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My question is it just to much to attemt. My father in-law loved buying any old shotguns and rifles and rebuilding them himself. When he pased he had sold everything but a box of parts. Inside was a 1873 2nd model receiver in what most described as very good condition, and a couple of parts, brass carrier and carrier lifter nothing else. I recently came across a lower tang with a 2nd model serial number.
My original plan was to locate all needed parts, get the action working and then have someone do a full restoration. I want a nice shooter but correctly done. Am I taking on to much financially, is it worth it. I currently have no money invested, would I be better off finding a complete 1873 at around 1500+ and starting there or continue with my original plan. Either way I would probably re-barrel or re line barrel and do new wood.
Also any suggestions on someone who does full restoration, I know about Turnbull but would like to use someone closer to home California, Arizona or Nevada.
Thanks in advance
Gregg,
If you don’t have a complete gun or the parts are too far gone a restorer can take just a receiver and they will make a new barrel, mag tube and wood but the cost to have it done is not cheap. There was a guy in California, Rogers Restorations but he has retired. He got $3500 for a standard 73 about 10 years ago.
Bob
WACA Life Member--- NRA Life Member---- Cody Firearms member since 1991 Researching the Winchester 1873's
Email: [email protected]
Before proceeding with a restoration, you might want to look at this video from Turnbull:
"This is the West, sir. When the legend becomes fact, print the legend."
Okay I heard back from Turnbull, they were very helpful and believe I might end up having more in thel rifle then it will be worth. But,if I wish to go on with it basically I would need to collect all the parts and get it functioning and go from there. I really would like to see if I can bring this receiver back to life, so I’ll spend some time collecting parts and go from there.
Give me a few months and I’ll let you know what I’m up to.
Thanks for the feedback
Current Parts List
Receiver 2nd model was built on 44/40, set trigger, Oct barrel 24″
Lower tang s/n #34488
Brass carrier
Carrier lever
Firing pin
Weekend plans visit a gunshot
The Set Trigger parts alone are going to be a pain to locate and not cheap either. But if you have all the correct parts for the set trigger than your off to a great start. Good luck with finding everything.
Sincerely,
Maverick
WACA #8783 - Checkout my Reloading Tool Survey!
https://winchestercollector.org/forum/winchester-research-surveys/winchester-reloading-tool-survey/
Set trigger parts can often be found on eBay. They are pricey but frequently available. (Last year I was able to find a complete lower tang assembly for an 1873 single set trigger, including the hammer, for under $500, but purchasing the individual components could add up to $750 or more.)
"This is the West, sir. When the legend becomes fact, print the legend."
Wincacher said
Set trigger parts can often be found on eBay. They are pricey but frequently available. (Last year I was able to find a complete lower tang assembly for an 1873 single set trigger, including the hammer, for under $500, but purchasing the individual components could add up to $750 or more.)
Ebay has been dry for a while, I had found a complete lowere set trigger group @ 699 but missed it while dealing haggling over price.
Gregg Batchelor:
You might try contacting an ePay seller that goes by the handle of DrWincacher. Last year he kept listing individually all the internal parts to a single set trigger assembly. They didn’t seem to sell and he kept re-listing them. I believe they never sold and he gave up listing them. If you need the entire complete lower tang assembly and hammer, I might be willing to part with mine as I had been looking for a single set sear for an 1886 and that is the one part off the 1873/76 that isn’t interchangeable.
"This is the West, sir. When the legend becomes fact, print the legend."
I’d be interested and I think I checked with drwinchester and thought he had sold but I’ll ask again. Although I’ve looked it up the set trigger parts are the same in a 2nd and 3rd model, correct?
The tangs are different but most of the internals are the same but there are 2 different types of flys on the hammers. One hammer has the fly on the side and the other has it in the middle. I never looked at them to see if they hammers would be interchangeable.
Bob
WACA Life Member--- NRA Life Member---- Cody Firearms member since 1991 Researching the Winchester 1873's
Email: [email protected]
From what I have researched, all the Model 1873 and 1876 single set trigger parts are the same and most are the same on the Model 1886.
