[308/338]

I been thinking of buying a 357 rifle for a long time. Because outdoor ranges from my house are far away but indoor ranges are close. You're allow to shot pistol cartridge rifle in a indoor range. I should have brought a 1894C 357mag. But "you slow you blow". I was considering a Henry but don't like the brass receiver. I'm now looking into the Beretta, Uberti, Cimarron, Chaparral 1873. and others. I'm even considering a 357 mag. Rossi 92.

Can anyone give me personal experience information.

T NY

 

[Doc Fillem]

I do a lot of Cowboy Action Shooting and those type of guns are right up my alley. Stay away from the Chaparral, I have heard lots of bad things about them. Uberti is considered very good. Cimarron is an importer of Uberti products so if it says Cimarron it's a Uberti. Beretta is considered to be good, but not as good as Uberti. And of course, Marlin.

I have several older, pre-Remington Marlins and I love them. The 1894C is a great rifle.

I have two Ubertis, an 1873 in 45 Colt and an 1866 in 38 Special. I like both of them very much.

My personal preference is Marlin. There are lots of good used ones out there, if you look you can find one and they are not as expensive as a Uberti.

 

[308/338]

Doc Fillem Thanks for reply much appreciated. You're right about the 1894 Marlins but if they're out there they're not in my neck of the woods.

T NY

 

[Wind]

Hey there 308/338 -- .357 Magnum is a dandy caliber choice. The Uberti Winchester 1873 rifle clone would be a great choice as well. They come from the factory smooth as glass, are easy to work on, and shoot well. If you do order one, order a complete set of extra screws for it as well. And another piece of cheap advice is to secure the rifle in a padded vice and use the correct size of screwdriver the first time you take it apart. The Italians get those screws in there real tight. I've got about 40,000 rounds through mine and never a hic-cup. Here is a picture for that little bit extra in enabling!! Best regards. Wind

 

[308/338]

Thanks Wind great picture is it your back yard.

T NY

 

[Wind]

Hey again 308/338 -- Front yard. Best regards. Wind

 

[Victum]

Good advice from Wind and Doc Fillem. With a bit of luck you could find an 1894c for about half the $ an 1873 or 66. Keep an eye out on the SASS wire classifieds. You can also post a WTB if you're not a SASS member. Good luck and be prepared to reload your empties 'cause it's hard to stop shootin' when there's ammo at hand.

Vic

 

[44-40 Willy]

I like the looks of the 1873, but not the price tag. My main 357 rifle is a Rossi built Navy Arms with a 24" heavy octagon barrel. It's more accurate than our 1894C. But even new Rossis are getting on up there in price.

That's the Navy Arms under the 1908 SMLE

 

[janott]

Thanks Wind great picture is it your back yard.

T NY

Looks like where I live, very nice I like the picture. 8) 8)

 

[JC]

Beretta is considered to be good, but not as good as Uberti.[/color]

I have two Beretta '73s in my safe and they are both made by Uberti. Uberti is owned by Beretta.

If you are a current CAS shooter you may know Deuce Stevens. He and I worked on the Beretta in the video. This rifle has been shoot a lot since this video was taken and there have been no problems what so ever with it.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtBdE5Kt_aA

I can tell you that there is no better proving ground for a lever gun than Cowboy Action Shooting and Uberti built '73s run longer with less ammo sensitivity issues than a Marlin. I can say that without hesitation as I have been running Marlins for the last five years with 5-6 matches and hours of practice per month.

JC

 

[308/338]

Thanks JC I like the video.

 

[Joe S.]

Hey again 308/338 -- Front yard. Best regards. Wind

will you rent me a little corner of your front yard to live in? ;D

 

[twodot]

is there any truth to the rumor that a '73 won't stand up to the pressure of full house .357 mag loads as well as a Marlin or Win '92?
..

 

[1128]

is there any truth to the rumor that a '73 won't stand up to the pressure of full house .357 mag loads as well as a Marlin or Win '92?
..

