.45 Colt Winchester-which one?

[Markbo]

1873, 1892 or 1894. Winchester or high quality clone. Which model would you choose and why?

[nolongcolt]

Well you cant load the 73 up much, so if you want more than factory spec ammo, it will have to be one of the others. I don't believe either were ever loaded in .45 Colt originally, but a moot point I guess. I have a Rossi 92 in .44-40 and its a great gun, but the new Miroku Wins are also great guns, though I haven't messed with any of the current built ones, but I do have Miroku 1895 and its very well made. Its tough but you'll figure it out.

[tgc]

You know, I've never seen one of the jap winchesters. But they must be pretty nice. It's the only jap made product I've ever heard americans gush over I think. Course made in america ain't what it used to be either.
www.chuckhawks.com/winchester_94_sporter_38-55.htm

Markbo, Good luck on which ever you choose!

[bradshaw]

Markbo.... while not a lever action man, I can share a few rough observations. Bought, at age fifteen, a Winchester Model 1873. Caliber .44 WCF, or .44-40. The iron receiver contributes to the heft of this rifle. Mine had a 16-inch octagon barrel, with nickel silver dovetailed blade front sight. The barrel had been shortened from original, and the silvery-gray patina suggested the modification had been performed long in the past. The rifle-now-carbine had seen a long life, yet neither a chip or crack graced stock or forend. Other than for the shortened barrel, the carbine was complete in ever particular, including dust cover and rear sight. Bore rough, with light pitting, but more silvery than black. Shot pretty well. As I was well into High Power Rifle withe the '03 Springfield and M1 Garand, it would not have entered my mind to compare these .30-06 masterpieces with the .44-40.

Paid, around 1960, a grand sum of fifteen dollars for my Winchester Model 1873.

Winchester and Remington----one or both----offered .44-40 in regular and high speed loadings, with the high speed reserved for rifle only and not to be loaded in Colt's 1873 Peacemaker. Similarly, I loaded the '73 Winchester with the standard load only, which the carbine fed and dispensed with utter smoothness and reliability. Easily seen how the Winchester Model 1873 became a sensation.

Winchester bought every patent of John Moses Browning it could wrap its knuckles around, I reckon mostly to keep Remington at arm's length, producing Browning's miniature 1886 as the Model 1892. The 1892 shares the attribute of the 1973's smoothness, while supporting the cartridge with a much stronger bolt and receiver. As nolongcolt suggests, avoid any and all temptation to upload the 1873, whether it be an original or a modern repro.

If your hands warm to a short-cartridge lever action, the stroke of the 1873 or 1892 may prove irresistible. Even the older, beautifully built Winchester 1894's run clackety-clack in comparison with a '73 or '92. Some of the old Marlins jack smoothly. The receiver and ejection of Marlins lends these designs to proper and secure scope mounting, a quality irrelevant to your implied desire.

A popular sentiment disdains firearms made in Japan. Often, this is not straight American nationalism, as the same persons may not be at all adverse to owning a German firearm. Fact is, once Japanese production grew out of its junk phase, quality shot up. Nevertheless, there remains the question of a non-American gun representing the Old West. And this is a question the individual shooter must answer. If the question comes down to a choice between an Italian and a Japanese product, it wouldn't surprise me to learn than steel and heat treatment of the Japanese product might be stronger.
David Bradshaw

[Ken O'Neill]

The 1873 is weaker than the others, due to the toggle link action. Both the 73 and 92 are generally much smoother than the 94. For my money, I will take the recent Miroku 92, marked as a Winchester made in Japan, every time. They are quite nice in any of the calibers.

[mohillbilly]

I got my self a Christmas present a few years ago , I ordered a Win. Wrangler 1894 - 1994 in .45 Colt I believe it will hold up to the Ruger only loads , and maybe then some . Just this week I did something similar , I picked up from my dealer a Rossi 92 in 454 Casull ,to go with my FA . I think they all will out last me .