"This is the West, sir. When the legend becomes fact, print the legend."
That’s what I thought, I was wondering about the hammers knew there were two but can’t find anything as to why or if they are interchangeable
I will look into it tonight if I have both kinds.
Bob
WACA Life Member--- NRA Life Member---- Cody Firearms member since 1991 Researching the Winchester 1873's
Email: [email protected]
I wasn’t considering the hammer as being an internal part of the set trigger parts but there are 2 types and they are interchangeable. The early one had the fly inserted from the side and was prone to falling out and being lost during disassembly so it was moved to one inside a notch with a more permanent pin attachment.
As of this morning a single set 1873 lower tang came on ePay with a starting price of $400. A bidder that appears as l***l has already bid and he has a habit of bidding up prices on these types of items – probably up to $500 on this one before dropping out. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Single-Set-Trigger-Assembly-1873-Winchester-3rd-Model-/121868440776?hash=item1c5fecd4c8:g:ykUAAOSw-zxWnEZq
"This is the West, sir. When the legend becomes fact, print the legend."
I checked the hammers and like Wincacher said they are interchangeable but the reason for the change was the fly in the middle was cheaper to make. It just had to be cut from a flat piece of metal where as the one on the side had to be turned on a lath then cut.
Bob
WACA Life Member--- NRA Life Member---- Cody Firearms member since 1991 Researching the Winchester 1873's
Email: [email protected]
I just read your post and would like to relate my experience in bringing two Winchester 1873s back from the dead.
The first was a Winchester 1873 3rd Model receiver in 38-40 manufactured in 1885. After I purchased the receiver, I continued to look for parts on ebay, Homestead and Taylors. I worked with Doug Everett of Swift River Gun Works to restore it.
The second was a complete Winchester 1873 3rd Model I purchased from a friend and my initial goal was just to return it to service. This rifle should have been made into a tent stake! It had a machine polish, the stock had been sanded so the wood was no longer proud to the receiver, the bore was corroded, it had the wrong sights, the magazine tube had damage and the magazine spring fell a part in my hands. Doug took it and found the bolt and firing pin were bent.
Doug did quality work on both these rifles and I am in the process of sighting them in.
I learned the following from both projects:
1. The third model receivers and parts are steel, but this “butter steel” is more “pure” than steel in use today and is softer and prone to wear.
2. Early Winchesters were used and used hard – both rifles had wear on all parts which made timing the rifles difficult. It took several attempts to get them right.
3. The early shells were not crimped as tight as today. As a result, the bullets in the cartridges would get pushed deeper into the brass case due to recoil and the shortened length would cause the shell not to cycle jamming the rifle. That’s why you see dents on the brass shell carrier as the shooter was beating it to get the gun un-jammed and in my case used a screw driver or knife bending both the bolt and firing pin!
4. Black powder is corrosive and if you have a fine bore in a 130 year old rifle – the owner either cleaned it religiously at the end of each day or didn’t shoot it often. Hence most original barrels from the black powder era will need to be relined. Which is actually a plus as the liners are nickel steel allowing you to shoot jacketed bullets while an original barrel needs to be shot with lead bullets to avoid wearing out the rifling due to the soft “butter steel”.
Bottom line: Restoration is not cheap whether you start with a receiver or a complete rifle. In either case, the gun was seen as a tool to be used daily and not a collectors item to be coddled and admired. Figure $3000 – $4000 and up depending on who you have do the work. From my perspective I wanted an authentic Winchester shooter from New Haven Ct – not a $1200 metric derived Italian or Japanese copy with red dyed stock (Ugh!). They just don’t feel or balance like an original Winchester! And I didn’t want to spend $6000 – $20,000 plus for an original in excellent condition as shooting could damage them (and I can’t afford it!).
I find satisfaction in bring back some American History that my kids and grand kids can shoot as their fore bearers 130 years ago and I enjoy shooting them as well!
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