New Miroku Winchester 73 interest |Winchester Rifles|Forum|Winchester Collector

Welcome, Dave!
Miroku makes a fine representation of the Winchesters many of us love. As a rule the workmanship is excellent and materials of highest quality. My favorite shotguns in pursuit of clay birds are Browning Citoris made by Miroku. That said, the Miroku copy of Winchester’s 1873 will not have significant collector interest in our lifetimes, if ever. Since ammunition in the original chamberings (other than rimfire) are either expensive or a bit of work for most folks who wish to shoot something that resembles a classic Winchester the Miroku replica may be just the ticket. For me, the replicas, while well-made and attractive, have no history. I’m all about the history.

Mike

Hi Dave,

I own a Miroku 1873 carbine.  I bought it as a shooter.  Here are some photos with an original 1873 carbine in .44 WCF (on top), along with a Miroku, also a .44.  As you can see, it is not an exact replica, but the workmanship is excellent.  I like it so much I bought a “Colt Frontier Six Shooter” as a mate.

I hope that helps.

Bill

Bill Hockett said   As you can see, it is not an exact replica, but the workmanship is excellent. 
  

Forearm back of the brl band has a slight belly, for one thing, but that could be shaved down without too much trouble, if one wanted to make the effort.  What is the wood, do you think? 

I have the Competition Carbine version of the new Winchester 1873.  I chose the .357 chambering because I want to shoot it a lot.. in passing, I will tell you mine functions perfectly with .38 Special cartridges loaded with Keith-style lead semiwadcutters. The workmanship is faultless and, to my skeptical eye, compares favorably with the pre-War 1894 and Model 64 carbines and rifles I’ve owned. 

I would have a care before dismissing their collectibility.  Have you tried to buy a Browning 1886 or 1895 recently? 

The new Winchester 1873 rifles and carbines have neither a manual safety nor a rebounding hammer. 

Try one, you’ll like it. They aren’t cheap but mine is worth (to me) every penny I paid for it. And I am a severe critic of new firearms, in general.

*** Image attachment removed from post content ***

*** Image attachment removed from post content ***

Modern clones have their place in todays world. I have but one clone rifle. A Henry. An original in this condition would probably exceed 200K, and a box of ammo 7 to 10K. Todays clones are real nice, and cheap and in off the shelf calibers. This one is a 44 WCF. I cannot tell how it shoots as I have never fired it.  Big Larry

It’s not a Uberti. It’s made by the Henry Company in the USA. I have seen both and both are very well built. Maybe repro is a better description.

I bought the rifle to hang over my fireplace, but my wife hung a signed pic by Michael Crawford,(Phantom of the Opera), over the fireplace first, and when she passed, I didn’t have the heart to take it down.

So, it sits in my safe along with some non repro Winchesters, Colts, S&W’s, Rugers, and some other non repro’s. I may even shoot it someday.   Big Larry

Zebulon said
 I was looking over a growing list of things I want.to do while there’s still time, provided always my mind, body, and checkbook, or any one of them, don’t give out first.   

My list is shrinking, not growing, because body & checkbook are close to defunct.     

Mike,  a touch of insomnia? 

The geat thing about our hobby is its breadth. One aspect of it is “light gunsmithing”, sometimes called “tinkering” and, by trained gunsmiths, “blacksmithing”.  But it let’s us fix and improve shooter-grade guns for ourselves.  

We are able to own Winchester arms made by a corporation owned by the Winchester/Bennett families, a corporation owned by a Wall Street bank, a receiver in bankruptcy, a corporation owned by Olin Industries, a corporation owned by former executives of Olin, another receiver in bankruptcy,   and presently a corporation owned by Herstal Group. 

The bundle of tangible and intangible assets collectively known as “Winchester” has been sold from one corporation or receiver to another, in the order listed above. All transactions were purchases of assets, not purchases of interests (stock). 

I think it’s common knowledge Uberti revolvers are pretty good replicas, particularly those that meet Cimarron’s high standards. These will, as you say, never be a Colt because (a) they are not intended to meet Colt’s fitting and finishing standards and could not do so at current Italian labor and capital costs without raising their prices in the face of heavy competition from Pedersoli and Armi San Marcos, to name a couple of their serious competitors; (b) because Uberti does not own nor is it licensed to use the Colt brand and marks. 

My view of the Uberti replica revolvers is they are worth the time and some money to slick up their mechanical function, if you intend to carry and shoot them in competition or in the field. They are a sound and solid buy for the money they cost. 

The late USFA single actions are another matter entirely. 

And I think most knowledgeable collectors would agree the current Uberti Winchester and Henry replicas are far closer in fit and finish quality to their respective originals than are the Uberti handguns, certainly much closer than when these rifles were first introduced to the American market. However, based on what I saw at the last NRA convention held in Dallas, Uberti is going to have to up its game to compete with the new reissued Winchesters.