24hourcampfire.com
24hourcampfire.com
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Hop To
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 28
P
Campfire Greenhorn
OP Offline
Campfire Greenhorn
P
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 28
Have no experience with either, but have narrowed it down to one of these in 44-40, the steel framed Henry 1960 or the Uberti 1973. Anyone have any experience or opinions in comparing these two.

PJ

BP-B2

Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 2,278
Campfire Regular
Offline
Campfire Regular
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 2,278
I think you mean 1860 and 1873 models.

I am no authority but my gunsmith who specializes in CAS and says the Henry models are unsuitable for competition.

I cannot explain why, but I think it has to do with the internals added for product liability purposes.

Last edited by Anjin; 07/06/16.

Norman Solberg
International lawyer, lately for 25 years in Japan, now working on trusts in the US, the 3rd greatest tax haven. NRA Life Member for over 50 years, NRA Endowment (2014), Patron (2016).
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 28
P
Campfire Greenhorn
OP Offline
Campfire Greenhorn
P
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 28
Anjin, you are correct. Not enough sleep could explain the vapor lock. Thanks for the response.

PJ

Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 1,154
21 Offline
Campfire Regular
Offline
Campfire Regular
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 1,154
Uberti's always feel cheap to me, as much as I want to like them. I understand they work fine though. The new Henry 1860 looks and feels fantastic, and Hickok45 did a nice vid on it. I cannot speak to any internal issues, but I wouldn't think it would be because of any quality problems. Putting them side by side and handling them, the Henry seems MUCH nicer. Of course, it is more expensive, too.


"Never force anything, just get a bigger hammer".
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 24,285
Campfire Ranger
Online Content
Campfire Ranger
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 24,285

Henry rifles have a good name, but from history not from manufacturing. If I built a rifle like the Henry when the was in shop, I would be proud of it, but I would never buy one.

Given the choice of Uberti/Henry, I would take the Uberti...


[Linked Image from i.postimg.cc]
IC B2

Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 1,154
21 Offline
Campfire Regular
Offline
Campfire Regular
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 1,154
Originally Posted by shrapnel

Henry rifles have a good name, but from history not from manufacturing. If I built a rifle like the Henry when the was in shop, I would be proud of it, but I would never buy one.

Given the choice of Uberti/Henry, I would take the Uberti...


I'm not enamored with the new Henry rifles, I find them functional, but cheap. Their new 1860 however, is another animal altogether. At over $2000 MSRP, it's not made like your usual Henry rifle.

Last edited by 21; 07/07/16.

"Never force anything, just get a bigger hammer".
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 24,285
Campfire Ranger
Online Content
Campfire Ranger
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 24,285

Having the chance to handle the 1860 from a testing point of view, they are better than something I might make myself, but it is still a better gun from 10 feet away than it is in your hands...


[Linked Image from i.postimg.cc]
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 10,896
Campfire Outfitter
Offline
Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 10,896
I've handled several Henry rifles thought I'd like one someday but they leave a lot to be desired vs a Uberti,


You better be afraid of a ghost!!

"Woody you were baptized in prop wash"..crossfireoops






Woody
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 2,278
Campfire Regular
Offline
Campfire Regular
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 2,278
Just my opinion, since I have no shooting experience with them, but some of those Uberti 1873 lever actions marketed under various names in the US sure look nice.

Many CAS shooters seem to like them.


Norman Solberg
International lawyer, lately for 25 years in Japan, now working on trusts in the US, the 3rd greatest tax haven. NRA Life Member for over 50 years, NRA Endowment (2014), Patron (2016).
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 28
P
Campfire Greenhorn
OP Offline
Campfire Greenhorn
P
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 28
Appreciation for all the responses and information. What if we throw the new Winchester 1873 in the mix? To me the Uberti looks more like an original, with the Winchester having a gap between the barrel and magazine tube, but haven't seen any of these in person. Thoughts?
PJ

IC B3

Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 1,154
21 Offline
Campfire Regular
Offline
Campfire Regular
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 1,154
Handled them all the other day, but no experience shooting them, that said the new Japanese Winchester looked miles better than the Uberti. On all but the 1860 Uberti Trapper, the Uberti rifles felt like the hammer springs were weak--of course, this is subjective and they may work fine. A small gap between the barrel and magazine is normal.

