Would you choose an 1873 lever gun or 1892

[minerotago]

As I said back there aways I prefer my Whitney Kennedy but between the 73 and 92 I do think that the 73 is more nostalgic with more history and the feel of the West whereas the 92 is tail end Charlie and a later arrival so for the historic perspective the 73. My good 73 and currently my only one has a strong spring and I have to really work to open the lever whereas the 92 I have are all easier to open and faster so for practical purposes I would go for the 92s.

[Pappy Myles]

Howdy Dead Eye Dave,

When I 1st got started in this game, I didnt know this site existed.  Wow have I learned a lot.

Anyway, I was on a project in El Paso and during my time off I happened to wander into a small sporting goods store that was closing up shop.  I spied a Winchester '94 trapper in 45 colt they were dumping for a song  and a dance.  So it came home with me as I had no rifle at the time.    My 1st match, I found out why there were not a lot of '94 on the range.  9 round capicity in the tube.  The gun shot great, great feel, good target acquisition, but a time consumer in reloading that last round. 

A buddy of mine mentioned to shoot schofield in it.   So I looked it up and it actually worked.

Later on I started getting a hankering for a different rifle,  73, 92, and the Tbolts all looked good.   Ran into a feller uup in Alaska that was getting out of the game and he had a uberty 73, 24 inch barrel that we traded a 454 casule tarus for.  Only thing I did was change out the rear sight for a buckhorn ladder one I had and I havnt looked back.

Now saving the trapper for the grandson when he grows up some more so he can go shot with the ol man.

For what we do, the 73 just looks and feels right.  I have had no trouble at all with mine.

[minerotago]

Just a sad story for the adicts to 73s - I had an original carbine here which I usd to shoot now and again. It looked fine and in really good order but I sure got the shock of my life when during a 'moment of crises' when every shot counts the firing pin snapped right off. I guess that over the years the pin as it pushed the hammer back to cock it on  opening just got weary and let go!
Nowdays when I shoot my original 73 rifle I cock it before I eject the shell and always pull the hammer back by hand to cock it.
Nowdays I only use it occasionally on my farm if I want to kill a wilod pig by 'novelty means' otherwise I use my Kennedy or a '92.

[Brizco-Z]

Dead Eye,

I guess I'm gonna be one of those that go for the toggle-link models too.  Back in the late 90's when I first got involved in CAS, I started with a Uberrti 73 sporting rifle.  I already had the gun, had bought it caused I liked Ubertis in general and I wanted on of those "Winchester 73" rifles.  I had a Rossi 92, as well because I wanted one of those Joh Wayne models.  Well, the 73 just outdid the 92, hands down.  Yes, I pulled each apart and lightened the springs and cleaned up the rough spots but, the 73 was the racer and the action was always smooth even with Black and both were straight cased 45's.  Now many years later, today, I have a cople more 73's, a 66 but, still have only the one 92 left.  It's still a gret gun and the marlins have come and gone, for me, it's the 73 or 66 or for stlye points, the 1860 Henry repros.

Good luck to ya,

Brizco-Z

[Curley Cole]

The 92 is cheaper and a good start for CAS, however many shooters don't stray far from their 92 ever.
I have
1 Rossi 92 (from 1980)
2 EMF 92 that I shoot often
1 EMF 66 in 357
1 EMF 73 in 45lc

and I have lately been shooting the 73 most just because it currently feels the most comfortable, but any one of these guns would be in action if I felt like it (more often than not, a guest shooter will be running it at a match)

Curley

[Trooper224]

I'm not a CAS competitor.  I'm primarily an amatuer historian and I'm fascinated by the design and development of historical weapons.  Consequently, although I don't compete I've shot a lot of rounds through '73s, '86s, '92s, '94s and etc.  Most of them have come and gone but the '73 remains.  It is the most reliable by far with the smoothest action, not to mention the "cool" factor the other don't really have for me.  I also have a hankering for a Henry and a '66 to round out the collection.