considering getting a replica lever action rifle.....

[Brad]

Been thinking of getting a Winchester replica 1873, or maybe a yellow boy??
Any reccomendations?? Any one in particular to avoid?? Dont want trouble, just a good reliable shooter.
Thinking I'd want a 357 mag / 38 sp so the ammo would be cheap??
Thanks in advance

[Johnny P]

If you are going to be shooting factory loads, I would compare the price of .357 and .45 Colt as I doubt there is much difference. If you are going to reload there won't be enough difference to matter. Neither were original calibers of the Model 1873, but I would go with the larger bore .45 Colt. The .38 Special is somewhat of a puny cartridge for the Winchester .73.

[Embalmer]

Had a uberti 1860 Henry in 44-40. Liked it but ammo in that caliber tough to find, and wasn't set up for reloading black powder rounds

[joem]

I have a Marlin lever gun in .38 spl / .357 mag. If you want any accuracy it needs .357 mag. Good rifle.

[Johnny P]

Just curious, but why does the .45 Colt become inaccurate in a rifle when it is accurate in a pistol?

http://gunsmagazine.com/the-45-colt-lever-action/

[da gimp]

.45Colt is a better self defense/ deer, hog hunting round too..... it'd be my 1st pick in a modern '73........

[budster]

Just curious, but why does the .45 Colt become inaccurate in a rifle when it is accurate in a pistol?

http://gunsmagazine.com/the-45-colt-lever-action/

Gun writers sit at the computer a lot rather than practice. I believe that if you had the same rifle, you would have shot much better.

[BudT]

Johnny P, ya I would like to know that one to. Someone forgot to program that into my .45Colt lever gun because it will shoot very tight groups with my 300 grain hunting loads .

[Art]

On caliber.

Since you want to avoid the expense of a period cartridge the .38 Special/.357 Magnum combo allows you to buy factory plinking ammo at $20.00 to $25.00 per box. I can get Privi Partisan .357 158gr SJHPs at Academy under their "Monarch" brand label at $22.00 for 50. I wouldn't want to use it either for hunting or serious social encounters but it's just fine to practice with. If you do go the .38 Special/.357 Magnum route make sure the rifle will feed .38s reliably. Not all will. .45 Colt is more "traditional" and the ammo is findable and affordable in the "Cowboy Action" loads, though not as easy to locate where I live as the .38/.357 Magnums. If you want to hunt with your lever gun either cartridge will take up to deer size game quite nicely as long as you don't push them.

[cwartyman]

The .45 Colt becomes a problem in rifles but not in pistols when Black powder is used. The case does not seal well in rifle chambers and you get more fouling from the BP than you would using say a 44-40 which is a slight bottle neck. When using smokeless you dont get that level of fouling. You can run into problems with bore diameter versus chamber diameter in the rifle usually you need a bigger bullet than the chamber is cut for and you end up having to use softer lead with a smaller bullet hoping that is upsets and fills the grooves or you get leading. I have a Henry in 44-40 that wants .431 bullets(groove dia is .430) but will not chamber a bullet that size so I have to size to .429 and use softer lead to get it to work(This is with BP).
Mack

[Fred]

I've seen original bullets from old 44-40 BP cartridges that are somewhat hollow based. They must've been meant to upset into the rifling better.

[Johnny P]

The last thing I would do is reload with black powder for that rifle. The 1873 Winchester came out in the black powder era, and transitioned right into the smokeless era. You will never regret going with the larger caliber.

[da gimp]

& with the new 1873's there is no need to use black powder to reload..............they are not hard to strip all the wood off & to take apart the action........... but why bother with it?

[macPA]

For BP many folks like the 44-40 as it is made for BP. Suppsed to seal the chamber better when fired and prevent blow back
I shoot .45 colt for my BP levers. My primary is an Uberti copy of the 1860 Henery and back up is a Marlin. I get no blow back from either
I load a 30 grain load topped with a thin wax cover and a Circle Fly wad with 250gr bullet
Nice smoke and accurate

[JimF]

. . . . My primary is an Uberti copy of the 1860 Henery and back up is a Marlin. I get no blow back from either
I load a 30 grain load topped with . . . . .

How on earth do you keep the brass frame from BP tarnishing???

I have the same rifle (the Henry), and am afraid to use BP because of the "tarnishing factor".

I'm using #2400 smokless instead. --Jim

[James Kelly]

Original Henry rifles, Winch Model 1866 and the First Model 1873 had a design that permitted firing out of battery on occasion.
This can send the bolt through one's eye, on the way to scoop out a little brain. Rare, but it doe occur.
Italian Henry and Model 1866 replicas are made the same way.
Winchester's Miroku Henry and Model 1873 rifles appear to have the two design improvements to prevent this from happening.

I might suggest you study up on early Winchester actions to learn this yourself. Italian '73's should be fine.

[Dolt]

I've been loading a Winchester (Miroku) 1873 in 45 colt with full cases of Black MZ black powder substitute. Muzzle velocity with 200 gr. lead bullet is between 1400 and 1250. Barrel is clean as a whistle after 50 rounds. Groups 3-4 inches at 100 yards. I am sold on the Black MZ powder and Sportsmans Warehouse sells it for $10.00 per pound. Lee factory crimp die helps lots.

[1-12 INF (M)]

The 1894 Marlin in .357 is an excellent gun. Accurate, easy to shoot, can hunt all manner of game with it too - and handy. I had an 1873 Uberti in .45 Colt that didn't shoot worth a darn, I tried a lot of different handholds in that rifle, all gave lousy accuracy, although the gun sure was pretty. My '92 Winchester in .38-40 is a favorite - wonderfully accurate. If you want a '66 or '73 Winnie, I'd go with .44-40 - especially if you want to shoot black powder.

[blackhawknj]

I have a pre-safety Marlin 1894C, excellent. 38 WCs must be single loaded, do not feed well. Older Marlins have the Micro-Groove rifling, fine with jacketed bullets, accuracy with lead bullets can be tricky. The 38 Soecial started as a blackpowder load if you want to take that route.

[JimF]

. . . . . I had an 1873 Uberti in .45 Colt that didn't shoot worth a darn, I tried a lot of different handholds in that rifle, all gave lousy accuracy, although the gun sure was pretty. . . . . .

My Uberti Henry rifle in 45 Colt also gave lousy accuracy with my handloads, UNTIL . . .

I sized the bullets to .454” instead of the more modern/common .452”.

Made ALL the difference!

[Griff Murphey]

We had an old Army sniper, Perry Wilson, who did sales and gunsmithing at Ewell Cross/Elk Castle guns here in Fort Worth and he was into Indian War cowboy shooting. He liked to say: "...the Uberti 1873 is made just the way Winchester WOULD have made them, if they COULD!"

In other words he had a very high opinion of them.

I have the Browning 1886 repro and 1895 repros, my 95 is '06 so it's out of the historic zone for black powder, but with the '86 I never had any desire to fool with any BP loads. Having to get into casting and sizing lead bullets, and the hassle of cleaning and potential for rust just never raced my motor, so I dodged the center fire BP experience, myself. Have missed the cowboy shooting myself but I imagine most participants just use modern ammo in their modern guns, and live without the fun but corrosive smoke.

[dogtag]

Just read this old thread again.
Barrels corrode if you don't clean 'em. It's really that simple.

[AZshooter]

I've had a Winchester Uberti 1873 for about a year now. .357 is comfortable and plenty accurate. Also have an 1873 Uberti Colt in .357. both are welll-made and beautifully finished in case hardening.