Win 73 Round barrel

[The Pathfinder]

Ok, after the discussion on round barrel Winchesters, I got the bit by the bug. All of my other 73's are replicas and so they have octagon barrels. So with the help of a friend I located an old round barrel gun in need of parts and a rebuild. It's a second model frame and action, had the lever, dust cover and bolt, all the wood, third model round barrel (great looking bore), etc. Mostly missing the internals and the sideplates and some screws. Was going to attach pictures but the max size attachment allowed is 400 kb and so far all my photos are around 3 1/2 mb. Will try to find one of my older cameras and get some pics with it that might come out smaller in file size. I've gathered all the missing parts and will try to start resurrecting it this weekend. Wish me luck as I hope to have it shooting before too long. Oh, the outside will be all original but the toggles and some of the springs and screws will be new. Any advice is always welcome. Thank you, J.P., for all the help getting started.

[Rowdy Fulcher]

Howdy
What caliber is she . Good luck on your project , can't wait to see your pictures . 

[The Pathfinder]

Sorry, she's a 44 wcf. Had my daughter take the pictures with her new Nikon super digi whatsit camera. That things too dang complicated for this old cowboy, but boy does it take some great pictures. Will try to get some that'll fit as soon as I find the charger for the old camera I've got. Right now I'm still disassembling the old girl in preparation for her Balliatol bath.

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[Coal Creek Griff]

Just a comment about the pictures.  There are ways to reduce the file size of the pictures you have without resorting to using a different camera.  There might be easier ways, but I use a free program called "Paint.net", which allows you to choose the quality (and file size) of a picture then resave it.  Just a thought.

CC Griff

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

Just a comment about the pictures.  There are ways to reduce the file size of the pictures you have without resorting to using a different camera.  There might be easier ways, but I use a free program called "Paint.net", which allows you to choose the quality (and file size) of a picture then resave it.  Just a thought.

CC Griff

Most picture programs have a "resize" function of some sort.  I am a techno peasant so I just crash around until I find some way to reduce it enough to post from my computer.  I just try to attach it, and reduce it more until it will attach.

[The Pathfinder]

Well, still haven't figured out the picture thing, but then again didn't put a whole lot a thought into it.  

Spent my time tearing down and putting back together the 73. Now it's gonna be torn down again, but I wanted to do a fit and function check on all the parts I had gathered. So, I got it all together and... works beautifully... except I can't get a dummy cartridge thru the loading gate. Long story short...don't use Dixie Gun Works replacement lever and carrier springs.   They are just slightly over length and have a pronounced "hump" when installed...enough to get in the way of the loading gate when you try to depress it. So now I am back to Ebay to try to come up with an original set of springs.

On a good note, I used Buffalo Arms new set of 73 toggles and they work and fit perfectly.  

Now the old lady gets torn back down and thoroughly cleaned and lubed while waiting for her 'new' set of springs. Once those are installed, she and I have a date at the range to see just how well she'll shoot. And hopefully by then I'll have this photo thing figured out.  

[Old Top]

Pathfinder,

You may want to try one thing of having the lever down to load, I have an original round bull barrel 73 and it will not load unless the lever is down, the gate will not open with it up.  It does make reloading on the clock interesting.

Old Top

[The Pathfinder]

Old Top, thanks, I'll give it a try. If I ever figure out the picture thing, I'll put up a picture of the action with one of the Dixie springs in place; looks like a hump back. I've found that the gate actually contacts the spring and won't even push in beyond about a 1/4". Nowhere near enough to slide a cartridge past it. I've found a couple of springs on EBay but won't know if I've won them or not till this weekend. All of the parts sights I've found are out of the original springs, that's why I went with the Dixie ones in the first place.

[Grapeshot]

Had the same problem when I replaced the lever and carrier springs.  I had to file some metal off the springs to clear the gate.  I got my springs from VTI.

[The Pathfinder]

Ok, let's see if this pic shows up.

How about that, it worked. Now I'll see if I can alter some of the other pics.

[Rowdy Fulcher]

Pathfinder
What length barrel are you going with ?

[The Pathfinder]

She's wearing a 24" third model barrel (the print is off on the side, not directly on top) and the bore is great, magazine is there and complete with spring and follower. She was mostly complete when I got her, missing toggles, springs, firing pin, sideplates and carrier block, you know most of the internals. Did have a lever and a bolt with a good extractor suprisingly. And the lower tang assy is all there and working. Wood is sound except for a small crack where it looks like someone overtightened the lower buttplate screw, easy fix. Couple of screws just slightly less than perfect, but hey, she's 130 years old, nothing I didn't expect. Parts seem to usually be available either from several distributers or EBay or GunBroker, so it hasn't been hard to find what I need, just a little expensive in some cases. I'll try to get more pics posted this weekend.

[Pettifogger]

Pathfinder,

You may want to try one thing of having the lever down to load, I have an original round bull barrel 73 and it will not load unless the lever is down, the gate will not open with it up.  It does make reloading on the clock interesting.

Old Top

It is not possible to load a 73 with the lever down.  When the lever is down, the carrier is in the up position and the lifter arm and the bottom of the carrier are blocking the magazine tube.

[Old Top]

Pettifogger,

I know what you are saying, but on my original 73 the lever must be down and the brass elevator must be down.  So you cock it like you are loading then start the lever back up till the elevator goes down then you can load.  The loading gate will not open unless you do it in that fashion with the lever open, but not all of the way.

Old Top

[Grizzly Adams]

Pettifogger,

I know what you are saying, but on my original 73 the lever must be down and the brass elevator must be down.  So you cock it like you are loading then start the lever back up till the elevator goes down then you can load.  The loading gate will not open unless you do it in that fashion with the lever open, but not all of the way.

Old Top

Top,

What you describe is not normal to the original Winchester 1873.  I would have it checked by someone who is familiar with the model.

[Old Top]

Grizzly,

I had it checked out by the Cowboy and Indians Store before I shot it, they said some of the old ones did it that way, said it was all original and no one had tinkered with it.  I thought it was not right either, the only thing that is different that mine does not have that I see most originals with is the caliber marking on the lifter mine is not marked.

Old Top