What is THE '73 Win repro to get?

[Dances With Coyotes]

A '73 rifle is on my short list. Thinking about a short rifle. I want something already slicked up in .357 as that is my caliber right now. I want to hear what everybody is using. What mods are a must have and ones to avoid? I'm a amateur tinkerer and do a fair job working on guns and can do some work if I have to but would rather get something already done. I want to hear everybodies opinions on Codymatics, Brush Poppers, Comancheros, Short Rifles and carbines. A Yellowboy is also not out of the question either.Thank ye kindly

[August]

Tinkerer, huh?

Do you know what length, and diameter, the four channel sections in the bolt should be?

Do you know how much firing pin extension is optimal in the newer, and older Uberti's?

Do you know how much side plate clearance lifter and lever springs require?

Do you know what the effect of the contour of the firing pin extension is on the life and safety of the gun?

Do you know how to relieve a hammer to prevent hammering on trigger during follow-through?

Do you know how to safely lighten lever safety mechanism?

Do you know how to polish side plates to smooth toggle drag?

Do you know how to change the sear from a negative to positive angle without making the rifle unsafe?

Do you know how to tailor a mainspring for working with a short stroke without affecting its temper?

Do you know how to measure headspace on a toggle link action?  And, how to change it?

Do you know how to measure the critical dimensions of the INSIDE of the elevator?

Do you know how to TIG weld and time a "slam down" on a lever?

Do you know what the optimum relation of cartridge shelf to elevator should be when cycling?

Do you know how to install and tune an extractor?

Tinkerer, huh?

I own two Codymatics and would STRONGLY encourage you to contact Joe Alves at Pioneer Gunworks or Jim Finch at Longhunter Shooting Supply to purchase a rifle ready for competition and a long, trouble free life.  Pick whatever size you want, but, the longer they are, the heavier they get.

[Forty Rod]

A '73 rifle is on my short list. Thinking about a short rifle. I want something already slicked up in .357 as that is my caliber right now. I want to hear what everybody is using. What mods are a must have and ones to avoid? I'm a amateur tinkerer and do a fair job working on guns and can do some work if I have to but would rather get something already done. I want to hear everybodies opinions on Codymatics, Brush Poppers, Comancheros, Short Rifles and carbines. A Yellowboy is also not out of the question either.Thank ye kindly

Even a talented tinker can screw a gun up is a flash.  Get a ready to run gun.  You can tinker with tacking a stock or making a lever wrap for it.

I prefer a 24" octagonal barrel and a .44-40 simply because I do.  Heavy doesn't count if the gun is actually in your hands a few minutes a day.  (My '76 is an exception.  That big sumbuck is heavy any time, any place.)

I'm personally never going to be "fast" so all the bells and whistles don't impress me much unless they lead to durability and reliability.

Any toggle link long gun will, if properly set up, be faster than you are unless you're one of those who run a few thousand of round  through them every month (or less) practicing.

I have one of each, Henry '60, '66' '73' and '76.  All are octagonals and the  '76 is the only one that isn't 24" and isn't a .44-40.   It's a 28" .45-60.  The Henry has a built-in learning curve that needs to be mastered by most folks.

The '66 or '73 are both good choices, but the '73 is easier to get inside of for cleaning.

[Dances With Coyotes]

"but would rather get something already done....."

Maybe you misread that part, but you do bring up very good points.

[wildman1]

DWC, sounds like yer askin the right questions and keepin an open mind, wish I could help but don't know anything about em. WM

[August]

"but would rather get something already done....."

Maybe you misread that part, but you do bring up very good points.

Sounded equivocal to me.

[TwoWalks Baldridge]

I want something already slicked up in .357 as that is my caliber right now.

but would rather get something already done.

If I read this right,  you would like something ready to go?  Something that already has the need improvements for a match?

I am in the same boat without a paddle on this one, so look forward to the answers.

[ChuteTheMall]

In a Uberti '73, the current bargain has to be the discontinued Beretta Renegade on closeout.
Mine is a Codymatic, 20" octo, and it's better than I am.

[Short Knife Johnson]

Do you know what length, and diameter, the four channel sections in the bolt should be?

Do you know how much firing pin extension is optimal in the newer, and older Uberti's?

Do you know how much side plate clearance lifter and lever springs require?

Do you know what the effect of the contour of the firing pin extension is on the life and safety of the gun?

Do you know how to relieve a hammer to prevent hammering on trigger during follow-through?

Do you know how to safely lighten lever safety mechanism?

Do you know how to polish side plates to smooth toggle drag?

Do you know how to change the sear from a negative to positive angle without making the rifle unsafe?

