New Winchester 1873 rifles

[David LaPell]

Has anyone seen or shot the newest 1873 Winchester rifles, I was wondering if they still use the tang safeties like they once did or have they gone a different route, and how are they comparing to the Italian guns? I like the look of Cimarron's short 19-inch round barreled gun in .45 Colt, and wonder how that stacks up against the new Winchester 1873 short rifle.

[Randy Bohannon]

Fit and finish on the Miroku's is better,better wood without the orange stain and better actions out of the box. I have handled a pile of Uberti's and could never pay nearly the same price for something that just did'nt appeal to me,mechanical and dimensionally they are nearly perfect. The Miroku's are not,I have 2 1873's in 44-40 WCF and and 1 in 45 Colt the 92's have tang safeties 73's do not.I had the 1873 in .357 and not fan of the cartridge in a rifle and sold it to get another 44-40.

[Warhawk]

I’ll post some pics when I get to a real computer.

I have a Winchester/Miroku 1873 Trapper in 357 Magnum. It is a beautiful gun, and no safeties.

[HawkCreek]

Here's a picture they day I brought mine home (the sticker is gone now). No tang safeties on the Miroku 1873's, real slick right out of the box, great furniture and though it doesn't show up well in the picture the case color finish is nicely done as well.

https://i.imgur.com/4qerLO1.jpg?1

[Warhawk]

A few pics. I haven't shot mine a lot yet, I'm still kinda researching what are safe loads for the 1873 action. Believe it or not Lil Gun makes the most velocity at the lowest pressure in 357 Mag loads.

I love this little rifle, wouldn't change a thing.

https://i.imgur.com/ooyXY2u.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/cTG83xf.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/AOLQSFE.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/fahXpGP.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/eb3xLkY.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/vG1HisJ.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/xYvnw31.jpg


I had a Uberti 1866 trapper in 38 Spl. When the Winchester came home, the Uberti was immediately put up for sale. It just didn't measure up. That's an 1851 Richards Mason conversion with it, also a Uberti in 38 Spl. It's gone too, too delicate.

https://i.imgur.com/0hBOy.jpg

[Warhawk]

Here's a picture they day I brought mine home (the sticker is gone now). No tang safeties on the Miroku 1873's, real slick right out of the box, great furniture and though it doesn't show up well in the picture the case color finish is nicely done as well.

https://i.imgur.com/4qerLO1.jpg?1

That is gorgeous! What caliber is it? Is that the Deluxe Sporting rifle?

[Randy Bohannon]

I have the exact same rifle in 44-40 and another I just got with a 24" tapered octagon barrel and it's a gorgeous blued rifle. I have never seen a Uberti in all blue as nicely polished and blued.Miroku builds very nice rifles, period correct ? no but they do some other things that bring them to top of the heap of the modern reproductions.
Turnbull had some new Marlin 1895's that they re did in 45-70 on G.B. for $1800.00 that are pretty sweet, but 45-70 is/was the only option.
What serial # is your Deluxe ?, mine is 00148 , my understanding is there are 250 of these with the shotgun butt and grade IV/V wood.

[HawkCreek]

That is gorgeous! What caliber is it? Is that the Deluxe Sporting rifle?

Yes it is a Deluxe Sporting in .44-40, I thought I wanted a .45 before I got this one but I'm very glad I ended up with this rifle.



I have the exact same rifle in 44-40 and another I just got with a 24" tapered octagon barrel and it's a gorgeous blued rifle. I have never seen a Uberti in all blue as nicely polished and blued.Miroku builds very nice rifles, period correct ? no but they do some other things that bring them to top of the heap of the modern reproductions.
Turnbull had some new Marlin 1895's that they re did in 45-70 on G.B. for $1800.00 that are pretty sweet, but 45-70 is/was the only option.
What serial # is your Deluxe ?, mine is 00148 , my understanding is there are 250 of these with the shotgun butt and grade IV/V wood.

Were those 250 sold at a higher price than the others? Mine wasn't ordered as begin anything special outside of being a Deluxe Sporting. Mine is 00005

Which model has a tapered octagon barrel? I might need to order myself another Miroku!

[Randy Bohannon]

They were made for the 2018 Shot Show and list price was $1799.00 they were on the Winchester web site under the 'non catalogued' descriptions.After the show they let them out to dealers who bought them up and now are showing up on auction sites.I saw somewhere there only 250 made perhaps it was only 250 made for the Shot Show ,they still show up on the website.

[Warhawk]

Yes it is a Deluxe Sporting in .44-40, I thought I wanted a .45 before I got this one but I'm very glad I ended up with this rifle.


