*Original* Winchester '73 Parts

[Cemetery]

Cleaning the guts of my Winchester today, and noticed I have a broken toggle link.

Two questions;

1) Does anybody have the name/info on the place in Tennessee that has original Winchester parts?  I think it's called Birmingham's, but can't seem to find anything by googling it.

2) Buffalo Arms has a guy who makes toggle links from stainless steel for original Winchester 73's, anybody ever use these, and if so, do they just drop in?

Dumb question;

Worst case scenario, can this broken toggle link get welded? 

[Short Knife Johnson]

Mostly tagging for interest.  There used to be a guy in Yuma AZ named Arthur Pirkle.  Don't know if he's still alive, but I've bought '73 parts from him many years ago.

[St. George]

Buckingham's.

Vaya,

Scouts Out!

[Grizzly Adams]

Buckingham's Antique Winchesters
501 Eaton-Brazil Road
Trenton Tenn.  38382

Phone:  731-559-4169 day
            731-559-4357  night
             731-559-4367 Fax

adbuckingham@aol.com

Good luck, ole A D can be a bit hard to reach, and he don't do plastic!  Kinda "old school" don'tcha know!

[Chaa Duu Ba Its Iidan]

Regarding welding the toggle link for your original Winchester 1873, I believe you can get the job done.  DO NOT get rid of the broken parts!

However, my advice is that you find a good gunsmith who is familiar with that gun who is also a TIG welder.  If you find that combination (gunsmith, win73 man, tig welder), he can repair the part by welding it and then dressing it down to spec.  It probably would be smart to find an original part to replace it anyway and keep the one you bought for a spare.  If the gunsmith is so equippped, have him Magnaflux the "new" part you purchased to check for cracks.  I say use the repaired part in your gun to test it to see if it will hold up under SASS use.  If it breaks, you want it to break right away, not three years from now when you need it.