Post by johncantiusgarand on May 4, 2015 20:52:08 GMT -5
I've discovered that Miroku constructs their 1873 quite a bit differently than Uberti, and today I took some pics to highlight some of the more obvious ones. Perhaps some here might find this study in pictures helpful.
First, just the obligatory intro photos...
I noticed just from production photos that some of the contours of the Miroku looked "different". So today, I took some photos and made some intersecting lines from some of the frame reference points. There are obvious differences....
The side plates have a different curve. The Winchester comes to a point in the rear at a higher position than the Uberti, and the frame rises earlier toward the front...
And the frame rakes back further at the bottom near the carrier...
Some other differences...
The breech areas are treated much differently. The beveled chamber mouth on the Miroku seems to be an improvement. The only ammo I had on hand to test cycling with was some Keith semiwadcutters crimped over the front driving band. These are notorious for jamming on the chamber mouth on my Uberti, but they fed smooth as glass in the Miroku....
Try as I might, I cannot figure out why Miroku deviates from the originals in this next area. First the Uberti...
The Miroku is a lot different, but I'd already captioned the pictures before I noticed that the main difference is not in the deep receiver machining but in how the sideplate relief is cut. It is more shallow at the top rear and deeper at the front...
Despite these differences, many of which seem to deviate from original Winchesters more than the Uberti does, the overall quality is definitely better. You noticed the smoother machining inside the receiver. Next, the side plates...
More authentic-looking tang, but lousy hammer knurling...
Less authentic-looking tang, but beautiful hammer...
Here's an area that is often neglected on Uberti rifles. Sometimes, the owner has to file this bevel himself, but Miroku does a nice job here (lack of a bevel will sometimes cause the rim to catch here, which tilts the round to the side and jams things up).
I tore this Winchester down completely today. I still haven't made it to the range yet, but my assessment so far is that the Miroku version of the Winchester '73 is sort of a "product improvement" project. It is not as authentic a copy of the original as their old 1892's and 1886's were, but the build quality is still top notch and a cut above Uberti. Given the close price point between the two, and pending the outcome of the range trip, I would definitely recommend the Winchester over the Uberti.
First, just the obligatory intro photos...
I noticed just from production photos that some of the contours of the Miroku looked "different". So today, I took some photos and made some intersecting lines from some of the frame reference points. There are obvious differences....
The side plates have a different curve. The Winchester comes to a point in the rear at a higher position than the Uberti, and the frame rises earlier toward the front...
And the frame rakes back further at the bottom near the carrier...
Some other differences...
The breech areas are treated much differently. The beveled chamber mouth on the Miroku seems to be an improvement. The only ammo I had on hand to test cycling with was some Keith semiwadcutters crimped over the front driving band. These are notorious for jamming on the chamber mouth on my Uberti, but they fed smooth as glass in the Miroku....
Try as I might, I cannot figure out why Miroku deviates from the originals in this next area. First the Uberti...
The Miroku is a lot different, but I'd already captioned the pictures before I noticed that the main difference is not in the deep receiver machining but in how the sideplate relief is cut. It is more shallow at the top rear and deeper at the front...
Despite these differences, many of which seem to deviate from original Winchesters more than the Uberti does, the overall quality is definitely better. You noticed the smoother machining inside the receiver. Next, the side plates...
More authentic-looking tang, but lousy hammer knurling...
Less authentic-looking tang, but beautiful hammer...
Here's an area that is often neglected on Uberti rifles. Sometimes, the owner has to file this bevel himself, but Miroku does a nice job here (lack of a bevel will sometimes cause the rim to catch here, which tilts the round to the side and jams things up).
I tore this Winchester down completely today. I still haven't made it to the range yet, but my assessment so far is that the Miroku version of the Winchester '73 is sort of a "product improvement" project. It is not as authentic a copy of the original as their old 1892's and 1886's were, but the build quality is still top notch and a cut above Uberti. Given the close price point between the two, and pending the outcome of the range trip, I would definitely recommend the Winchester over the Uberti.