All Uberti Firearms are made to SAAMI standards. However the 1873 is a toggle link, and a steady diet of high pressure loads would pre-wear and accelerate the the wear factor. The popularity of the rifles really flared up due to CAS and the requirements of certain classes. The slicked up, short stroked actions now being offered work best for extended period of time when not abused from high pressure ammunition.

The Marlin style action actually exceeds SAAMI standards by a considerable amount which makes it so desirable.

NOW after all that I have numerous Marlins and a couple of 1873's. I save the 1873 for my CAS and use the Marlins for work...LOL

 

[308/338]

All Uberti Firearms are made to SAAMI standards. However the 1873 is a toggle link, and a steady diet of high pressure loads would pre-wear and accelerate the the wear factor. The popularity of the rifles really flared up due to CAS and the requirements of certain classes. The slicked up, short stroked actions now being offered work best for extended period of time when not abused from high pressure ammunition.

The Marlin style action actually exceeds SAAMI standards by a considerable amount which makes it so desirable.

NOW after all that I have numerous Marlins and a couple of 1873's. I save the 1873 for my CAS and use the Marlins for work...LOL

Okay then would you say for hunting purpose and plinking the 1894 Remarlin would stand up better than a Uberti 1873 in 357 mag.

T ;D NY

 

[twodot]

I think that's what he said.
38 Special Cowboy loads (low recoil for fast followup shots when tenths of a second count) for the 1873.
357 magnum loads like Buffalo Bore in a '94 Marlin for hunting.
..

 

[Wind]

Hey there again 308/338 -- Thought I'd toss in some more information for your consideration. Now the following is about the 1876 rifle, it's based on the 1873 toggle action and is essentially the same thing, just for rifle calibers instead of pistol calibers.

The strength of the Model 1876 rifle and the .45-75 W.C.F. cartridge was tested by Winchester in the late 1870s. These tests will astound collectors and shooters who have stated the Model 1876's toggle link action is "weak". The factory conducted tests on the strength and reliability of the action to answer concerns by customers. In response to a letter sent to the company by Charles Hallock, Esquire, of Forest & Stream magazine, Oliver Winchester responded by telling about the tests the factory accomplished on the 1876 rifle. He indicated that engineers first started the tests by removing one of the toggle links and fired 20 rounds (this was with .45-75 W.C.F. cartridge with 350 grain bullet) with no effect. They restored the missing link then went through 6 more trials starting with a charge of 105 grains of black powder, behind a 700 grain bullet! The comment "worked well" is noted. They then increased the charge of powder to 165 grains behind 3 bullets (1,150 grains) and that "worked well." From there, they increased the powder charge to 203 grains and added more bullets until they reached 1,750 grains of lead (five 350 grain bullets). This also "worked well." Finally, they added one more bullet, bringing the total weight to 2,100 grains, and things began to happen. The comment was, "Breech pin slightly bent. Arm working stiff." The seventh and final test was again 203 grains of powder but this time six Martini bullets weighing 480 grains each (2,880 grains) were used. "The charge bent the breech pin, blew out the side plates, split the frame and otherwise disabled the arm," was the comment. Oliver Winchester noted that in this seventh trial, the shell had burst into fragments and the escape of gas at the breech did the damage.

Every time I read this it astounds me, that's for sure. Here is what they are talking about. This is my 1873 with the side plate removed. Removing just one screw gets you this far. The toggle link is two tone, silver on the barrel end and black on the hammer end.

 

[Wind]

With the toggle link removed you can see the two pivot points fore and aft and the pivot on the end of the lever in the middle. You can also look right through the receiver and see the inside of the loading gate and the screw that holds in it position. You can see the other toggle link still in position above the loading gate. This action is simplicity itself...

 

[Wind]

And here are the wear points on my toggle after at least 40,000 rounds. Mostly high end 38 Special and probably (just a guess) 1,000 .357 Magnum rounds using a 180 grain cast bullet. There is absolutely no apparent wear. The stripes are due to the lighting and I couldn't get a picture without them. Hope this helps. Best regards. Wind

 

[Wind]

Hey there Joe S. -- Sure, but you'd never get any sleep what with all the shooting going on around here!! Best regards. Wind