Brass-frame 1873 winchester carbine reproduction

[Lonesome Donkey]

No, this rifle/carbine does not exist and never did.

However, if you, like me, are fans of the Old West replicas made by Uberti and others, then you love the 1866 and 1873 rifles and carbines.

Like me, you probably really love the beauty of the 1866 design, but are not entirely a fan of the difficult-to-access internals.
Removal of the side-plates is a real PITA, and can easily result in damage to the sharp edges of these flush-fitted plates.
But, that's the historical design of a true 1866. Take it or leave it.

The 1873, on the other hand, allows much easier access to the toggle links, and is much easier to clean if you use black powder cartridges. But, it just ain't as pretty a gal.

So, while this might seem like utter blasphemy to the dyed-in-the-wool purists, perhaps a maker could offer an 1873 carbine replica with the receiver and side-plates made out of brass?

It wouldn't be kosher, but it would be perhaps the best of both worlds for some.

To enhance the 1866 appearance, the sliding dust cover and dovetail could be omitted.
It would be, essentially, an early prototype of the 1873 that never actually existed (to my knowledge).

So, what do you Old West Aficionados think?

Not for everyone, but...

 

[skokie]

I've always felt that the appeal of guns of the old west and other ages is connecting to the past and using what they would've used, along with that are certain baubles, quirks and trifles that add to the romanticism. It's one of the reasons I can't stand the Big Boy Henry rifles. Brass recievers are not as durable as steel, so I personally wouldn't want to take that step back.What you may be able to do is take an 1873 and have the receiver brass plated or "brassed". A process where the steel is heated and then buffed with a brass wheel to plate it. Just a thought, it would likely be cheaper to plate an existing rifle than to get an essentially new firearm designed and built. Just my midnight ramblings though.

 

[Lonesome Donkey]

I've always felt that the appeal of guns of the old west and other ages is connecting to the past and using what they would've used, along with that are certain baubles, quirks and trifles that add to the romanticism. It's one of the reasons I can't stand the Big Boy Henry rifles. Brass recievers are not as durable as steel, so I personally wouldn't want to take that step back.What you may be able to do is take an 1873 and have the receiver brass plated or "brassed". A process where the steel is heated and then buffed with a brass wheel to plate it. Just a thought, it would likely be cheaper to plate an existing rifle than to get an essentially new firearm designed and built. Just my midnight ramblings though.

I agree with you to a certain extent about connecting to the past and accepting the quirks and frailties of the original designs.
I have owned a couple of 66 carbines and an 1873 carbine, and really liked them. I would not hesitate to buy either again.
Likewise, I owned an H&R Trapdoor Springfield and more than a few 1873 Colt revolver replicas.

However, I could also accept a fantasy variant, if it combined the features of original guns. A good example would be the 1851 Navy revolvers that Pietta offers in .44 caliber. They never existed, yet they very well could have, instead of the 1860 Army, which is simply a revision using the 1851 Navy frame together with a stepped cylinder, extended grip straps, and the streamlined barrel with a creeping loading lever.
The Pietta 1851 Navies look great and allow you to stick with .44 caliber if that is your preference.

While brass receivers are not as strong as steel, I would point out that Henry uses solid brass-bronze alloy receivers with cartridges such as .44 magnum and .30-30, which are up near the 35,000 PSI chamber pressure range, without any problems.

The 66 rifles use mainly cartridges such as .45 Colt and .44-40, which average SAAMI maximum pressures of 15,000 PSI or less, which stresses their receivers far less, even with a toggle link locking system.

Also, if Old West Aficionados shoot the kosher 1866 replicas, and accept their limitations, what durability objections could they have to a brass-framed 1873 variant of equal strength?

My own feelings about a brass-plated 1873 are pretty much negative. It reminds me too much of all the cheesy plated 1894 Winchester commemoratives that were produced like this.

As far as the Henry Big Boy rifles are concerned, I like these too. While they are not true replicas, just as the TC Hawken is not a true Hawken Replica by any means, they have their place. The Henry Big Boys are well-made and attractive and shoot wonderfully, and are understandably appealing, even if they are a pound too heavy.

However, a modern Henry is a 336 Marlin copy internally, and shares no kinship with either a Winchester 66 or 73 rifle, which a brass-framed 1873 replica certainly would.

But, like I said, not for everyone....