Round Barrel or Octagon Barrel or 1/2 Round 1/2 Octagon ????

[Rowdy Fulcher]

Howdy
What's your favorite barrel type ? I have a 1/2 and 1/2 and like it  . I would like to have a round barrel 1873 in a rifle .

[Rafe Covington]

I perfer the full octagon barrel myself, both my '73's have the octagon barrel. Just my personal preference. JMHO

Rafe

[1961MJS]

Hi

Why did Winchester bother to make so many variations in barrel shape?  Is one style heavier than the other?

Later

Mike
Wichita KS

[hawkeye2]

Is one style heavier than the other?

Octagon, octagon-round, round in that order.  Octagon was traditional at that time, a round barrel cost extra and had to be ordered as did the octagon-round.  I wish we had choices and magazine length options like that in Winchesters & Marlins from the 50s up.

[Okefinokee Outlaw]

I always thought the octagon was standard, but I have copies of Winchester catalogs from 1876 and 1878.   In 1876 the round barrel version was $40.00 and the octagon version was $50.00.  In 1878, the round barrel was $25.00 and the octagon was $27.00. 

[Grizzly Adams]

I always thought the octagon was standard, but I have copies of Winchester catalogs from 1876 and 1878.   In 1876 the round barrel version was $40.00 and the octagon version was $50.00.  In 1878, the round barrel was $25.00 and the octagon was $27.00. 

+1  The round barrel was standard for the 1873.  The Octagon was just more popular, and were ordered 3 times as often.

My favorite 73 is a 44WCF with a 20 inch half round, half octagon barrel.

[Short Knife Johnson]

I must say I find the half round more interesting than I thought I would.  That said, still favour the full octagon pipe, but the half has the edge in handling.

[Pappy Myles]

Mine is a 24 1/4" Octogon.  I do like it for the extra weight.  Sure settles in a lot faster on those long shots.

[Rowdy Fulcher]

Howdy
Are the Italians offering a round barrel I had my hands on a Burgess and the round barrel was nice . Would love to have one .

[Grizzly Adams]

Howdy
Are the Italians offering a round barrel I had my hands on a Burgess and the round barrel was nice . Would love to have one .

Not currently offered for the 1873.  That said, I would bet even money that Burgess barrel could be mounted on a 73.  

Another option would be to have Badger make one.  Price would be about the same, and it is hard to beat Badger for quality.

[Okefinokee Outlaw]

The saddle ring carbine has a round barrel.

[rbertalotto]

God made octagon barrels so everyone with round barrels would want one!....

Become a convert!

http://rvbprecision.com/shooting/marlin-336-from-round-to-octagon-and-more.html

http://rvbprecision.com/shooting/marlin-1895g-from-round-to-octagon-barrel.html

http://rvbprecision.com/shooting/rossi-1892-winchester-take-down-conversion.html

[Montana Slim]

Howdy
Are the Italians offering a round barrel I had my hands on a Burgess and the round barrel was nice . Would love to have one .

A friend picked up a Uberti 1866 some years back for his wife to shoot. The octagon barrel was a might heavy and the muzzle needed a shade of trimming anyway, so the smith suggested makig it half round....turned out to be a fast-handling rifle.

My Pa has a couple Colt medium frame rifles with (me-thinks) 26" round barrels....They are fast handling firearms with ample sight radius. Those are the only fully round "cowboy" rifles I've handled...I'm looking forward to testing the 38-40 now that it has been lined.

Slim

Slim

[Marshal Deadwood]

I perfer round barrels to oct ones.

[Rowdy Fulcher]

Howdy
I think a 24 inch round barrel would be a FAST handling rifle . Lighter to pack , which makes for a better day of stalking .

[Marshal Deadwood]

Thats exactly the '73 I'd like to have,,a 24" round barrel in 44-40.

[Rowdy Fulcher]

Marshal
Maybe Taylor's will pick up on this and we will have the rifle we want .

[Rowdy Fulcher]

Howdy
I want a round barrel rifle , a 24 inch barrel . Who's with me on this . Oh and it needs to be a 44wcf with a tang sight for added distance with a brass bladed rocky mountain front sight .

[Marshal Deadwood]

Rowdy, sign me on,,thats MY rifle!

[Hangtown Frye]

Oddly enough all of the original '73's I've owned (three total, I have one at the moment) have been round barreled, while all of my Italian knock-offs have been octagon.  (Of course the Italians don't MAKE a round barreled version, which helps in that regard!)  I do like the RB though, as it's a bit heavier than the octagonal barrel (Winchester started with the same sized barrel blank, but left the meat on the round barrel...) so to me it handles a bit better.  I like things a bit barrel heavy, though. 

Cheers!

Gordon