Last edited by 21; 07/08/16.

"Never force anything, just get a bigger hammer".
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 28
P
Campfire Greenhorn
OP Offline
Campfire Greenhorn
P
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 28
21,
Thanks for that info.Can you elaborate on what made the Japchester look miles better?
PJ

Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 1,154
21 Offline
Campfire Regular
Offline
Campfire Regular
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 1,154
Everything. The bluing, wood, Case colors, fit and finish. The Miroku people do a nice job, but, of course, it's all subjective. There are those who like Uberti's better, and who am I to say they are wrong. I think you have to handle them all and make your choice. Guns, like horses and wives, are a personal thing.....


"Never force anything, just get a bigger hammer".
Joined: Jun 2018
Posts: 2
A
New Member
Offline
New Member
A
Joined: Jun 2018
Posts: 2
i have an 1873 Uberti in 44-40. i purchased it new but immediately sent it off to Pioneer Gun Works for an upgrade. upon return the rifle was amazingly different. the action was noticeably smoother and the trigger pull was massively lightened. the Uberti is a cosmetically beautiful rifle right out of the box and with some work can ultimately perform as well as it looks.

cheers...gary

Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 5,834
Campfire Tracker
Offline
Campfire Tracker
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 5,834
Not to hijack the OPs thread, but I have hopes that by year's end Ill have a Japanese Winchester 1873 in my hands. The single differentiating factor for choosing the Winchester over the Uberti was the that the Winchester is D&T for a tang peep sight.


I never thought I'd grow up to be a grumpy old man, but I did, and I'm killin' it.
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 667
B
Campfire Regular
Offline
Campfire Regular
B
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 667
hickock is long winded blowhard. Henerys are not even western,with those heavy guns with stupid loading tubes.

Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 54,284
Campfire Kahuna
Offline
Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 54,284
The OP is unclear. Are you asking about the model 1860 Henry vs. the model 1873 Winchester or are you asking about the Henry made model 1860 Henry vs. an Uberti replica of the 1873 Winchester? Several questions seem to be being answered.

The 1873 Winchester is obviously and improvement over the 1860 Henry, which it was an outgrowth of. The 1866 Winchester is in between them and was actually called the "Improved Henry" whereas the 1873 was a big improvement over the 1866 Winchester, mainly in cartridge since the 44-40 or 44 WCF as Winchester called it, is more powerful and better in about every way than the 44 RF of the earlier two guns. Today's replicas, not so much since they all shoot 44 WCF as opposed to 44 RF. The original Henry though, as was pointed out, has some design limitations. So the 1873 model wins.

As to the Henry branded 1860 model Henry...they are expensive and are made here in the USA. The former is bad, the latter is good. I will take Shrapnel's word for it that an Uberti is better. An Uberti made 1860 Henry or 1873 Winchester can be had for about half of what a new Henry branded Henry model 1860 replica/reissue can be bought for. I have not seen Shrapnel be a big fan of Uberti's over the years here, so if he says an Uberti is better than something, it probably is.

Joined: Oct 2016
Posts: 547
Campfire Regular
Offline
Campfire Regular
Joined: Oct 2016
Posts: 547
Although the actions are more or less the same, the Henry is really more of a nostalgic choice. It loads by twisting the end of the barrel and down a tube. It has no forearm. I would like to own one just for the fun of it, but it isn't as practical as the later "improvements".

The 1873 has a forearm and a loading gate. It's more practical for field use and in most available configurations a bit more handy than the overly long 1860. And it's half the cost, depending on the chosen options.


