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I just bought an 1873 .44 rifle, and the octagon barrel looks larger than normal. What is width of a heavy barrel 1873?
The muzzle will be 1″ or a shade under, The receiver is about .070″ wider at the barrel than a normal receiver and taller.
Bob
WACA Life Member--- NRA Life Member---- Cody Firearms member since 1991 Researching the Winchester 1873's
Email: [email protected]
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1873man said
The muzzle will be 1″ or a shade under, The receiver is about .070″ wider at the barrel than a normal receiver and taller.Bob
Wow, an inch? I never realized they were that “fat”….OP, can you post a good pic or send to me at saxdogg “at” hotmail.com and I”ll post it for you?
What is the barrel length?
Bob
WACA Life Member--- NRA Life Member---- Cody Firearms member since 1991 Researching the Winchester 1873's
Email: [email protected]
There are actually two different barrel weights that were considered standard. one size was 23/32″ at the muzzle and the other was 27/32″ at the muzzle. This doesn’t seem like much, but when you look at or hold each one, you will definitely notice the difference between the two. I believe the 27/32″ was most common on the first model, but did appear throughout production of the ’73. Personally, I much prefer the heavier of the two. It is not to be confused with the “extra heavy” weight.
It looks like its quite heavy for a 24″ barrel if thats the muzzle size. Years ago we did a survey of barrel dimensions and if its .875″ that is heavy and only the second one I have come across. Did you use a caliper or micrometer to measure it? Do you have a letter on the gun? Here is a chart plotting barrel sizes for the 44 octagon 73’s. Outliers are marked as to their length.
Bob
WACA Life Member--- NRA Life Member---- Cody Firearms member since 1991 Researching the Winchester 1873's
Email: [email protected]
I have collected heavy barrel 73s, 76s, and 86s. I still have questions when it comes to what is heavy or extra heavy as recorded in the ledger. Was it by size or just how the person recording it wrote it down, left out the word extra. It is my current opinion that gun’s recorded in the ledger as heavy or extra heavy can have the same dimensions. The exception is the ones recorded by the pound like the Sharps.
Pirkle has dimensions in his book, but my observations indicate they are simply an average. Perhaps in the machining process after boring it is what it turned out to be.
Bob stated that the receiver on a 73 with a heavy barrel is .070″ wider which is one thing to check if you think your gun is heavy. This does not apply to 76s and 86s, they are the same as a standard gun. A phone search is the first thing I do, how it will letter will affect value. Do not confuse a first or second model 73 with a heavy barrel lettered gun.
These are special order guns so they will vary.
T/R
The muzzle is .84. It just looks like a lot a metal around the .44 bore. No letter.
Did you measure the width of the frame behind the barrel? If that is wider than standard run the serial number. The letter is everything. T/R
What is the standard frame width there? Mine 1.05, as close as I can measure.
A standard 44 receiver width right next to the forearm wood is about 1.255″.
Bob
WACA Life Member--- NRA Life Member---- Cody Firearms member since 1991 Researching the Winchester 1873's
Email: [email protected]
Your measurement was to far aft, measure right behind the barrel on the rounded high points. This area is wider and taller to allow the larger barrel to seat. After seeing a heavy receiver your eye can see the difference. You’ll see a larger flare on the front sides. T/R
Its a standard barrel just on the heavy side.
Could you send me the serial number, I want to check if I have it in my survey.
Bob
WACA Life Member--- NRA Life Member---- Cody Firearms member since 1991 Researching the Winchester 1873's
Email: [email protected]
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