Lever Action Model/Chamber Size Opinions

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Hey there

Been highly considering a lever action for awhile now but as a recreational shooter im not sure what model or chamber size to get

I love the look of the Winchester 1873 in 44-40 but am not sure if it will be too expensive to shoot often

I know they are available in 357 and 45 colt but id like some of the original cowboy loads to shoot

Please let me know your experience or opinion

Thank you
 

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38/357 mag if you want to shoot lots

44-40 is very finicky to reload for
45 colt is usually higher recoil
44 mag is usually higher recoil

38/357 is great if doing western shoots rifle/ revolver same caliber
 
I've had a winchester 1892 saddle ring carbine in .357 for a few years and love it. I know it's not a cowboy load or the gun that won the west, but the 1892 was often used as a prop in old westerns, so that might count for something? Very smooth action and well made, it's a Miroku gun. It shoots .38s, but doesn't feed them reliably. I don't hold that against the gun as it's labeled .357 Mag only on the barrel. If you hand load there is a good selection of .357 bullets available and you can load a .357 light for plinking, but even with a factory load there is not much recoil. If you want the cowboy load, it is available in 44-40 and .45 colt. You might also want to check out the Henry levers.
 
Win 66,73,76 and and Henry rifle (original Henry version not the other models)are all toggle link rifles so they aren t for hot reloads.The 45 colt when shooting black powder doesn t seal as well as the 44/40 so it allows more fouling into the action.Factory 44/40 ammo is expensive and can be hard to find and can also be hard to reload until you get the knack of doing it.They all are fun guns to shoot though and one of my favourites is this Uberti 1866 carbine in 22lrView attachment 632366
 
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If you are a handloader then it won't matte a whole lot, as long as you can find components. If you have to buy factory ammo from the store the .44-40 & .45 Colt are pretty pricey.

You can handload the .45 colt for quite low cost, particularly if you use something like Campro bullets. I haven't bought any of those for a while, but I paid something like $85 for 500.

Chris.
 
Im in the same boat so I’m interested in this thread. I want it to be practical for hunting so I’m considering 30-30 or a higher case volume pistol caliber. If I decide that it’s strictly a range toy for myself I’ll probably go .357 or 22LR solely for cost reasons.

I’m going to say right now don’t bother with 40WCF/44-40. It’s impossible to find and very expensive when found. Unless you’re already a reloader and don’t care about all that. I have found brass at Canadian Tire of all places so you may not need to locate actual loaded ammunition. I’ve been wanting to use my grandfathers for years but I’ve never seen the ammunition for it anywhere.
 
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For myself ,I would go with one of the Japanese made Winchesters in the classic 44-40,but that just what I like.Looking for an original Winchester Model 53 in .44-40 at present.
 
For me, given the expense & finickiness of the .44-40 I'd go with .44 Mag & download it to .44 Special specs.

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NAA.
 
I have a Henry 45colt.
You can load it very mild. Like 800fps. Load it up to 1800fps and it’s got some jam.
Reloading cast or plated bullets is cheap if you can find components.
Factory stuff ain’t cheap.

I would stick with 357, 44 or 45colt
The bullet options are endless
Powder like unique is very cost effective
Easy on brass loaded light.
 
Well, given that you said for "recreational use" which I take to mean sport shooting, plinking etc., I would suggest one of the Miroku manufactured Wincester M1892 copies or an Marlin M1894 "Cowboy" model in 45 colt. Yes the ammo is comparatively expensive when mentioned in the same breath as .357 magnum, but more in line with .44 magnum prices at present. The 45 colt round, and the M1892 rifle or carbine will both allow an increase in cartridge performance through handloading over the factory offerings should you desire a bit more oomph. If you wanted to be more "mainstream" you go for the same in .44 Magnum.

I would suggest the 44-40 chambering only if you are experienced enough to deal with it's eccentricities, one of which is bullet sizes. It can be finicky to reload for, and yes factory ammo and cases can be hard to come by and expensive.

