 which weights at 220grains. I also smear a bit of BP lube on the nose to get a good slick ride to the muzzle.
That is one nice Winchester.
Mike in Peru

[KirkD]

Thanks, missionary, for that info. I'm planning to see how it shoots with some loads that have shot well in a couple other old, and much more pitted '73's. If those loads don't do well, then I'll do some diagnostics. My bullets are soft, but whether my smokeless loads can bump them up or not, I don't know. 2400 does seem to bump up the bullets in past guns, but it also gives me quite a bit of variance due to powder position.

[405]

Please post results of your shooting tests and findings. My 73 musket 44-40 has a groove dia of .429. My other 44-40 in Win 92 has a groove of .430. Both bores are excellent. I get comparable and very good results in both using soft cast 200 gr RNFP flat base, sized to .430. My lowest velocity SDs are using Trailboss in the 92, BUT the best accuracy for both guns seems to be a mid range load of 5744.

I'm not at all sure about all design possibilities, but many of the older BP era chambers seem to incorporate a much simpler throat design- namely being a simple taper from end of case mouth OD on into the land leade. That naturally leaves a large void between end of case and full land/bore engagement. That void (aka throat) I think is what many refer to when sizing bullets. Seems to always be a balancing act between sizing bullets to chamber freely VS being fully engaged to groove diameter for best accuracy and minimal leading.

[Three44s]

The folks that had a hand in building that rifle are resting better knowing that it is:

In such good condition after all these years!

And, going to get yet an extended period of proper care!!!

Congrats on your acquistion!!!


Three 44s

[KirkD]

At lunch today, I developed two loads for trials later this week. I wanted BP velocities with peak pressures slightly below BP. Here are the results for two powders, both using a plain base, soft cast (wheel weights only, no water drop) 200 grain Lyman 427666 sized to .429.

5744:
18 gr - 1,184 fps
18.5 gr - 1,273 fps
19 gr - 1,334 fps

IMR SR4759:
18 gr - 1,152 fps
18.5 gr - 1,246 fps
18.7 gr - 1,255 fps
19 gr - 1,286 fps

Only one shot was fired over the chronograph for each load, so average velocity will be different. The loads in bold will be the ones I will be trying out for accuracy. I find that if these bullets are undersized, they are fast for a particular load. These shots were not fast, so that is a good sign that I am probably pretty near groove diameter at .429. If anything, velocities were slightly less than usual out of a 24" barrel. The range tests at 100 yards will tell the story. I'll keep you posted.

[CalFred]

Kirk, that is a great looking gun and a great find. Glad it found its way to you.