Home Forums Lever Action Central Cowboy Levers How strong are modern made steel 1873 copies?

I always read that the original 1873's were considered weak actions, and only blackpowder equivalent loads should be shot in them. I notice now there are some very attractive 1873 replicas out there, in useful calibers like .45 Colt. How strong are these modern reproductions? I have plenty of high powered rifles, and am not trying to make a .348 Winchester out of it, but it would be nice to be able to shoot "safe in Ruger" equivalent loads out of one.

Thanks!

I wouldn't. There just isn't much in there. It's nothing like a 92 or 94 on the inside.

I doubt it would blow up in your face over just a few shots. But I would expect continued use would greatly reduce the life of the rifle and you would end up with headspace problems and eventually a failure of the toggle link mechanism. Either of which would make for a very bad shooting day.

I dont think the question of steel quality is the deciding factor, I think its the design itself that doesn't safely lend itself to stouter loads. I would stay within blackpowder limits due to the design.

I wouldn't recommend a '73 for those loads. It's a toggle action and isn't suited to stout loads.

You don't want to be pulling the firing pin extension out of your eye.

I've seen one go before, it doesn't blow off the side plates but rather comes back over the hammer to exit.

Rule # 1

....NEVER fire a "Recently acquired" '73, without making sure that BOTH links are in their appointed place.

I know of several that have turned up at Az. gun shows with only one link in place.

Dittos on all the rest,........a low pressure gun,......and fun in that context.

keep things mild.

GTC

Stick with the safe in Colt references. Not Ruger.
There is a member in another forum that said he has used a 73 replica in 45LC to harvest many head of whitetail. Don't be too quick to belittle the 45 in standard factory loadings.

Why not just get a Marlin '94 or one of the Winchester '92 clones?

If you want to maximize the effectiveness of the older '73 action, or the '66 for that matter, you have to use Black Powder.

I have an 'Iron' framed Henry in .44-40 and I'm here to tell you, keeping the loads in the black powder power level does not in any way detract from the shooting fun of these guns! They are accurate and if'n I was to find myself in the presence of a wild hog or deer out to 50 yards, I'd feel well armed. My load fires a 210 grain cast bullet at 1200fps and it slams the steel plates off the pedestal with enough authority to suggest we aren't losing anything in the long run.

Dan

I realize this is an old thread, however, I woud like to comment that the new 1873's are chambered for the .357 magnum. So, While you should use common sense in reloading, as previously mentioned, having the rifles factory chambered in .357 suggests that the 1873's are stronger than what most people think.

Keep in mind that the trust rearward against the locking lugs is a function of the area of the case rim. The .45 Long Colt has quite a bit more base area (56% more) than the .357 magnum. Therefore rearward thrust will be 56% greater in the .45 Colt.

The "old" BP .44 WCF AKA .44-40 has put more venison on the table than any "moderen" rifle even the 30-30. and it has only come back to partial notice in the last thirty years or so.

The latest versions of the Uberti 1873 (& 1866) lever guns have been updated in the area of firing pin extension retainer parts.
Earlier models ( I don't KNOW exactly when the update occurred) are potentially dangerous.
The firing pin extension at the area where the crosspin retains the firing pin extension to the bolt has been changed to incorporate an odd shaped wedge that eliminates the possibility of the assembly "coming apart" and subsequently allowing the firing pin extension to launch itself rearward into the shooter's face.
1866 rifles suffered the same problematic engineering.
Uberti fixed the problem in thier rifles, and I do believe that the updated parts will retro-fit into earlier Uberti '73s & '66s.
DON'T expect that these parts will fit or function in any other manufacturer's firearms.
If you are in doubt as to which series of parts your gun uses, study up and dismantle/ verify -or- take the gun to a knowledgable gunsmith and have it checked out.
DON'T let any one poo-poo this safety problem or talk you into disreguarding this warning. When I stated "potentially dangerous" I was not referring to "hot" or "Ruger only" loads, I am speaking of every day normal usage of the firearm with ANY ammunition what so ever.
Don't screw around, check it out and change it if it hasn't been performed already. Your safety is of everyone's utmost concern.