"The greatest danger to American freedom is a government that ignores the Constitution."
Thomas Jefferson
Joined: Mar 2019
Posts: 6
C
New Member
Offline
New Member
C
Joined: Mar 2019
Posts: 6
I own a new "Original Henry". Love shooting it. It's a completely different gun than the '73. My Henry was pretty stiff and had loading problems until about round 60. After that, the gun settled in and shoots great. The big knock on them, besides the barrel weight which is substantial, is the feed tube. Load it up and shoot but when you have less than 6 bullets in the magazine, be mindful of the tab on the magazine spring. My club has seen people pull that spring on accident and when it snapped down on the remaining rounds, they went off. Local CAS group won't allow using TOH rifles because of it.

My '73 is about completed. In meantime, I'm shooting a Marlin. Love the buckhorn sight picture of that gun. Made hitting steel really easy!!

Mike
Advisor - Purdue Rifle and Pistol Club; Purdue Advisor of the Year (2016); NRA Outstanding Service to Collegiate Shooting Sports (2018)
Purdue Rifle Team - 10 straight qualifications to Nationals; 2nd in 2016
- Assistant Coach
Purdue Army ROTC Boiler Battalion Rifle Team Head Coach – 2016-2018
Certified Rifle Coach – NRA/USA Shooting
Purdue Pistol Team – Two qualifications to Nationals; 2017, 2018

“Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.”
Benjamin Franklin


Class Dismissed

Coach - Purdue Rifle Team
USA Shooting-certified
Purdue Rifle Team - 10 straight qualifications to Nationals


Joined: May 2019
Posts: 17
D
New Member
Offline
New Member
D
Joined: May 2019
Posts: 17
I personally went through this very same process not long ago. Unfortunately, I was not able to compare these rifles in person so everything I found was via the internet. I think the best advice I received when trying to make my choices was when it comes to reproductions no matter which you chose you’re going to have to make some compromises because no matter the manufacturer none of them are 100% like the originals. However, given today’s metallurgy they are better guns. There are plusses and minuses no matter which version you chose. From everything I have read it’s extremely difficult to make a bad choice with any of these. In no case did I find owners that were dissatisfied with either choice. However when it comes to one vs another there maybe one which is a better fit for you or the purpose you chose it for.

In my case I chose in all cases when it came to the Henry, the 1866, the 1873, and the 1892 to go with Henry Repeating Arms and Miroku Winchesters over Uberti. I can share my take on why I did so but I would strongly advise you to do your own research to determine which version works best for you because in a vast number of cases and for various reasons many will chose Uberti instead. You may very well find something I didn’t and very possibly get a different take than I did. YMMV

Going into this I was looking for rifles to plink with and I have no desire to compete in CAS.; I also wanted some rifles with better looking wood. Guns that were well made and backed by warranty and good if not great customer service.

Part of my frustration when conducting research was there weren’t many who actually had actual experience with both and actual comparisons were few but there are a few out there. Given the cost of these guns and the fact that few will have more than just one this was not extremely surprising. I searched a good number of gun sights via google as well as more than a few CAS sites as well. Eventually I actually posted a thread on a 1911 forum with regards to whether an 1866 or a 1873 might be a better choice. I really received a good number of responses from Uberti and Winchester owners which had experience with both Uberti and Winchester experience. So although they may have made different choices they did agree on the various pluses and minuses from these manufacturers.

There is however one video where the New Original Henry is compared to an actual Henry and a Henry from Uberti.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=faEW--5QDpg

This video actually points out a good number of things with regards to the New Original Henry. The big ones that stuck out to me was the fact that Henry Repeating Arms used MIM parts, a flimsy ladder rear sight, and their barrel is over polished. But it also does point out how well made the rifle is. Eventually I got over the MIM parts. My biggest complaint is that the barrel is over polished. Great looking gun but the barrel is over polished and there is no denying that.

[Linked Image]

By the time I had purchased my Henry I had already compared the Winchester Miroku reproductions to those from Uberti and I had already determined for the most part that a Uberti was not for me.

