Advice on "1873" type lever action.....

[lyle1]

I am seeking advice/opinions on a new "1873 type" lever action. I would like to purchase one of these rifles for
plinking at the range and a small possibility of Cowboy action shooting down the road. I have decided on a .357 with a 20" barrel, as I have other handguns in this caliber to share the economies of scale. I like the idea of a new production Winchester for the name and quality, but they seem impossible to find. Maybe a Uberti or Cimmaron, but I have no experience with the Italian made guns. I don't mind spending extra money to get a quality product.
I would greatly appreciate some input from members with knowledge on these types of guns. Thank you.

 

[Claven2]

Here is my $.02 worth.

First, if CAS is what you plan to do, before buying a rifle, select what handgun brace you are buying. Don't buy .45 six-guns and then a .38 rifle, for example.

Next ask yourself if you want something authentic to the era, or if you are gamer looking to win matches. If the former, you might find yourself buying .44-40 or .38-40 and hand loading, or for a close approximation, you could enjoy a .45 Colt (as I do).

If you are a gamer, there is only one choice. Buy a .38/.357. Period. No top competitor is using anything else. Just bear in mind, it will not double as a credible hunting rig in .357 in a toggle-link action.

So let's assume you are buying a .38/357 since you plan to plink and maybe do CAS. The next consideration is do you want a rifle (more accurate, faster to settle back on target, heavier to absorb recoil, but swings slower) or a "short rifle" which is something that never existed in 1873: a 20" "rifle". Cutting to the chase, all the top CAS competitors, if they run toggle-links, run "short rifles" these days. Gamers have realized fast swing action to targets across an arc of fire gives a slight edge over a longer gun with slightly more accuracy and slightly less muzzle jump. Also, FWIW, I prefer the 24 full rifle and don't win matches

Now for options. Winchester/Miroku is making an 1873 clone now. I've not shot one. It has a rebounding hammer and a tang safety and costs a good bit of cash. If you want to race the gun, you'll be removing the safety and the rebounding hammer (a gunsmith job if you want it to still run well afterward). I do not believe there are many race parts out yet for the Winchester, it's still pretty new.

You could also buy an original and tune it up. This will get expensive fast - I don't recommend it.

SOME of the Italian guns are a good buy. There WERE some Chaparral Arms and Navy Arms guns on the market. Avoid those. The Chaparrals had a poor reputation for reliability, fit and finish and don't take Uberti-style race parts. Similarly, the older Navy Arms guns, though made by Uberti, were put together long enough ago that some important things like the elevator blocks are not interchangeable any more.

So now we're really down to the "good" guns with "good" after-market parts support. These are the Taylor's & Co, Cimarron, and Uberti guns. The first two are made by Uberti and are re-branded by the middle men whose name are on the guns. Both Taylor and Cimarron tart up their basic models by adding a Wolff spring kit and in some cases they swap the european walnut stocks for black walnut or gum wood. They also bump the price up a few hundred bucks for that work. They also offer race-ready models for nearly double the price of a basic gun - these are a good buy if you know nothing about short-stroking and tuning a CAS rifle.

In my view, get a basic Uberti for the best price you can find if you intend to shoot CAS. The things Taylor and Cimarron improve on their basic model are all things you will want to redo with even better parts if you ever get into CAS, and the basic rifle is fine right out of the box for plinking.

If you decide CAS is more of an aspiration and not something you will ever get to, the Winchester/Miroku is a fine gun that will have some collector value some day, while the Uberti and clones will generally be shooters until they are worn out - I doubt anyone collects Italian replicas.

I wrote up one of my CAS builds on a basic Uberti 1873 here - it might be worth a read so you know what you'd be in for.

http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php/863902-Uberti-Winchester-1873-clone-can-we-improve-it-YES-WE-CAN!?highlight=uberti

 

[NoTarget]

Here is my $.02 worth.

First, if CAS is what you plan to do, before buying a rifle, select what handgun brace you are buying. Don't buy .45 six-guns and then a .38 rifle, for example.

Next ask yourself if you want something authentic to the era, or if you are gamer looking to win matches. If the former, you might find yourself buying .44-40 or .38-40 and hand loading, or for a close approximation, you could enjoy a .45 Colt (as I do).

If you are a gamer, there is only one choice. Buy a .38/.357. Period. No top competitor is using anything else. Just bear in mind, it will not double as a credible hunting rig in .357 in a toggle-link action.