I have a question to ask concerning this. We shoot 44 mags in revolvers with no rear head support.Now is the straight case grabbing the chamber wall? Do the old tapered WCF cases have more backthrust? I never really wanted a 73 until I picked one up and its now on the list.
Sorry for the late post but this just came to mind.

This is pulled from July 24th question about 1873 replica strength.

'The 1873 action was not a strong one when it was designed, but it did fine for the black powder pistol cartridges available at that time.

Wait and find a more modern design if you want .44 magnum ballistics from a lever gun. Even with the modern steels used for today's replicas, the '73 is comparatively weak in its lockup.

John Browning later designed beefier actions for more powerful cartridges, but the '73 is limited.

See John Taffin's book Action Shooting Cowboy Style, p.255, "The 1866 and 1873 are smooth, but they are not strong. Do Not, Repeat, DO NOT use anything other than standard loads in the 1860, the 1866 , or even in the 1873 Winchester replicas." His emphasis.'

These replica toggle-link guns are made of better steel, but they still have a major handicap in their design once you enter the smokeless era. Play it safe; the replica 1873s are made for playing the "Cowboy Game".

ALL replica rifles from Italy are proof tested to specific CIP limits...you can find those limits by searching, usually in the sellors link or online.

Those limits are well within safe limits for the specific rifle and you can load to those levels. If the rifle is chambered in a specific cartridge it is safe to fire that cartridge...if it isn't chambered in that cartridge or to a lower level than what you desire, then let your level of survival instinct reign.

I have a very high level of self preservation that has kept my fat body intact all these years...so guess what I would do...you do what you want.

Luck

The toggle link action, as stated before, isn't a real strong design. It's not as strong as the Marlin, which isn't as strong as the '92 clones.

Uberti does list a .44 mag 1873 rifle, so they must have worked on the steel and one would think it's strong enough for that round. Surely their lawyers wouldn't let them sell an unsafe rifle.

That said, I wouldn't shoot a whole bunch of full power .44 mag ctgs in that gun. And, for sure, no reloads with heavy bullets. I would think factory loads and reloaded equivalents would be about all that gun should see.

For a .44 mag carbine, there are better options. One of the best is the Miroku Browning/Winchester '92 that was offered a few years back. I'd be looking for one of those used. Otherwise, I'd get a Marlin. An older one, not a new one.

IMHO,

DF

the 73 design has a Bolt not much larger than a pencil, and actually no locking lugs, action depends on 1/4" diameter pins to lockup and headspace, which may or may not be the weakest part, as it also has most of the sides of the action cut out with "windows and thin steel side covers, I have fired many rounds throug originals and repros, never felt safe firing the originals with anything but blackpowder, and the repros wit BP equivalent smokeless loads, never thought the 357 safe, had 1 but only shot 38 spec in it,others may tell you different, but take a look inside, not a lot there!

The Rossi model 92s are leaps and bounds stronger than the best 1873's. If you want the gun for ocassional hunting with Buffalo Bore strong loads, get a model 92. If you're a gung ho competitive Cowboy shooter , the 1873 with tricked up action and mild loads is unbeatable in a lever gun.

Right.

The '92 is a terrible CAS gun because it wasn't made to run fast. It stove pipes and jams when pushed. 92's can be slicked up fairly well, but they will never run with the "fast dogs".

The '73 a terrible gun for hot loads due to the inherent weakness of the toggle link design.

But, the JMB designed '92 is super stong, even stronger than the Marlin. And the '73 is the slickest, fastest lever gun, bar none, for CAS.

Just gotta decide what you want to do and pick the right gun for the job.

IMHO.

DF

If speed is the objective the Colt Lightning replicas are the fastest.