That said, I couldn't be happier with my early 1900's Marlin 1894's in 44-40. Both have great bores, and they shoot superbly, better in fact than my .44 Magnums. Both rifles can produce 100yd groups of around 2" or a bit less when loaded to the factory High Performance loading of around 1570 fps. using a mixture of Win. or Rem. cases with IMR 4227 powder and Win. 200gr jacketed sp bullets. I might add a newer 1894 "Cowboy" model in .45 colt to the mix if I can find one of the early '90's models with 24" barrel.
 
I had a miroku 44 40, 1873,nice rifle it shot .429 bullets and I believe any modern built 1873 will shoot .429. The 1873 was made for the 44 40. I sold mine because I also have a 92 and marlin 94 in 44 40, both old guns. You hafta reload if you want to shoot 44 40. Anyone who says reloading 44 40 is difficult has never reloaded 44 40. I also have a miroku 73 in 357 I don't know what to do with, it shoots poorly though I have tried all kinds of different things. All my 44 40s shot well
 
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The Miroku 1892's are really nice. In .44 mag they are about perfect. You can load them cheaply with Campro bullets and light loads to the same velocity as the .45 colt, or load them to max 44 mag for more umph if you want.

I had a Marlin 1894 in .45 Colt and it was a nice gun, but I like the 1892 a little more for some reason.

Chris.
 
Thank you all for the input

It seems that many of you recommend the 44mag or 45 colt/357 as a good and affordable chamber size which sounds right to me.

44-40 is about 3 dollars a round and thats when i can even find it....

Now as for the firearm are used models a good option or is it better to buy new? Ive seen most winchesters retail for 2k minimum.

Are the mechanics of the lever action fairly simple or are there known failure points to watch out for if buying second hand?

Cheers
 
Rifles like the Winchester 73 s are toggle link and can be easily disassembled.The biggest issue is they are not strong actions so you can t put hot handloads or plus p ammo in them as they can t take the pressures.The 92 Winchester is a stronger action (based on the 1886 Winchester).Before you buy one of these levers I recommend you buy a copy of Shooting Lever Guns of the Old West by Mike Venturino.This book is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to lever guns and it covers the history,shooting and reloading for them.I would buy this book first as it will probably save you money in the long run(You can find a copy on Amazon.ca)
 
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chasseur said:
Rifles like the Winchester 73 s are toggle link and can be easily disassembled.The biggest issue is they are not strong actions so you can t put hot handloads or plus p ammo in them as they can t take the pressures.The 92 Winchester is a stronger action (based on the 1886 Winchester).Before you buy one of these levers I recommend you buy a copy of Shooting Lever Guns of the Old West by Mike Venturino.This book is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to lever guns and it covers the history,shooting and reloading for them.I would buy this book first as it will probably save you money in the long run(You can find a copy on Amazon.ca)
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I agree on that. As Venturino and others found with the '73 rifles, they run best using the cartridges they were originally designed for. IE: 44-40, 38-40 & 32-20.
The thin necks and shouldered design of these cartridges provide for proper sealing of the breech to keep gasses from flowing back into the action and fouling
the works. These are black powder based rifles that need to run at black powder pressures using the chamberings above.

I bought a Miroku Win '73 yrs back in 357 mag that I handloaded using 158 gr hardcast at around 1000 fps that shot fine, but the cases would soot up on
firing due to the straight taper, thicker walls of the cases not allowing for proper expansion in the chamber to seal tight. Folks wanting a fresh 1873 would
be best served by one in 44-40 in my book. Keep the pressure levels of loads below 13,000 psi to keep the rifle tight for many years of use.
 
All of my Lever guns were purchased used. While many shooters have a definite brand preference, I have both Winchester M1892's and marlin m1894's.

Both are similar in ergonomics, with the exception of case ejection. The Marlin has the upper hand in simplicity if looking to remove the Breech Bolt for cleaning the bore from the breech end, and also the bolt itself. Simply open the lever about half way, remove the Lever pivot screw, pull the lever free from the bottom of the gun, and slide back the breech bolt until it is free of the receiver. It takes less time to do it, than it does to write about it! This is possible on The Winchester m1892 as well, just takes longer as more steps and time are involved.

As far as the mechanics of the action, problem area's etc. I can only write about Winchester M1892's and original model 1894 Marlin's as that is what I own, and they don't have any glaring faults that I have experienced. The usual common sense approach applies. Purchase the best condition example that you can afford.
 
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