Taylor’s Comanchero

[Lead Monger]

Yesterday while looking around one of the local toy stores I noticed a 1873 short rifle on the wall. It already wad a lever wrap and butt cover so I asked to look at it. Hmm,  357. I don’t have a 38 cal rifle. Turns out its a Taylor’s Comanchero short rifle. I’ve heard of them but never held one. Cycled it and it didn’t feel to bad. Not at all as stiff as other new rifles I have purchased. So I took it home, tore it down and gave it a cleaning and lubed it up. Inspecting the parts as the process went along. This rifle is modestly short stroked with some signs of polishing. The lever and carrier springs have been lightened and polished. The trigger block spring has been lightened and the hammer spring has also been worked. The brass carrier has mill cuts in it to reduce weight. The magazine spring is only slightly longer than the magazine and I am able to get eleven  38 specials in the magazine. I ran a couple magazines of my 1.454”38 specials through it and it cycled them easily and placed the 125 TC bullets on steel. This a lot of rifle out of the box and I can’t wait to run it in a match.

[Nickel City Dude]

I have had one for several years and I agree that Taylor's does a great job making these guns race ready.  I love mine.

[Rye Miles #13621]

I have one and I had lots of trouble with it from the factory. I sent it back and they didn't do anything! I had to buy a short stroke kit and a NEW lever because it's a cut and weld. Works great now but I wouldn't recommend a factory tuned rifle at least that's my experience with it.

[Red Rider Rudy]

Great rifle, I have had mine 13 years. All I have have done is replace one spring so for!

[Lead Monger]

2 hours ago, Rye Miles #13621 said:

I have one and I had lots of trouble with it from the factory. I sent it back and they didn't do anything! I had to buy a short stroke kit and a NEW lever because it's a cut and weld. Works great now but I wouldn't recommend a factory tuned rifle at least that's my experience with it.

That is very interesting. I wonder if there has been evolution through the years of production. As I was fondling the internals I did find parts polished and the cuts on the carrier. Nothing is visible on the lever or links that indicate being cut and welded back together. I did find weld metal and file marks on the carrier lifter arm similar to what you might find when installing a PGW short stroke kit. The next time I have it apart I will compare the lever to my other 73. Perhaps it will be obvious then.

[Phantom, SASS #54973]

The Cut/Weld methodology is outdated...but is used because it's cheaper than replacing parts. The Comanchero is a decent way to get a better-than-box stock 73.

 

Phantom

[Major BS Walker Regulator]

The Comanchero was a regular factory rifle when received and is then slicked up by an outside gunsmith then sold by Taylor's as the Comanchero. Hope you got a good price.

4 hours ago, Phantom, SASS #54973 said:

The Cut/Weld methodology is outdated...but is used because it's cheaper than replacing parts. The Comanchero is a decent way to get a better-than-box stock 73.

 

Phantom

 

[Phantom, SASS #54973]

34 minutes ago, Major BS Walker Regulator said:

The Comanchero was a regular factory rifle when received and is then slicked up by an outside gunsmith then sold by Taylor's as the Comanchero. Hope you got a good price.

 

Did you mean to respond to me?

 

I don't have a Taylor's Comanchero...and yes, being a Taylor's Dealer I'm aware of their modification process.

 

Phantom

[Major BS Walker Regulator]

I just liked the way you explained it so I used your wording.

[Phantom, SASS #54973]

59 minutes ago, Major BS Walker Regulator said:

I just liked the way you explained it so I used your wording.

Oh - gotcha!

 

I was a bit confuzaled there for a bit.

 

[Skullbone Willie]

I bought a 357 and liked it so well that I also bought a 45 Colt Comanchero, there’s vey little difference between mine and a Short Stroked rifle. 

[Lead Monger]

2 hours ago, Phantom, SASS #54973 said:

Oh - gotcha!

 

I was a bit confuzaled there for a bit.

