Jump to content
SASS Wire Forum

Main Match Muskets


Recommended Posts

I was pondering last night the Winchester 73 "Muskets" that Winchester made back in day.  They were an otherwise normal model 73, just with a 30 inch barrel.  I have also seen pics of Model 66's, 92's and even 94's in this configuration.  They all seemed to use a twisting socket type bayonet, which seem to be very hard to find if you happen to have one of the rifles.    They look rather cool, I'd assume they have a rather large magazine capacity.   (Couple that with the bayonet and thy are probably "assault weapons" in Massachusetts, but let that go.)  Anyway, I'd like to ask a couple of questions.

Now, obviously the 94 Muskets are useless to us, outside of perhaps side matches, but the ones in pistol caliber look like they could be a lot of fun to use at a match.  After all, I like 30" barrels on my shotguns, so why not on my rifle?

So, does anyone out there have one of these "muskets?"

Do you have the bayonet?

Have you ever used one at a match?

Are they "muzzle heavy" thanks to the longer barrel?

What is the magazine capacity?

As I was pondering these rifles, I did some quick searches, and wow, people who have them are asking for a lot of money for them.    Did Uberti  ever market a replica in this configuration?

Finally, as I wondered about all of this, I found myself thinking, if only Colt had made the Lightning in this configuration.  Then I remembered that they did.  Then I remembered that I own one!   It's being given a go over by Lassiter, and I hope to have it back soon.   But, alas, I don't have the bayonet.   Anyone know of a custom knife maker that could create a replica for me?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

H.K. Alpo :P

 

I don't currently have an 1873 Musket but "Baltimore Ed" over on CASCity does.

 

I don't have the bayonet anymore and don't know if Baltimore Ed does or not.

 

I did in fact shoot a Uberti 1873 (very few made) Musket at a Match

 

An 1873 Musket is VERY muzzle heavy (how could it not be)

 

Magazine capacity was around 20 if memory serves

 

Uberti didn't really "Market" Muskets but a few were made many years ago.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Uberti use to make a few 66 and 73 muskets and also made 30" octagon barrelled 73s.  About 25 years ago I too thought these were "cool" and told a friend that if he ever wanted to sell his 73 Musket to let me know.  About 7 years later he called me and said he was having to retire from shooting and sold me the rifle.  Well, it was not as cool as I thought it would be.  It was HEAVY and extremely unwieldly especially if shooting though or around a prop.  After shooting it in a few matches I gladly passed it on to the next guy that thought it was "cool."  The few that I saw were all in .44-40.  Maybe some .45s were produced but definitely no .357s.

Edited by Larsen E. Pettifogger, SASS #32933
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Back in the day Stretch Hester had a 44-40 '66 musket with the bayonet.  At the time the Alamo Area Moderators used foot tall lengths of landscape timbers placed on end on little stands for shotgun targets, you had to knock them off (stages had berms for "resetting" them).  He secretly told the TO what he was going to do, left one shotgun target up, and after the rifle string (you could end on rifle back then) he charged downrange and bayonetted the wood target. :)

  • Like 1
  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

22 minutes ago, Abilene, SASS # 27489 said:

He secretly told the TO what he was going to do, left one shotgun target up, and after the rifle string (you could end on rifle back then) he charged downrange and bayonetted the wood target. 

Once I was at a Wild Bunch match, and I shot the whole thing with a 97 Trench gun with a fixed bayonet.   People kidded me about it all day.   On the last stage, there was a paper target.  The TO dared me to stab it after taking my last shot.   So, BANG!   YAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!! as I ran to the target and ran it through and slashed the blade down to slice it in half.   Everyone laughed.    Next time I shot WB about a year later, I was gonna shoot it with my Mark VI Webley revolver, this was before the SASS Rules for WB were created, with it's bayonet affixed.   But, at the safety meeting, the Fellow running the shoot said, "No bayonets!"   I  was bummed.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have '73 musket in 44.40 made around WW1.

 

I've used in a few matches without issues.

 

It's fun, it's cool, and yes it can be unwieldy.

 

I do not know the tube capacity, nor do I have a  bayonet for it.

 

As for the weight, it doesn't seem to be much heavier than my Uberti 66 with a 24" barrel.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have a Winchester 1873 Musket made in 1891 and two bayonets (Anyone need one?). I have shot matches with the bayonet. It is VERY front heavy!

