1873 Winchester Rebuild - The Teardown

[Wayne Miller]

Well, I spent some time tearing the '73 down to the bare frame and assessing the damage. The bottom line is that I have a good, sound action...and that's about it. I was hoping to be able to reline the barrel, but it is too over-buffed to salvage. The action is good, as are the internals. New wood is on the way. So thus far, these are the parts I need to start scraping into a pile:

-Buttstock and fore-end (Ordered. Will be here before Christmas)
-Barrel
-Mag tube
-Mag tube plug
-Mag tube bearing ring (maybe...the jury is still out on this one)
-Mag tube bearing pin
-Dust cover and spring
-Mainspring tension screw
-Lever safety spring
-Buttplate w/trapdoor (Unless I can weld up and repair the current buttplate)

After I get done fitting the new wood, I will start polishing the action and action parts, getting them ready for remarking and color case hardening. While they are off getting color cased, I will polish and nitre blue the screws, pins, and loading gate. I think installing the new barrel will be towards the end of the rebuild.

I have to admit that I am really drawn to having the action charcoal blued instead of color cased. The problem there being that color casing takes about a 350 grit polish, whereas the charcoal blue takes a very high polish of over 1000 grit. I can do a hand polish that high, but I don't know if the action is in good enough shape to support it. Once I get to the 300-grit level, I'll make a judgement call as to whether I will take it any further. Call it a decision point....

[Mike Hunter]

Wayne

On the bright side, all the parts that you need are easily found, give Bob Knapp a call (aka Winchest Bob), he makes all those parts...bet repo's around.

I would have the barrel made & fitted before fitting the wood, that way you are fitting the wood to the barrel that will be on the gun.

V/R

Mike

[kimwcook]

Sounds like a little bit of work ahead. Now, where's your pics?

[Griff]

...these are the parts I need to start scraping into a pile:

-Mag tube
-Mag tube plug
-Mag tube bearing ring (maybe...the jury is still out on this one)
-Mag tube bearing pin
-Buttplate w/trapdoor (Unless I can weld up and repair the current buttplate)

Those parts should interchange with the Uberti copies of the 1873. The others I'm not sure about. Talk to Lisa (if she's still with them) @ VTI.

[Wayne Miller]

...these are the parts I need to start scraping into a pile:

-Mag tube
-Mag tube plug
-Mag tube bearing ring (maybe...the jury is still out on this one)
-Mag tube bearing pin
-Buttplate w/trapdoor (Unless I can weld up and repair the current buttplate)

Those parts should interchange with the Uberti copies of the 1873. The others I'm not sure about. Talk to Lisa (if she's still with them) @ VTI.

I was planning on giving them a call. They don't show a trapdoor buttplate on the website, and my Uberti '73 rifle doesn't have one. It's been so long since I had the Uberti apart, I don't recall if it has a rotary dovetail or not.

[Griff]

Egads, why must I rely on "IIRC", cause I can't specifically remember, but... the 1866 & 1873 use the same buttplate. The 1860 Henry has a rounded "point" and the 1892 & 1894 buttplates have a shorter upper inlet into the wood on top of the buttstock (who knows what that is called?). The 1885, I don't know; no example in my house to use for comparison. VTI's website shows a trapdoor buttplate for the 1885, and although they list different numbers... they appear VERY close!

[Mike Hunter]

Wayne

Not sure why you would use Uberti parts, it would seem that they would be the same price or more than decent repoductions.

Both Bob Knapp and I make the magazine tubes... think I charge $30 for a standard one...

Bob Sells his Mag tube ring & plug $18 ea. Pretty cheap for parts made to Winchester's original specs.

Post a pic of the Butt plate, if all it needs is some welding....thats pretty easy. I also have repo BP here at the shop; cast steel...won't fit on an original stock...but would fine on a new stock

V/R

Mike

[Wayne Miller]

Mike,

Go back and look at the picks I posted with the first message. Picture #6 shows the buttplate on the old wood. I need to pull out my Uberti or my Dad's '73 rifle and do some comparing to see how bad it really is.

http://www.levergunscommunity.org/viewt ... f3ebbcc62b

Wayne

[Old Time Hunter]

Not the best picture for it, but here is a '85 Butt Plate..