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Winchwhester 1873 Firing Pin Stumper


onetotaltoolman

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Hello! New to the forums, so hoping i can contribute ! 

Have a stumper that probably needs an experienced Winchester 1873 eye. i have purchased a few of these, 

and the last one was supposed to be in "great condition" . When it arrived, looked pretty good on the outside, 

but when i worked the action and saw the bolt pulling back, i watched a small piece of metal jetison from the 

dust cover. Oh -oh, maybe not "great" . Turns out the nose on the firing pin had sheared off and fell out of the gun. 

Did some research on this one - no caliber on cartridge carrier, dust cover resembles a second edition 1873. 

Purchased a firing pin that is supposed to fit a second edition,  but it is not close. It's nose is stumpy and short. 

Please see the pic below that i found on the internet. This is what my pin looks like, but i can't find this thing anywhere. 

Maybe the answer is to send it to a qualifed gunsmith that can tig weld the tip back on? Or is there anyone out there 

that has one of these? Any thoughts will be apprecaited! 

Thanks - toolman

Vintage-original-Winchester-1873-2nd-model-firing-pin.jpg

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I would turn down the 'pin' flush to the first step, and then drill with the correct diameter drill.

I would then use that drill's shaft and loctite in place.

Shorten the 'pin' till you have the correct protrusion from the bolt-face.

OLG

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Most gunsmiths of older rifles  (not the black guns) could turn out a new firing pin of tool steel from that picture and ensure it fits and operates correctly.

 

Have you tried the usual suspects for antique or reproduced parts?   Gun Parts Corp (aka Numrich), NuLine Guns (they bought many of Winchester's gun parts when Win dumped them several years ago).  Jack First.   Joe Salter. Homestead Parts.  CFN Parts.  Ask at Winchester Collectors Organization site.    Winchester Bob (Bob's Gun Shop).  S&S Firearms. Dixie Gun Works.

 

Bob's Gun Shop lists reproduced 73 parts - Firing Pin...............................$55

Jack First - https://jack-first-gun-parts.myshopify.com/collections/winchester-1873-rifle    $50

 

Run-N-Iron could make you a new FP in a heartbeat, I'd wager a goodly sum.

 

Good luck, GJ

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I was in the same situation 2 years ago. My 73 has a manufacturer date of 1883, and has indications of being either a 2ns or 3rd generation. After much research I decided to hand it off to my local gunsmith. He ordered all 3 firing pins before getting the right one. Good for me cuz I only had to pay for the one that worked and am not stuck with 2 extra firing pins that don't fit my rifle.

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11 minutes ago, Ranger Dan said:

I was in the same situation 2 years ago. My 73 has a manufacturer date of 1883, and has indications of being either a 2ns or 3rd generation. After much research I decided to hand it off to my local gunsmith. He ordered all 3 firing pins before getting the right one. Good for me cuz I only had to pay for the one that worked and am not stuck with 2 extra firing pins that don't fit my rifle.

Why would you not be able to return the 2 other FPs? :huh:

OLG

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14 minutes ago, The Original Lumpy Gritz said:

Why would you not be able to return the 2 other FPs? :huh:

OLG

I took the rifle to the gunsmith, hoping he could just tell me which firing pin would fit. He could not. So I left it with him to order till he figured it out. I am not out a bunch of time and shipping fees.

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7 minutes ago, Ranger Dan said:

I took the rifle to the gunsmith, hoping he could just tell me which firing pin would fit. He could not. So I left it with him to order till he figured it out. I am not out a bunch of time and shipping fees.

You paid-One way or the other.

Good luck,

OLG

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1 hour ago, The Original Lumpy Gritz said:

You paid-One way or the other.

Good luck,

OLG

A few extra bucks to my LGS was well worth saving me the time and effort to order parts, return parts, order parts, return parts. And it helps me justify actually having someone else work on my guns. As the OP pointed out it is very difficult to figure out which FP will fit his rifle, I was just trying to help by telling my experience and how I dealt with it.

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15 minutes ago, Ranger Dan said:

I was just trying to help by telling my experience and how I dealt with it.

 

Might help the OP more if you tell him exactly which generation '73 you have, and which FP of the three variants was the correct one to fit your gun.....
Especially if your FP is same as the one he provided a pic of. 

And, if it is a match, where your gunsmith sourced it from!

:o

 

Good luck, GJ

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30 minutes ago, Garrison Joe, SASS #60708 said:

 

Might help the OP more if you tell him exactly which generation '73 you have, and which FP of the three variants was the correct one to fit your gun.....
Especially if your FP is same as the one he provided a pic of. 

And, if it is a match, where your gunsmith sourced it from!

:o

 

Good luck, GJ

As posted earlier mine is a gen 2 / 3. The frame is gen2, the bolt, gen3. However researching online I could not find a good picture to match my firing pin up to confidently order one. More research indicated that it really doesn't matter what "generation" your rifle is, the Winchester assembly workers would put whatever bolt was in the box of bolts in whatever generation rifle they were assembling. So you could have a gen 2 or 3 rifle with a gen 1 bolt and firing pin. Also replacement parts and scavenging parts to repair other rifles created many different variations. My rifle came to me as a box of parts and they weren't all there. This all led me to get an expert opinion and I took the rifle to my LGS where an experienced gunsmith went through the same research and ordered the FP he thought would fit. Long story is after the 3rd firing pin fit, he called me and I picked up the rifle. He was not there so I never learned which generation FP fit. What fit my gun gives no help or indication whatever for any one else. Either order firing pins till you get the right one or take it to a gunsmith and let him order firing pins till he gets the right one.

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Think the mystery is solved. I definately have a 1873 2nd. model, which "usually" (if there is such a word with these great historic firearms) had a 

2nd. model bolt (pin carrier) and firing pin. Not so with this one. It has a first model bolt carrier . The firing pin that goes in that particular pin carrier has a skinner and longer nose on the end of the firing pin. Ahhh,,,, so, ordered a new 1st. model firing pin from winchesterbob. Assembly should take place next monday, so lets see how this turns out. thanks to all who have chimed in. Great forum! 

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