I read an article by Mike Venturino in the current GUNS magazine, article is on 1873 Winchesters. He says the 45 Colt brass made today is too thick/hard to seal properly with low pressure loads appropriate to the '73 and you get some gas blowback. He also says the 44-40 doesn't have this problem. I think you made the right choice on caliber.

[HawkCreek]

I read an article by Mike Venturino in the current GUNS magazine, article is on 1873 Winchesters. He says the 45 Colt brass made today is too thick/hard to seal properly with low pressure loads appropriate to the '73 and you get some gas blowback. He also says the 44-40 doesn't have this problem. I think you made the right choice on caliber.

I haven't tried hand loads but my Miroku '92 is a .45 and it has the same gas sealing problems you mention reading about. I originally wanted the .45 to keep my ammo selection simplified but I am glad I ended up with the .44-40 it's a fun little round!

[Beerd]

Those are both nice looking rifles!
..

[Randy Bohannon]

HawkCreek, the tapered octagon barreled 73's are rare from I was told from a reliable source,it's the only one I've seen and was highly encouraged to buy it.I have had it out twice and shoots very good. I had bought a SRC version in .357 and did not like the cartridge in the 73,unsatisfying is the only reason I sold it.When I took it to the local LGS to sell it they had the 73 44-40 tpaered barrel on the shelf. It was a special order someone declined they wanted the 'Deluxe'. The .357 sold in a week for more than I paid for it and bought the 44-40

Have the 92 in 45 Colt as well, zero blow by issues, but I am shooting 300 gr. bullet and 21 grs. of IMR4227 with W.W. brass.

[Randy Bohannon]

Warhawk, That SRC is gorgeous.

[1911aug]

My wife gave me a Winchester 73 short rifle for Christmas and they don't have the tang safety like other models have.
I finally got to go shoot it this past Friday and the accuracy was very good in my opinion. The fit and finish is very good.

Now it's time to sell my LNIB 5.5 barrel Old Army to get a New Vaquero to go with it.

[Warhawk]

Warhawk, That SRC is gorgeous.

Thanks, I walked into the gun shop and the owner says “I’ve got something you need to see”. 2 minutes later I was figuring out how to pay for it.

[dverna]

I really enjoy my 1873....except for flinging empties onto my head. Need to wear a cowboy hat when shooting a cowboy gun.

If your female companion is well endowed, it can create an interesting circumstance.

As to the gun, mine will put 10 shots into just over an inch at 25 yards.

[CamoWhamo]

I bought this one last year.
.44-40 Blued Pistol Grip model with 24" octagonal Barrel.
I love it. Quality is excellent and accuracy is outstanding. I can blot out the X ring at 55yd with the tang sight and Lyman Globe front sight.

234040

[7 Ring]

I haven't tried hand loads but my Miroku '92 is a .45 and it has the same gas sealing problems you mention reading about. I originally wanted the .45 to keep my ammo selection simplified but I am glad I ended up with the .44-40 it's a fun little round!

Are you getting gas blowback in your face? Have you had any accuracy issues?

[Randy Bohannon]

Camo, I have the exact same rifle as well and it will shoot as well as yours.Waiting on a MVA base to mount one of their tang sights and one of their front sights.Then I can do some serious target work

[HawkCreek]

Are you getting gas blowback in your face? Have you had any accuracy issues?

It's ok as far as accuracy, not a bench gun but it does ok for a short barrel lever gun in a pistol round.

https://i.imgur.com/qmRuGxC.jpg?1

Not getting gas in the face but you can see how much soot is on the fired cases.
https://i.imgur.com/rZWDfTN.jpg

[7 Ring]

Thanks HawkCreek! I am strongly considering buying a new Winchester 1873 chambered in .45 Colt and this information is very helpful. Some of my most accurate loads for shooting paper inside 100 meters are light loads. Soot on the fired cases does not bother me if I don't get any gas blowback in my face.

Thanks again.

[Alan Bycroft]

Gents...I need some advice, please. I recently bought a Winchester (actual Winchester) ‘73 in 45 Colt. As I cast boolits for all my firearms, I made up a bunch of boolits using the Lee 452-255-RF mold. I then powder coat, then size them to .452. Final weight is 258grn avg. I load 5.6grn Titegroup. With that I get 980.3fps on average. At 25 yards, accuracy is pretty good...about 3” grouping shooting from a bench rest. The problem comes when I move out to 100 yards. Wholly carp! I’m not even on the paper shooting at a full size silhouette target. Again...shooting from a bench rest and REALLY concentrating on sight alignment. Looking forward to some sage advice here! Thanks in advance.

[JoeJames]

Thanks, I walked into the gun shop and the owner says “I’ve got something you need to see”. 2 minutes later I was figuring out how to pay for it.That has happened to me at least two times. Both times I walked out with a thinner wallet than I had when I walked in. Must be an Arkansas thing, huh?