So let's assume you are buying a .38/357 since you plan to plink and maybe do CAS. The next consideration is do you want a rifle (more accurate, faster to settle back on target, heavier to absorb recoil, but swings slower) or a "short rifle" which is something that never existed in 1873: a 20" "rifle". Cutting to the chase, all the top CAS competitors, if they run toggle-links, run "short rifles" these days. Gamers have realized fast swing action to targets across an arc of fire gives a slight edge over a longer gun with slightly more accuracy and slightly less muzzle jump. Also, FWIW, I prefer the 24 full rifle and don't win matches

Now for options. Winchester/Miroku is making an 1873 clone now. I've not shot one. It has a rebounding hammer and a tang safety and costs a good bit of cash. If you want to race the gun, you'll be removing the safety and the rebounding hammer (a gunsmith job if you want it to still run well afterward). I do not believe there are many race parts out yet for the Winchester, it's still pretty new.

You could also buy an original and tune it up. This will get expensive fast - I don't recommend it.

SOME of the Italian guns are a good buy. There WERE some Chaparral Arms and Navy Arms guns on the market. Avoid those. The Chaparrals had a poor reputation for reliability, fit and finish and don't take Uberti-style race parts. Similarly, the older Navy Arms guns, though made by Uberti, were put together long enough ago that some important things like the elevator blocks are not interchangeable any more.

So now we're really down to the "good" guns with "good" after-market parts support. These are the Taylor's & Co, Cimarron, and Uberti guns. The first two are made by Uberti and are re-branded by the middle men whose name are on the guns. Both Taylor and Cimarron tart up their basic models by adding a Wolff spring kit and in some cases they swap the european walnut stocks for black walnut or gum wood. They also bump the price up a few hundred bucks for that work. They also offer race-ready models for nearly double the price of a basic gun - these are a good buy if you know nothing about short-stroking and tuning a CAS rifle.

In my view, get a basic Uberti for the best price you can find if you intend to shoot CAS. The things Taylor and Cimarron improve on their basic model are all things you will want to redo with even better parts if you ever get into CAS, and the basic rifle is fine right out of the box for plinking.

If you decide CAS is more of an aspiration and not something you will ever get to, the Winchester/Miroku is a fine gun that will have some collector value some day, while the Uberti and clones will generally be shooters until they are worn out - I doubt anyone collects Italian replicas.

I wrote up one of my CAS builds on a basic Uberti 1873 here - it might be worth a read so you know what you'd be in for.

http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php/863902-Uberti-Winchester-1873-clone-can-we-improve-it-YES-WE-CAN!?highlight=uberti

Wow! Great info... Probably worth more that $.02 but you'll probably have a hard time collecting.

 

[lyle1]

Here is my $.02 worth.

First, if CAS is what you plan to do, before buying a rifle, select what handgun brace you are buying. Don't buy .45 six-guns and then a .38 rifle, for example.

Next ask yourself if you want something authentic to the era, or if you are gamer looking to win matches. If the former, you might find yourself buying .44-40 or .38-40 and hand loading, or for a close approximation, you could enjoy a .45 Colt (as I do).

If you are a gamer, there is only one choice. Buy a .38/.357. Period. No top competitor is using anything else. Just bear in mind, it will not double as a credible hunting rig in .357 in a toggle-link action.

So let's assume you are buying a .38/357 since you plan to plink and maybe do CAS. The next consideration is do you want a rifle (more accurate, faster to settle back on target, heavier to absorb recoil, but swings slower) or a "short rifle" which is something that never existed in 1873: a 20" "rifle". Cutting to the chase, all the top CAS competitors, if they run toggle-links, run "short rifles" these days. Gamers have realized fast swing action to targets across an arc of fire gives a slight edge over a longer gun with slightly more accuracy and slightly less muzzle jump. Also, FWIW, I prefer the 24 full rifle and don't win matches

Now for options. Winchester/Miroku is making an 1873 clone now. I've not shot one. It has a rebounding hammer and a tang safety and costs a good bit of cash. If you want to race the gun, you'll be removing the safety and the rebounding hammer (a gunsmith job if you want it to still run well afterward). I do not believe there are many race parts out yet for the Winchester, it's still pretty new.

You could also buy an original and tune it up. This will get expensive fast - I don't recommend it.