[Linked Image]

From everything I could tell Uberti is probably the most popular choice when it comes to those who desire the closest looking replica and they do that better than anybody else. None of their guns carry the Winchester name but the overall look is closer to authentic supposedly and you’ll hear that often. Uberti also appears to be the number one choice for those competing in CAS. The availability of short stroke kits and repair parts makes it a great if not more logical choice for those competing in CAS simply because they have been making these longer so parts are more available and that system is very well established. The toggle link system although weaker supposedly is the slickest action out there. Over the course of time if your using your gun in competition and shooting it often then the availability of parts will be extremely important. Potentially Winchester parts may and have become more available but I would imagine Uberti parts are still easier to get just because how many and how long they have been doing this.

From what I could find the red varnish that makes the Uberti look more authentic covers a greyish European Walnut which tends to be softer than American Walnut and dings easier. Also repairs are more difficult because of the varnish they use. The internals on a Uberti are rougher and unpolished when compared to a Miroku Winchester. In fact from what I read the Miroku is the slickest out of the box. Uberti also is said to use softer headed screws which are very often torqued into place by a gorilla. Not always but often extremely difficult to take out to the point some require a gunsmith to remove and it is suggested that you may want to replace these screws. Often I have read that if you don’t mind doing a bit of work on the internals then this is the gun for you.

Miroku itself from everything I could find knows how to make guns. Miroku makes some very nice guns was repeated everywhere I conducted my research. From all of the Mirokus I own now to include the Browning SA-22 I would have to agree that they make an extremely nice gun. Their Winchesters do have the made in Japan moniker which makes a good number unhappy, But Miroku is also are the only ones which have Winchester on their guns. Their wood tends to be more proud but supposedly as the wood ages that is a good thing. I have read also that they are tending to make them less proud. I don’t have a vast number to compare them too but none of mine are proud enough that it bothers me and in most places is a good fit. I choose the Shot Show 2018 versions so the wood on mine is a Grade V\VI Walnut which is very nice. There is a decent size gap between barrel and magazine which bothers some but here again the plusses out weigh the negatives for me. The annoying safety and rebounding hammer doesn’t exist on the 1866 and 1873 so this was a non-issue on these two. So, although this does exist on the 1892 Miroku Winchester I am awaiting I still chose the Miroku over the Uberti because overall the plusses for me outweigh the negatives.

The New Original Henry is very unlike the Henry Golden Boy or 22 Rifle that Henry Repeating Arms was initially known for. Although there are Mim parts there is no receiver cover or pot metal on this gun. The brass receiver is a specially-formulated hardened brass receiver with the same tensile strength as steel. The wood is a Fancy American Walnut. Here again the gun overall is very well put together and is very comparable to the craftsmanship of a Mirokus that I own with the added benefit of being supported by an American Company with from everything I can tell great customer service.








Last edited by dddrees; 05/21/19.

Moderated by  RickBin 

Link Copied to Clipboard
YB23

Who's Online Now
699 members (222Sako, 007FJ, 10gaugemag, 10Glocks, 06hunter59, 222ND, 75 invisible), 2,787 guests, and 1,317 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Forum Statistics
Forums81
Topics1,187,630
Posts18,398,794
Members73,817
Most Online11,491
Jul 7th, 2023


 







Fish & Game Departments | Solunar Tables | Mission Statement | Privacy Policy | Contact Us | DMCA
Hunting | Fishing | Camping | Backpacking | Reloading | Campfire Forums | Gear Shop
Copyright © 2000-2024 24hourcampfire.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5
(Release build 20201027)
Responsive Width:

PHP: 7.3.33 Page Time: 0.176s Queries: 14 (0.005s) Memory: 0.8945 MB (Peak: 1.0458 MB) Data Comp: Zlib Server Time: 2024-03-28 16:16:22 UTC
Valid HTML 5 and Valid CSS