 

It will hold 15 44-40 cartridges.

 

image.thumb.png.4c225a41e87864a808c93ae1633f14b1.png

 

image.png.962b996a093d32b7591d2a2640248029.png

 

I also have a Uberti 1873 musket in 44-40. A past search with Wire pards in 2012 and online references indicated that only five or so of these were imported to the US in 44-40 and 45 caliber. 

 

image.thumb.png.c55731df14350da0b87ca07b1b58cc3c.png

 

 

  • Like 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

11 hours ago, Injun Ryder, SASS #36201L said:

I have a Winchester 1873 Musket made in 1891 and two bayonets (Anyone need one?). I have shot matches with the bayonet. It is VERY front heavy!

 

It will hold 15 44-40 cartridges.

 

image.thumb.png.4c225a41e87864a808c93ae1633f14b1.png

 

image.png.962b996a093d32b7591d2a2640248029.png

 

I also have a Uberti 1873 musket in 44-40. A past search with Wire pards in 2012 and online references indicated that only five or so of these were imported to the US in 44-40 and 45 caliber. 

 

image.thumb.png.c55731df14350da0b87ca07b1b58cc3c.png

 

 

 

Only 5?!?   Good grief...   That makes them rarer than a real Winchester.   I guess I won't be picking up on of these anytime soon....

Does the Winchester bayonet fit on the Uberti?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

57 minutes ago, H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619 said:

Does the Winchester bayonet fit on the Uberti?

 

Unfortunately, no.

 

However, a shimmed and slightly modified Trapdoor bayonet will.

Edited by Injun Ryder, SASS #36201L
Link to comment
Share on other sites

40 minutes ago, Larsen E. Pettifogger, SASS #32933 said:

There are more than five but they are scarcer than an original.  In fact for several years when I was looking you could find originals for well under $2K.

 

when I first seen these, at a few antique gun shows in PA years back, they were pushing 5 digits, if not 5 digits........now it seems people who are trying to sell them, can't move them and are reducing prices quite a bit.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Kid Rich said:

I owned one of the 30" 73's in 45 and sold it for a $20 gold piece years ago

.kR

That was either a REALLY good deal on your part, or a huge blunder.    If you meant $20 Gold piece figuratively, and you sold it for twenty bucks, you swindled yourself.   If you literally meant an actual vintage $20 coin made of gold, I think you got far more than what the rifle is worth!

  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have the '66 musket in .45 colt, 27" barrel, 24" mag tube, came with the bayonet from Uberti, was their Shot Show display gun the year I bought it.

 

Very muzzle heavy with the bayonet installed.

 

When shot from the hip with Bayonet installed, very easy to hit targets, point bayonet at target, pull trigger, bang, clang.

 

 

IMG_3684.jpg

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 8/29/2024 at 11:53 AM, Kid Rich said:

I owned one of the 30" 73's in 45 and sold it

 

Ditto.

 

It was front heavy, but at match speed I didn't notice.  But match speed is noticeably slower than with a 20" tube.

 

I have seen exactly one Uberti musket in the flesh.  A '66 as HMM posted above.

.

Edited by Stump Water
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 8/29/2024 at 11:25 AM, Assassin said:

Weren't  the originals manufactured for foreign armies?

 

Not really. The US gov't wasn't interested. They were sold on the civilian market but the only military sales were to foreign governments.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Most were sold to foreign governments and most were manufactured after 1900.  Thus, they were obsolete when purchased and a lot were never issued.  So they tend to be in pretty good condition.  Leroy Mertz has several right now.  Here is one that is typical.

 

https://www.merzantiques.com/product/8713-winchester-model-1873-musket/

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here are some more.  They are not rare and most are in decent condition.

 

https://www.merzantiques.com/product-category/winchester/1873winchester/1873muskets/

Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 hours ago, Larsen E. Pettifogger, SASS #32933 said:

Here are some more.  They are not rare and most are in decent condition.

 

https://www.merzantiques.com/product-category/winchester/1873winchester/1873muskets/

 

Yeah, spoke with a dealer who deals with antique firearms about my musket the other day, said they have one for $1900 and can't find anybody interested, and they thought they'd be able to move it at this price.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 8/31/2024 at 8:47 PM, H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619 said:

Who's your dealer?

 

John B Henry Fine Antique Firearms outside of Philly PA

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.