Miroku 1866 or 1873 availability

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smokinbarrel

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Anyone know of a dealer with any stock of these?
I'm looking for either an 1866 short rifle in 38 Spl. or an 1873 short rifle CCH in 357mag.
Apparently Winchester (Miroku) only does these in runs periodically and they seem to be in short supply now.
Not interested in Uberti or Cimarron
 
Ellwood Epps' site(at the top of this page) lists several Miroku/Winchester 1873's in stock. Including .357 mag.
 
Which 1873 are you looking for? I see Epps has the short rifle and the carbine in 357. The 1866s are hard to find, prophet river was last place I saw that had them.
 
polkey said:
Which 1873 are you looking for? I see Epps has the short rifle and the carbine in 357. The 1866s are hard to find, prophet river was last place I saw that had them.
Click to expand...

Yes, we had the last 4 or 5 they had. Not even listed on the dealer page anymore :( (1866's)

EDIT: This 1873 is in stock at the distributor. Its the only 357 they currently have:
534274137
048702018176 M73 DLX SPT 1/2OCT,24,S,357/38
 
Your only option may be to special-order one. Might take some time. Is there any particular reason you don't want an Uberti?
 
I was hoping to find the 1873 short rifle in color case. Epps does show a blued version that may have to do.
I currently have a few Uberti and one of the Miroku in a 24" 45 LC, The Mirokus are superior in material and workmanship, they also have a shorter stroke. The Ubertis can be worked on and improved but metallurgy can be questionable, I've seen soft screws and hammers that become peened by the firing pin extension. Cimarron is essentially just a Uberti with their name on it..they claim to be better but I've seen no evidence of that.
 
Whether in carbine or short rifle version, you'll like the 20" barrelled Miroku. Very quick and responsive between the hands. Don't know whether this fits your plans for the rifle, but I'd recommend installing a solid aftermarket firing pin extension. The factory safety interlock is pretty reliable....I ran mine for over 15,000 rounds before making the swap. Installing the extension is dead simple....taking only a few minutes, for anyone familiar with stripping down an 1873.
But...like anything mechanical....especially firearms....the more complex they are...the more prone to eventual failure. So...the switch. If I hadn't been subjecting the rifle to the hard use seen in cowboy action competition....I likely wouldn't have bothered. Also.....I felt that the solid extension gave me bit snappier blow on the primers. The stock firing pin response always felt a bit "mushy", to me. It was reliable... but I couldn't get used to the feel of it. Your experience may differ....my experience, only.
I like the Miroku/Winchesters, too. Excellent build quality....inside and out. My only beef with them is that aftermarket parts for these rifles aren't as readily available...yet... as from say, Uberti
 
Alex McKr said:
Whether in carbine or short rifle version, you'll like the 20" barrelled Miroku. Very quick and responsive between the hands. Don't know whether this fits your plans for the rifle, but I'd recommend installing a solid aftermarket firing pin extension. The factory safety interlock is pretty reliable....I ran mine for over 15,000 rounds before making the swap. Installing the extension is dead simple....taking only a few minutes, for anyone familiar with stripping down an 1873.
But...like anything mechanical....especially firearms....the more complex they are...the more prone to eventual failure. So...the switch. If I hadn't been subjecting the rifle to the hard use seen in cowboy action competition....I likely wouldn't have bothered. Also.....I felt that the solid extension gave me bit snappier blow on the primers. The stock firing pin response always felt a bit "mushy", to me. It was reliable... but I couldn't get used to the feel of it. Your experience may differ....my experience, only.
I like the Miroku/Winchesters, too. Excellent build quality....inside and out. My only beef with them is that aftermarket parts for these rifles aren't as readily available...yet... as from say, Uberti
Click to expand...
I'm quite impressed with the Miroku long rifle in 45Colt I have. I haven't really found the safety device in the firing pin extension to be overly objectionable so far, but that can always be addressed down the road. Generally Miroku products are top notch. Apparently When Browning moved production there in the 70s they held them to very high standards...maybe that has something to do with quality today. Occasionally you see some shrinkage on wood and I wish they (and all manufacturers) would take a minute to remove the raised metal around stamped lettering before bluing and use a more historical font...but we can't have everything. I hope they get back into production of these '66 and '73 and I'd like to see them offer 32/20 and 38/40 as well. There are some good you tube videos on these by a guy I think his account name is Atlantic Products. I actually emailed Miroku some time ago to inquire about the alloy they are using in the 1866 receiver. I'm curious if they are using a stronger metal similar to aluminum bronze that Henry uses in their Big Boys,etc. There are some quit strong brass alloys today containing manganese, nickel, aluminum, etc. Considering the other design modifications they made it wouldn't surprise me. As yet I've not got a reply.. one indication would be the rate at which the receivers tarnish. Not to run Uberti into the ground, they can be slicked up and do the job..and are actually more historically correct. A person should have a few of each..lol.
 
I am familiar with the atlanticproducts site. Some good material there. I'd very much like to see a Miroku '73 in .38-40, too. I have fond memories of an original Winchester 1873 rifle in that caliber, from many years ago. .32-20 would be very interesting, too. In carbine form, perhaps?
I suspect that Miroku is also using an alloy in their 1866 receivers too, like Henry.
I do like some of the internal modifications of the Miroku. Especially the Colt revolver-type roller on the hammer and grooved mainspring. Results in a very smooth cycling of the lever. Plus a few other small internal details. Overall, I am impressed with the overall build quality, fit, function and reliability of these rifles.
I confess.... Uberti rifles form the backbone of my main match rifles, though. Mostly, because more aftermarket competition parts are available for these, than their Winchester counterparts. If the Miroku/Winchesters enjoyed the same support....I believe they would very quickly rise in dominance in cowboy action shooting. I remain optimistic that as these rifles become more popular, that support will come.
As a matter of interest, a while ago SASS Champion shooter 'Deuce Stevens', aired a video on 'sass wire', where he unboxed a brand new Miroku/Winchester 1873 rifle...then proceeded to run it through an entire cowboy action match. Afterwards, he offered his observations and opinion of the rifle. It was quite an eye opener. Plus an excellent way to showcase how good these rifles really are. I believe the video will be in the archives, around January 2019. Worth watching.
Hope you're eventually successful in finding just the 'right' Miroku. I've seen one of those case-hardened models. Gorgeous and functional, as a classic rifle should be.
 
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