SOME of the Italian guns are a good buy. There WERE some Chaparral Arms and Navy Arms guns on the market. Avoid those. The Chaparrals had a poor reputation for reliability, fit and finish and don't take Uberti-style race parts. Similarly, the older Navy Arms guns, though made by Uberti, were put together long enough ago that some important things like the elevator blocks are not interchangeable any more.

So now we're really down to the "good" guns with "good" after-market parts support. These are the Taylor's & Co, Cimarron, and Uberti guns. The first two are made by Uberti and are re-branded by the middle men whose name are on the guns. Both Taylor and Cimarron tart up their basic models by adding a Wolff spring kit and in some cases they swap the european walnut stocks for black walnut or gum wood. They also bump the price up a few hundred bucks for that work. They also offer race-ready models for nearly double the price of a basic gun - these are a good buy if you know nothing about short-stroking and tuning a CAS rifle.

In my view, get a basic Uberti for the best price you can find if you intend to shoot CAS. The things Taylor and Cimarron improve on their basic model are all things you will want to redo with even better parts if you ever get into CAS, and the basic rifle is fine right out of the box for plinking.

If you decide CAS is more of an aspiration and not something you will ever get to, the Winchester/Miroku is a fine gun that will have some collector value some day, while the Uberti and clones will generally be shooters until they are worn out - I doubt anyone collects Italian replicas.

I wrote up one of my CAS builds on a basic Uberti 1873 here - it might be worth a read so you know what you'd be in for.

http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php/863902-Uberti-Winchester-1873-clone-can-we-improve-it-YES-WE-CAN!?highlight=uberti

Thank you so much for taking the time to explain things for me. You are obviously a wealth of information and know considerably more about them, than I ever will. I will most likely not compete in CAS, so I would just like to buy a quality rifle the first time out. I have .38/.357 revolvers in both double action and single action, so that is the draw to purchase a .357 rifle.

 

[fugawi]

please delete - double post.

 

[fugawi]

Here is my $.02 worth.

First, if CAS is what you plan to do, before buying a rifle, select what handgun brace you are buying. Don't buy .45 six-guns and then a .38 rifle, for example.

Next ask yourself if you want something authentic to the era, or if you are gamer looking to win matches. If the former, you might find yourself buying .44-40 or .38-40 and hand loading, or for a close approximation, you could enjoy a .45 Colt (as I do).

If you are a gamer, there is only one choice. Buy a .38/.357. Period. No top competitor is using anything else. Just bear in mind, it will not double as a credible hunting rig in .357 in a toggle-link action.

So let's assume you are buying a .38/357 since you plan to plink and maybe do CAS. The next consideration is do you want a rifle (more accurate, faster to settle back on target, heavier to absorb recoil, but swings slower) or a "short rifle" which is something that never existed in 1873: a 20" "rifle". Cutting to the chase, all the top CAS competitors, if they run toggle-links, run "short rifles" these days. Gamers have realized fast swing action to targets across an arc of fire gives a slight edge over a longer gun with slightly more accuracy and slightly less muzzle jump. Also, FWIW, I prefer the 24 full rifle and don't win matches

Now for options. Winchester/Miroku is making an 1873 clone now. I've not shot one. It has a rebounding hammer and a tang safety and costs a good bit of cash. If you want to race the gun, you'll be removing the safety and the rebounding hammer (a gunsmith job if you want it to still run well afterward). I do not believe there are many race parts out yet for the Winchester, it's still pretty new.

You could also buy an original and tune it up. This will get expensive fast - I don't recommend it.

SOME of the Italian guns are a good buy. There WERE some Chaparral Arms and Navy Arms guns on the market. Avoid those. The Chaparrals had a poor reputation for reliability, fit and finish and don't take Uberti-style race parts. Similarly, the older Navy Arms guns, though made by Uberti, were put together long enough ago that some important things like the elevator blocks are not interchangeable any more.

So now we're really down to the "good" guns with "good" after-market parts support. These are the Taylor's & Co, Cimarron, and Uberti guns. The first two are made by Uberti and are re-branded by the middle men whose name are on the guns. Both Taylor and Cimarron tart up their basic models by adding a Wolff spring kit and in some cases they swap the european walnut stocks for black walnut or gum wood. They also bump the price up a few hundred bucks for that work. They also offer race-ready models for nearly double the price of a basic gun - these are a good buy if you know nothing about short-stroking and tuning a CAS rifle.