 

Confuzaled for sure and your thinking of Taylor’s modifications to the Comanchero is “Obsolete”. I spewed 50 rounds threw it today during our very brief daylight period then brought it in for a tare down, cleaning and compare. First the lever has not been modified at all. Using the pin and screw holes to index the lever against a brand new lever from my toy box it is an exact match. Only the cam and sides that touch the toggle have been polished. The links themselves have clearly been replaced. The slot is on a different angle than stock links. I am sure they have not been welded up and recut. They are far too clean and precisely made. That leaves the carrier lifter arm. It is the stock arm with some metal added and then filed to fit for timing. The springs appear to be ground and polished factory type flat springs. There is nothing in there I can complain about. 

[Phantom, SASS #54973]

11 minutes ago, Lead Monger said:

Confuzaled for sure and your thinking of Taylor’s modifications to the Comanchero is “Obsolete”. I spewed 50 rounds threw it today during our very brief daylight period then brought it in for a tare down, cleaning and compare. First the lever has not been modified at all. Using the pin and screw holes to index the lever against a brand new lever from my toy box it is an exact match. Only the cam and sides that touch the toggle have been polished. The links themselves have clearly been replaced. The slot is on a different angle than stock links. I am sure they have not been welded up and recut. They are far too clean and precisely made. That leaves the carrier lifter arm. It is the stock arm with some metal added and then filed to fit for timing. The springs appear to be ground and polished factory type flat springs. There is nothing in there I can complain about. 

Oooookay...

 

Maybe the "new" Comanchero has replacement links...do you know what they used to have??? I can accept not knowing what they are now since I've had zero reason to recommend them to other shooters.

 

But I appreciate you extending my confuzaled state to more than it was intended. So...you think that filing/reprofiling/polishing is...what...State-of-the Art?

 

Enjoy your rifle...be careful when you compare it to other rifles 

 

Phantom

[Lead Monger]

1 hour ago, Phantom, SASS #54973 said:

Oooookay...

 

Maybe the "new" Comanchero has replacement links...do you know what they used to have??? I can accept not knowing what they are now since I've had zero reason to recommend them to other shooters.

 

But I appreciate you extending my confuzaled state to more than it was intended. So...you think that filing/reprofiling/polishing is...what...State-of-the Art?

 

Enjoy your rifle...be careful when you compare it to other rifles 

 

Phantom

Your welcome. Being a Taylor’s Dealer, now you know. 
Merry Christmas 

[Phantom, SASS #54973]

1 minute ago, Lead Monger said:

Your welcome. Being a Taylor’s Dealer, now you know. 
Merry Christmas 

"Your welcome"...I'm sure you meant "you're welcome"...you're welcome.

 

But, as I alluded to earlier, I don't sell the Comanchero unless someone won't listen to reason as there are better options. As far as new gun sales, I sell new guns at just about cost...we look at new guns sales as kind of a Loss Leader. So the time we spend understanding every nuance of the new guns on the market...particularly "Cowboy" guns, is rather limited.

 

Merry Christmas

 

Phantom

[Rye Miles #13621]

On 12/24/2023 at 9:12 PM, Lead Monger said:

Confuzaled for sure and your thinking of Taylor’s modifications to the Comanchero is “Obsolete”. I spewed 50 rounds threw it today during our very brief daylight period then brought it in for a tare down, cleaning and compare. First the lever has not been modified at all. Using the pin and screw holes to index the lever against a brand new lever from my toy box it is an exact match. Only the cam and sides that touch the toggle have been polished. The links themselves have clearly been replaced. The slot is on a different angle than stock links. I am sure they have not been welded up and recut. They are far too clean and precisely made. That leaves the carrier lifter arm. It is the stock arm with some metal added and then filed to fit for timing. The springs appear to be ground and polished factory type flat springs. There is nothing in there I can complain about. 

