Scoped Winchester 73'

  • 1.1K Views
  • Last Post 18 July 2019
Bryan Austin posted this 14 July 2019

 

So I got this crazy idea to get one of those old scopes for the 73'. Heck, if ya can't see anything...might as well get a scope right? I purchased a Malcolm 6x scope a few weeks back by Hi-Lux Optics. The scope is not mounted today the way it was back in the day. Today the mounts are a bit to be desired but certainly functional. The original mounts were attached to the side plate with a nice elevation knob. I guess to be cost effective, the scope was already priced at $355, the mounts are attached to the dust cover rail and to the rear sight dove tail. The mounts are another $40 or so from Taylors Inc. The front scope mount is a bit sloppy but a second block I received worked well and the set screw held with the help of some blue loctite. The below photos show a poorly designed front scope mount. In order to shoot normal pressure loads, the scope must be set to the far right side of the barrel. When a "loose block" tightens down, it pushing up on the right side of the mount at an angle. The set screw would not hold, even with loctite past four or five shots.

more photos: https://curtisshawk21.wixsite.com/44centerfire/post/scoped-winchester-1873

 

The old block was .3610" and fit real loose. After receiving and installing a second dovetail block, I was able to shoot nearly fifty rounds without the set screw loosening. The second block was about .3850" and I was able to clean it up to .3735" and tap in to place. Finally.....all went well after the initial setback and groups were promising, even with Trail Boss and a 200gr "Big Lube" bullet by "Dick Dastardly"...cast by Mark Whyte of whytesleatherworks.com. Initial targets ran .5" @ 25 yards and 2 1/8" 6 shot group @ 100 yards before I threw in the towel with the loosening mount screws.

 

25 Yards

 

100 Yrads

100 Yards

 

 

A second trip to the range yielded much more realistic groups.

100 Yards second attempt.

 

This is what the 100 yard target looks like through the scope in comparison to the 25 yard target to the left. The second photo shows the 100 yard target just in front of the front sight.

 

Here is the video from 265 yards:

Attached Files

  • Liked by
  • JeffinNZ
  • John Alexander
Order By: Standard | Newest | Votes
admiral posted this 14 July 2019

That's a neat looking rig. Reminds me of the Bruce Lee movie "Way of the Dragon". The gangsters in Rome try to assassinate Bruce Lee with a scoped 1873.

Attached Files

  • Liked by
  • John Alexander
  • Bryan Austin
John Alexander posted this 14 July 2019

Savvyjack,

Very well written and interesting post and nifty looking rifle. Thanks for taking the time to report.

Nobody can claim that this forum doesn't have variety.

John

Attached Files

  • Liked by
  • Bryan Austin
  • Fitzpatrick
Bryan Austin posted this 15 July 2019

Thank You!!

Attached Files

Ed Harris posted this 17 July 2019

You should flesh out this article with more firing data, close-up pictures of the scope mount features that gave trouble, more detail on how you fixed it, and submit for The Fouling Shot!

73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia

Attached Files

Bryan Austin posted this 17 July 2019

Ed, I claim I am too lazy...but really lack the skill.....LOL..I did post some photos on the web site. Let me reorganize my brain and try again.

https://curtisshawk21.wixsite.com/44centerfire/post/scoped-winchester-1873

In target #3 above, I made three sight adjustments. Each time "chasing" the hits but in reality the set screw in the front scope mount kept loosening. Each time I would make a ever so slight turn, off she went.

Below is a few photos of the mount. The mount is made "off-set" due to the top ejection. The off-set is screwed into a dovetail block that slides into the rear sight dovetail slot. The block is not wedged and is only held in place by one set screw. The block I had was under sized. It fit sloppy inside the dovetail slot. When the set screw was tightened, the dovetail block was "lifted" and forced into each dovetail wedge with little "bite". The poor fit of the three steps led to the failure.

 

The dovetail block I had needed to be at least .3745. The replacement block sent to me was about .3850, and after a little work, fit fairly snug, not perfect but certainly better than the first one.


More to follow

Attached Files

Bryan Austin posted this 17 July 2019

For the Uberti, the rear mount only uses the set screw. On a Taylors and maybe a few others, there is another hole that is threaded for a secondary screw...note hole in mount.

This rear mount is tight on the dovetail and I have not yet once had problems with it coming loose.

 



Here are more detailed photos of the front mount.

 

 

 

For those of you that have lathe equipment, fabricating a side mount would be great!!!

Attached Files

  • Liked by
  • M3 Mitch
Bryan Austin posted this 17 July 2019

I forgot to add this photo. It shows the block binding at an angle due to the slop and off-set point of the set screw where I needed it to be. The mounting screws and set screw holes need to be about a half a hole to the left. Also the block could be a bit longer.

I needed the mount adjusted all the way to the right to be able to hit 100 yard targets. My suggestions fell on short ears at Hi-Lux Optics.

 

 

Attached Files

Bryan Austin posted this 17 July 2019

The replacement block shows a better fit but I failed to keep the correct dovetail angle while shaving it. I also added some blue loctite on the threads. I did have loctite on the old block too, but it didn't help.

Attached Files

  • Liked by
  • M3 Mitch
JeffinNZ posted this 18 July 2019

Awesome!!!

Cheers from New Zealand

Attached Files

Close