In my view, get a basic Uberti for the best price you can find if you intend to shoot CAS. The things Taylor and Cimarron improve on their basic model are all things you will want to redo with even better parts if you ever get into CAS, and the basic rifle is fine right out of the box for plinking.

If you decide CAS is more of an aspiration and not something you will ever get to, the Winchester/Miroku is a fine gun that will have some collector value some day, while the Uberti and clones will generally be shooters until they are worn out - I doubt anyone collects Italian replicas.

I wrote up one of my CAS builds on a basic Uberti 1873 here - it might be worth a read so you know what you'd be in for.

http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php/863902-Uberti-Winchester-1873-clone-can-we-improve-it-YES-WE-CAN!?highlight=uberti

Great post! You should make it a sticky.

 

[Mark-II]

I thought there was some question as to whether these could stand up long term to 357 magnum loads. Even the cast bullet loads get pretty spicy in a hurry

I'm eventually buying a Winchester. For reloading convenience it'll be 45 colt

Got a Henry in 44-40 anyway.

I think I'd personally reserve the 357 for a model 92

 

[BCRider]

Lyle, you really owe it to yourself to check out and attend a couple of the local cowboy matches. You'll meet a great bunch of folks and likely as not one of them will insist that you strap on their rig and shoot a stage for fun while they chaperone you through the moves.

If you don't find that this variety of "3 gun" shooting is addictive then you'd be one of the rare ones.

As for your rifle choice even out of the box a Uberti is a pretty nice rifle. And it only gets better with some break in or some basic slicking up and a spring kit. You don't need to go the whole hog full on competition treatment right away.

Buuuuuut........ I see that Wolverine is selling a "competition grade" 1873 in .357 for only about $200 more than the basic 1873. And THAT is a helluva bargain for that sort of work.

 

[SHELL SHUCKER]

Thank you so much for taking the time to explain things for me. You are obviously a wealth of information and know considerably more about them, than I ever will. I will most likely not compete in CAS, so I would just like to buy a quality rifle the first time out. I have .38/.357 revolvers in both double action and single action, so that is the draw to purchase a .357 rifle.

I can say that the Miroku/Winchester '73 is a very well made rifle and my .357 shoots just fine with the loads I feed 'er. The main thing to be aware of is the 1873 is a black powder, low pressure design (13,000psi.)which has been remade using modern steel and better finishing. However, one should not fire a steady diet of factory .357 hunting or defense loads in these as they will soon pound in excess headspace. Hot factory rounds are in the 40,000 psi. range.

If loads are kept to around 15,000 max. psi. in the Miroku & Uberti then long life of the action will be assured. Folks who don't reload can get .357 Cowboy Action ammo which is low pressure.

Fun small game and plinker rifles these.
View attachment 16834

 

[c-fbmi]

I personally would never put the pressure a 357 magnum creates in full bore loads ahead of a toggle link bolt.........there is a reason J.M. Browning designed the Model 1892 Winchester action when asked to design an action to shoot the pistol cartridges of the day and did not revert back to the toggle link style of action of the Model 1873. He was concerned that the design would not even take the black powder pressures of the day and stand up for any length of time...........hence the "mini 86", the model of 1892.

 

[lyle1]

Does this mean Factory ammo like American Eagle 158g JSP at 1240fps would "not" be recommended?

I can say that the Miroku/Winchester '73 is a very well made rifle and my .357 shoots just fine with the loads I feed 'er. The main thing to be aware of is the 1873 is a black powder, low pressure design (13,000psi.)which has been remade using modern steel and better finishing. However, one should not fire a steady diet of factory .357 hunting or defense loads in these as they will soon pound in excess headspace. Hot factory rounds are in the 40,000 psi. range.

If loads are kept to around 15,000 max. psi. in the Miroku & Uberti then long life of the action will be assured. Folks who don't reload can get .357 Cowboy Action ammo which is low pressure.

Fun small game and plinker rifles these.
View attachment 16834

 

[Mark-II]

To stay under 13000psi.. My load data doesn't even go that low for 158 grainers.

I get the feeling you're pretty much firing 38 special in a longer case

I'd take a guess that the .357 is partly for the "it's a magnum" crowd and mostly to accommodate black powder shooters to give them a touch more capacity

 

[lyle1]

So if I have decided that I won't have time for CAS, and I would like to take your advice on purchasing a new production Winchester 1873 Short rifle, any ideas where I could find one in this country?

Here is my $.02 worth.