The Comanchero I bought 4 yrs ago was a cut and weld since I had to buy a new lever and a short stroke kit to get it right. Lije I said before I had all kinds of problems with it when I bought it. I sent it back and they supposedly fixed it but I still had problems. There was no work order or info on what they did. My local gunsmith installed a ss kit from Cowboys and Indians and a NEW lever. Glad to hear they changed it.

[Red Rider Rudy]

I bought mine in 2009, it's not a cut and weld?

 

[Nickel City Dude]

I have had one for several years and I agree that Taylor's does a great job making these guns race ready.  I love mine.  Maybe they tried a differant gunsmith for a short time and then went back to the original one that they started with.

[Rye Miles #13621]

22 minutes ago, Red Rider Rudy said:

I bought mine in 2009, it's not a cut and weld?

 

Mine was a cut and weld that I bought it in 2017 brand new. Weird.  

6 minutes ago, Nickel City Dude said:

I have had one for several years and I agree that Taylor's does a great job making these guns race ready.  I love mine.  Maybe they tried a differant gunsmith for a short time and then went back to the original one that they started with.

Maybe, I bought mine in 2017 and I had all kinds of feeding problems.

[Lucky R. K.]

On 12/24/2023 at 9:01 PM, Skullbone Willie said:

I bought a 357 and liked it so well that I also bought a 45 Colt Comanchero, there’s vey little difference between mine and a Short Stroked rifle. 

I vote for the CAO.

Lucky 

[Crusty Knees]

On 12/23/2023 at 10:05 PM, Lead Monger said:

Yesterday while looking around one of the local toy stores I noticed a 1873 short rifle on the wall. 

 

Howdy, hope you had a great Christmas.   I'm just curious, was it a new rifle, or was it sold as a used rifle?   

I got one also, but it was a used rifle in good condition, at a good price.   

But, since it was used, I let my gunsmith look it over before I used it.   He had it for a few days, went through it, and test-fired it.

He said it was not a stock "Comanchero", someone had previously replaced the lever and used a Pioneer Super Short Stroke Kit, Slix Springs, magazine sleeve, and other stuff that I don't remember. 

So far it's been a good purchase for me.   

[Lead Monger]

1 hour ago, Crusty Knees said:

 

Howdy, hope you had a great Christmas.   I'm just curious, was it a new rifle, or was it sold as a used rifle?   

I got one also, but it was a used rifle in good condition, at a good price.   

But, since it was used, I let my gunsmith look it over before I used it.   He had it for a few days, went through it, and test-fired it.

He said it was not a stock "Comanchero", someone had previously replaced the lever and used a Pioneer Super Short Stroke Kit, Slix Springs, magazine sleeve, and other stuff that I don't remember. 

So far it's been a good purchase for me.   

The rifle is new. The store had just received two 1873s from Taylor’s, the other being a 24” standard rifle. This store is just branching out into the Cowboy gun line and it is welcome to see. 
I also am responsible for the care and feeding of three other toggle link rifles that have been extensively modified. All sport PGW super short stroke kits, an assortment of aftermarket or reworked springs, lightweight parts and hardened screws. They are slicker than this new Taylors rifle and will cycle faster than I can run them. Then again they have tens of thousands of rounds through them and all the bumps are gone.

[Colorado Coffinmaker]

In the past, Taylors Comanchero was built for them by Cody Congagher.  They were "Cut and Weld" guns.  When Beretta released their '73, it was a combination of copies of links and levers.  The links were copies of Pioneer Gunworks and the lever was a copy of Cowboys and Indian.  The lifter arm was basically stock.  That set up required no cut and weld. 

[Skullbone Willie]

6 hours ago, Lucky R. K. said:

I vote for the CAO.

Lucky 

My Favorite Cigar

[Lead Monger]

After 150 rounds fired I have ordered my first replacement part for this rifle. I just can’t pick up the little brass bead front sight quickly so a PGW brass bead sight is on the way. This will more closely match the sight picture of the other rifles I play with. Looking good so far!