Model 1873

The Winchester 1873 is a lever-action rifle chambered for .44-40 Win., .38-40 Win., .32-20 Win. and .22 Rimfire.

The 1873 was nicked-named “the gun that won the west” due to the fact that it was widely available with close to 750,000 in circulation and they were chambered in common pistol cartridges of the time, so users had to carry only 1 type of ammunition. Another feature that users favored was it held a lot of rounds and could rapid fire.

It was available as a carbine, rifle or musket–carbine and rifle being the most common. Common features included a tubular magazine fixed below the barrel that held between 15 to 20 rounds depending on barrel length. The magazine also had a screw-in plug. And, it is hammer fired.

The 1873 was carried by both cowboys, Indians and lawmen. And it was used during the Battle of Little Bighorn against Gen. George Custer’s troops.

Winchester stopped production of the 1873 around 1923. During the 50-year span, Winchester introduced numerous models with advanced features, so naturally it was time to retire the 1873. Today, Uberti produces replicas of the 1873.

Read More On:

Latest Reviews

Loading