Uberti 1873-38 special works well

[Old Skool Soldier]

Hey all-was able to try out my buddies case hardened 1873 in .357 today at the range. We ran maybe 70 rounds in .357 though it- accurate right out of the gate at 100M. Great finish, heavy-quality firearm. Main purpose of this post is to share 38 special works flawlessly in this firearm. Was able to run full tubes of 38 special without any problem. Recoil is very light- not as light as the Henry .22 lever, which was shot today as well, but wasnt an issue at all. Even the .357 was manageable-the weight of the rifle helps alot!
-OSS

 

[Muskyhunter1]

Yes I have one as well it is really fun to shoot.

I was fortunate to inherit a bunch of 38 spcl reloads with wad cutter bullets. They do not feed in my action at all and had to be single fed. Still fun to shoot.

 

[Alex McKr]

The 1873, like some other lever action rifles, can be sensitive to both bullet length and type. Too- short bullets like wadcutters, won't feed at all from the magazine tube, as you discovered. For .38 Special, overall cartridge length of around 1.440"-1.442", being the lower limit, for reliable feeding. The 1873's generally won't feed semi-wadcutters either. The bullet's sharp shoulder tends to stick in the chamber mouth. Round nosed flat point bullets are smoothest feeding.
Otherwise...as Old Skool Soldier will agree... shooting one of these vintage-style rifles is a lot of fun. Especially in ..38/.357. Could not agree, more. Got several of them myself. Great, low recoiling plinkers. Plus, ideal competition rifles for such sports as Cowboy Action.

Al

 

[Garand]

Funny thing, last week I shot my first 3 gun match of the year. Only 11 shooters showed up, but what was surprising was there were 2 brand new Uberti M73 in .357/.38 Spl, plus mine in .45 Colt and I was the only Cowboy Shooter of the bunch. I wonder if this is a trend to replace OIC firearms?