Uberti 1873 Rifle in 357 - can it cycle with 38 Special wadcutters?

[Muskyhunter1]

As the title says I own a beautiful Uberti 1873 Rifle in 357 Mag. A good friend of mine gave me a couple 100 38 Special rounds loaded with full wadcutter bullets. Does anyone know if the 73 action with feed properly with this wadcutter ammo or am I am to have to single feed?

I haven't had time to go to the range and I don't want to try the action at home with live rounds.

Thanks,

 

[barny961]

Full wadcutters in a LEVERGUN is like putting a square peg in a round hole! The 73 is actually the best gun to shoot .38's out of just not full wadcutters. The 92 will also feed 38's but sometimes you need to make bullet a little longer just depends on the 92. An 1873 will feed regular.38's all day long plus it is generally smoother and faster than the other LEVERGUNS.

STEVE

 

[barny961]

If you are careful and precise they may cycle in you 73 because of the way the carrier is designed(just don't cycle it super fast). bullets come straight up and then straight into the chamber where as they load on more of an angle in a 92.

 

[albayo]

I never tried wadcutters in my 73, I can see your point about the square edges.

 

[Alex McKr]

Muskyhunter1: In one word: NO!

As barny961 accurately describes it....square peg in a round hole! The '73's will not feed full wad cutters from the magazine. At least none I've tried. All you will end up with is a huge jam. Why?

Cartridge overall length determines whether the rounds will feed and cycle properly through the action. Every rifle varies a bit on what it will handle . For .38 Special, nominal COAL between: 1. 445"-1. 455" should cycle fine. Even longer is better. Will depend on bullet choice. Some rifles may accept cartridges as short as 1.440-1.442". but generally start to jam below that.

The '73 does not like semi-wadcutters, either. The sharp shoulders of these bullets tend to jam on the chamber mouth. The best bullet shape is the original: round nosed flat point(or truncated flat point). This bullet profile feeds smoothly, every time. As long as cartridges are of an acceptable length.

So....shoot off those wad cutters(one at a time)...a bit fiddly, but manageable. Then, reload them with bullets that work.

Hope this helps

Al

ps: The Uberti 1873 is a fine rifle. Well built and reliable. Plenty of aftermarket and oem parts available. A fun and versatile rifle, especially when chambered in .357 Mag.

 

[tomo333]

This has nothing to do with Action Shooting Competitions. You are in the wrong thread.

 

[Lee Enfield]

I run semi wadcutters in my .45 Colt

 

[VICIOUS]

The Winchester 73 likes a COL of 1.55 to push the following round in the tube back into the mag. tube for smooth cycling.

 

[Muskyhunter1]

Thanks for the great feedback folks.

Looks like I will need to feed all 500 of them one at a time lol.

Cheers,

 

[Alex McKr]

Muskyhunter1: On the positive side, your rifle will be nicely broken in. Plus, you'll be thoroughly familiar with operating the 1873. By the way, if cowboy action competition is something that's on your horizon, the Uberti 1873 is one of the most popular rifles for the sport. With .357/.38 heavily favoured by shooters.

Al

 

[nitro-express]

I run a '66 chambered in 38 Special and a '73 in 357. As already stated, OAL and the shape of the bullet determine if the gun will run smooth. Both of the toggle link Winchester designs are made to accomodate a cartridge up to 1.60 inches in length, for all calibers. In reality they work best with an OAL of 1.55". They still work OK with a length of 1.45".

There is no magazine cutoff in either the 66 or 73. The cartridge in the lifter keeps the round(s) still in the magazine out of the lifter so that the ramp on the lifter can push it back into the magazine.

Ideal bullet shape is a flat pointed one that transitions smoothly to the crimp. The case mouth needs to be crimped so there is no lip.

The 66/73s can run fast, but they need the correct ammo.

There are videos on shooting cowboy action, and the 66/73s are very common.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzGP4C9OiNE&ab_channel=3DGunner

This video does a pretty decent job of illustrating how these work and how the bullets are fed in. Initially all the calibers used in the 1873 were of a slight bottleneck design, with a round nose flat point bullet. The carrier, the brass block that lifts the shell up from the magazine tube, guides the shell as the bolt pushes the shell into the chamber.

This is my ammunition, shows the shape of bullet that I was describing.