New Winchester M-73 in .45 Colt!

[OD#3]

Today has been a good day!  I've wanted one of the Miroku 73's since they were first announced, but I've been holding out for a .45 Colt version.  One of the online dealers had them cataloged, but they were never in stock.  I put it on my wishlist and forgot about it.  Then last week, at about 3:30 in the morning, I was checking email one last time before going to bed.  Wouldn't you know, there was an email from that dealer informing me that the .45 Colt short rifle version was back in stock.  Oddly, that email had been received by my server at around 0230 in the morning.  Why they were sending out email notifications at that hour, I don't know.  Anyway, when I checked their website, there was exactly one in stock, so I ordered it.  I've had a few nervous days since then, wondering if it was all just a fluke or glitch.  But it arrived today, and I'm pretty stoked about it!

Pictures of these are scarce, and I didn't take nearly as many as I probably should have.  Perhaps later I'll do a good comparison photo study of these next to Ubertis.  But the replacement firing pin extension I ordered from Pioneer Gun Works arrived just yesterday, so I snapped some closeups while I replaced the extension.

First, the barrel markings...




Tang...


Carrier markings...


And just some closeup pics of some of the rest of it....






Now here's what I don't understand.  The links are a very good fit in the frame and bolt abuttments, but the fit at the center appears to have been deliberately designed to have all the force taken up by the pins alone.  Perhaps Miroku is counting on superior metallurgy here, but it is a departure from the original design and is puzzling...


Compare these links....




To the ones from my Uberti....


In other ways, Miroku has made some definite improvements.  I checked the front of the carrier lifter, because this area was very rough on my Uberti as received, and I had to polish that one as part of my fluff and buff and to keep the lifter from grinding material off of the hole in the carrier.  Moroku's lifter is very round and much smoother.  It could probably do with some polishing, but that may come later....


The ramp on the carrier could be smoothed up some as well, but I've left it alone for now...


Here is the other obvious modification Miroku makes--the carrier is slightly relieved on the top left, supposedly to create an angle eject...


This just had to go...


So there you have it; my initial impressions are very positive.  The action is smoother than my Uberti was when I first got it.  Overall quality is better, but from the pics of originals I've perused, Uberti still makes a closer copy visually.  I'll post a range report whenever I'm able to make that happen. 

[Coal Creek Griff]

Nice report.   Thank you.

CC Griff

[Cliff Fendley]

I got the opportunity to handle and inspect one of the fancy Navy Arms/Turnbull versions at Cabelas gun library the other day.

[OD#3]

I'd love to have one of those, but they're just too rich for my blood.  I got this Miroku for $1060.00.   That's equal to or less than a new Unberti costs these days.

[Cliff Fendley]

Save your money, you're better off with the version you bought IMO.