First, if CAS is what you plan to do, before buying a rifle, select what handgun brace you are buying. Don't buy .45 six-guns and then a .38 rifle, for example.

Next ask yourself if you want something authentic to the era, or if you are gamer looking to win matches. If the former, you might find yourself buying .44-40 or .38-40 and hand loading, or for a close approximation, you could enjoy a .45 Colt (as I do).

If you are a gamer, there is only one choice. Buy a .38/.357. Period. No top competitor is using anything else. Just bear in mind, it will not double as a credible hunting rig in .357 in a toggle-link action.

So let's assume you are buying a .38/357 since you plan to plink and maybe do CAS. The next consideration is do you want a rifle (more accurate, faster to settle back on target, heavier to absorb recoil, but swings slower) or a "short rifle" which is something that never existed in 1873: a 20" "rifle". Cutting to the chase, all the top CAS competitors, if they run toggle-links, run "short rifles" these days. Gamers have realized fast swing action to targets across an arc of fire gives a slight edge over a longer gun with slightly more accuracy and slightly less muzzle jump. Also, FWIW, I prefer the 24 full rifle and don't win matches

Now for options. Winchester/Miroku is making an 1873 clone now. I've not shot one. It has a rebounding hammer and a tang safety and costs a good bit of cash. If you want to race the gun, you'll be removing the safety and the rebounding hammer (a gunsmith job if you want it to still run well afterward). I do not believe there are many race parts out yet for the Winchester, it's still pretty new.

You could also buy an original and tune it up. This will get expensive fast - I don't recommend it.

SOME of the Italian guns are a good buy. There WERE some Chaparral Arms and Navy Arms guns on the market. Avoid those. The Chaparrals had a poor reputation for reliability, fit and finish and don't take Uberti-style race parts. Similarly, the older Navy Arms guns, though made by Uberti, were put together long enough ago that some important things like the elevator blocks are not interchangeable any more.

So now we're really down to the "good" guns with "good" after-market parts support. These are the Taylor's & Co, Cimarron, and Uberti guns. The first two are made by Uberti and are re-branded by the middle men whose name are on the guns. Both Taylor and Cimarron tart up their basic models by adding a Wolff spring kit and in some cases they swap the european walnut stocks for black walnut or gum wood. They also bump the price up a few hundred bucks for that work. They also offer race-ready models for nearly double the price of a basic gun - these are a good buy if you know nothing about short-stroking and tuning a CAS rifle.

In my view, get a basic Uberti for the best price you can find if you intend to shoot CAS. The things Taylor and Cimarron improve on their basic model are all things you will want to redo with even better parts if you ever get into CAS, and the basic rifle is fine right out of the box for plinking.

If you decide CAS is more of an aspiration and not something you will ever get to, the Winchester/Miroku is a fine gun that will have some collector value some day, while the Uberti and clones will generally be shooters until they are worn out - I doubt anyone collects Italian replicas.

I wrote up one of my CAS builds on a basic Uberti 1873 here - it might be worth a read so you know what you'd be in for.

http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php/863902-Uberti-Winchester-1873-clone-can-we-improve-it-YES-WE-CAN!?highlight=uberti

 

[fingers284]

Does this mean Factory ammo like American Eagle 158g JSP at 1240fps would "not" be recommended?

I wouldn't use them in any of my toggle actions, Uberti or Miroku, They don't see anything more than 1000 fps...ever. One of the worst things the Manufacturer's ever did was to start chambering them for the magnum calibers. It has been argued to me that "they wouldn't have done that if if wasn't safe because of the liabilities of our modern society"...There is no liability issue as far as I can see...they are all manufactured with modern chrome moly metal alloy barrels and the frames of modern alloys as well...They won't blow up, the proof house markings on them say so. The problem is that they break fragile internal parts in some of them with machining tolerances that don't control the hammering from hot loads.

I do a considerable amount of work on my own and others cowboy guns and the box of broken parts in my shop bear witness to the above. I've said it before in other threads that damages from stout loads in a toggle action have resulted in broken or bent pins, broken toggles, oblonged pin holes in the action, stretched actions ect..

Good post from Claven & C-fb, although I have so far shot/tested 4 of the Miroku 73's and see no reason to change the hammer. Right out of the box, with all of them, I can work the action from a hammer down position to full #### with two fingers and they will still fire any primers I've tried. Would like to hear more on why the recommendation to change it.