Do you know how to tailor a mainspring for working with a short stroke without affecting its temper?

Do you know how to measure headspace on a toggle link action?  And, how to change it?

Do you know how to measure the critical dimensions of the INSIDE of the elevator?

Do you know how to TIG weld and time a "slam down" on a lever?

Do you know what the optimum relation of cartridge shelf to elevator should be when cycling?

Do you know how to install and tune an extractor?

Do you know how to use copy and paste? 

[Jefro]

Howdy Dances With Coyotes, the 20'' short rifle is the most popular. All the good smiths that offer ready to run deals are hard to beat. I've had a .357 from Pioneer Gun Works ,and a 44/40 from Cowboys and Indians, both were smooth as butter. You could find a Cody or Jimmy Spurs to handle at most matches, again both are smooth as butter. One thing I preffered was the standard short stroke over the super short, YMMV. Another thing to consider is do you plan to ever shoot any sanctioned Wild Bunch matches?? If so I would suggest going with the 44/40, IMHO the best rifle caliber there is, especially if you're gonna shoot BP. Now would be a good time to start calling around to see what is avalible and an ETA on delivery. Good Luck
http://www.codyscowboyshop.com/
http://www.longhunt.com/missing.html
http://www.pioneergunworks.com/
http://cowboygunworks.com/index.html
http://www.cowboysandindianstore.com/


Jefro Relax-Enjoy

[Bugscuffle]

Dances with Coyotes - I don't really see a lot of amswers to your original question about suggestions as to which rifle to get. I have been on the same trek for the last couple of weeks and here is what I have determined for myself through a lot of good advice and a ton of research. Firstly, I can't afford what I want and I'll have to  be satisfied with something less than I had in mind. Secondly,  I found that the Uberti's are the preferred brand and Marlin are close behind. As far as slicking them up, I have determined, and I say this ONLY for myself, I am never going to be lightgning fast or dead eye accurate, so I'll buy whatever makes me happy to shoot and I am a rookie and my first few years are going to be learning to shoot accurately. The slick gimmicks work for people that already shoot well and want to go faster. some of these "slick-ups" actually make it harder to shoot accurately. Are you ever planning on shooting black powder? if you are, start looking for something in a caliber that uses a bottleneck cartridge. They inherently seal off the gasses from fouling the action. The barrel yes, but they are much kinder to the action than straightcased cartridges. I didn't really think much of this until I saw an in person demonstration. The difference is SIGNIFICANT. Because of this I am posponning my venture into frontier cartridge.

[Pettifogger]

Dances with Coyotes - I don't really see a lot of amswers to your original question about suggestions as to which rifle to get.

Just got back from EOT.  Here's a short answer.  The Uberti 73 (also the 66) is the most heavily supported rifle used in CAS.  In other words there are lots of after market parts suppliers.  Basically the range of what you see are the 24" rifles on one end and the 19" carbines on the other.  (There are longer and shorter barrels, but the range noted is where 99% of CAS guns fall.)  The 24" is muzzle heavy, the carbine butt heavy.  The happy medium for a majority of competitive shooters is the 20" Border rifle and its variants.  The Brush poppers, Comancheros etc. are simply variations on a theme.  Depending on who imports them the Brush Popper/Comanchero is simply an 18" octagon barrel or an 18" half/round half/octagon barrel (or some other minor variation of length).  None feel materially different or shoot different than the "standard" 20" configuration.  Some also have pistol grips and some are straight stocks.  All of these variations are simply cosmetic.  (Do you want two pieces of chrome on your Chevy or one?)  One ain't gonna run no faster than another.  The Codymatic is an action job with a minor short stroke done by Cody Conagher.  There's nothing "matic" about it.  It is just a very smooth action job done by an excellent smith that stands behind his work.  The short stroke is accomplished by cutting and re-welding the lever inside the gun.  It uses the stock links.  Of the "short strokes" it is the longest.  The shortest short strokes are from C&I and Pioneer.  They replace the links and on one version the links and lever.  As the stroke gets shorter the effort to lever the gun gets higher because you are doing the same amount of work but over a shorter distance.  In order to benefit from any short stroke you also have to tune or replace the springs and do an action job.  A lot of people like the C&I 3rd gen or the Pioneer standard short stroke for this reason, i.e., to them it takes less effort to operate the lever.  Any 73 tuned by a good smith (or competent home tinker) will run very smoothly and, depending on the skill of the shooter, very fast.  ANY out of the box 73 can be improved and for competition need to be improved.  Some of the importers send out guns to Cody or other smiths, have work done on them, and then sell them with the work already done on it.  But NO factory out of the box 73 is race ready.