C-fb recommended the 92 action if you want to use stout loads and I agree wholeheartedly, as well I would add the Marlin 94 to the list, better round control and as strong as the 92's.

 

[Claven2]

FWIW, I've not shot or worked on the Winchester (Miroku) 73, but I have worked on a lot of 92's with rebounding hammer and the action slickness and trigger pull are definitely adversely affected by the rebounding hammer bar assembly in the 92. Maybe it's not an issue in the 73 - I can;t speak from personal experience.

I've raced lots of uberti stuff, but never a miroku 73.

Also, FWIW, I shoot a TON of Federal factory .45 Colt SWCHP 225gn lead ammo in the Uberti 73 - no problem at all, no damage to the gun whatsoever. I keep my reloads to Colt SAA-safe pressures, but they I'm only target shooting. In a .38, I'd stick to coyboy loaded .357 or factory .38 SPL if you want the gun to last a logn time.

I have carried uberti 73's with factory .45 Colt ammo to hunt when I feel like a primitive-ish challenge, but have yet to actually shoot anything with one.

 

[Claven2]

C-fb recommended the 92 action if you want to use stout loads and I agree wholeheartedly, as well I would add the Marlin 94 to the list, better round control and as strong as the 92's.

In my neck of the woods, I see many more 94 Marlins than I do 92's. That could be cost, availability, preference or performance. Depends who you ask. Both are good guns and stronger than a 73 wil lever be. In my hands, a 73 has a significant speed advantage though. At big matches, they are consistently in the hands of many of those shooting the highest scores for a reason.

 

[SHELL SHUCKER]

Does this mean Factory ammo like American Eagle 158g JSP at 1240fps would "not" be recommended?

You should be fine with that load as long as yer not gonna push 2000 or more of 'em through the '73.
According to the factory Winchester manual, the new 1873 will handle any factory SAAMI spec. 38/.357 Mag. ammo.They obviously do so far, as I've heard of no damage or failures of these Miroku made rifles.

That said, I and other gear head types tend to go with loads that won't strain the action over many rounds of shooting. CAS shooters are regulated to light loads for safety reasons & the good ones go through thousands of rounds per year. If one wishes to hunt or plink with factory ammo in their new Miroku or Uberti 1873's they should be fine.

Me, I'll just keep my loads in the lower end of the pressure scale to keep the rifle tight, as I push a bunch of lead though 'er.

This chart shows why I load mild to mid-range in a '73
View attachment 16863

 

[c-fbmi]

Don't get me wrong the 73 (just a slightly improved 66 with a steel frame) was a very innovative action and is smooth, it was just never designed to withstand 40,000 psi loads and survive for a long time, not even with modern metallurgy. It's not the metallurgy that J.M. Browning didn't like, it was the design, which he felt was just too fragile for extensive use and reliability.......and the same goes today. For some reason people think of the 357 as a pipsqueak cartridge because it just doesn't generate a lot of recoil, but in the pressure department it is one of the highest pressure handgun cartridges to date. Way too many people fail to realize this.

 

[Claven2]

One thing I will say, is .357 cases loaded to .38 SPL levels are a slick running combo in any CAS '73. Lots of guns prefer the longer rounds in the 73 that is a VERY case length dependent design.

Once you have the right combination of load, bullet and OAL, and if you stick with it, the '73 is as fast as any lever gun can get. That toggle link action is silly-smooth and once tuned up, they feed REALLY well as the round goes into the chamber straight, while many competing designs cam the round into the chamber at an angle.

 

[mr00jimbo]

Now for options. Winchester/Miroku is making an 1873 clone now. I've not shot one. It has a rebounding hammer and a tang safety and costs a good bit of cash. If you want to race the gun, you'll be removing the safety and the rebounding hammer (a gunsmith job if you want it to still run well afterward). I do not believe there are many race parts out yet for the Winchester, it's still pretty new.

While I don't know if it has a rebounding hammer...it does not have a tang safety like the '92 does.

I am also skeptical about whether it can fire normal strength .357 loads...
Some say yes no problem some are skeptical as hell and some outright say hell no.

I'm of the skeptical camp, BUT also curious why
a.) Uberti makes one in .44 magnum
b.) How Uberti has been selling them since the 70's
c.) Why any company would open themselves up to warranty issues and class action suits chambering for it
d.) Improvement to the metallurgy must count for something, even with that toggle design. After all, an original 1892 could never handle a .44 magnum either....