The Guns of 1873 - Winchester and SAA - On The Clock

1873 was a watershed year in firearms development and two of the most quintessential guns to ever be created were released in that important year:
The Winchester 1873 Lever Action Rifle chambered in 44 WCF
&
The Colt's Single Action Army Revolver chambered in 45 Colt's.
Let's put both of these guns to the test, on the clock, and discuss their practical handling and usage.
InRange is entirely viewer supported:
/ inrangetv

[@zmanjace1364]

Karl looks excited. He has fun in a way that I dont think alot of people do in competitive things like this. Wish more people just had fun with things.

[@InrangeTv]

Love these guns.

[@remko1238]

Zman Jace - so it wasn’t me notecing this happy grin 🙃

[@pffear]

@@InrangeTv As I asked, could you let us know how you did in the competition with the others❓ From the looks of it you were quite competent as well as accurate and I'm sure I'm not the only one who's curious❓👍 While I know the avg. AR shooters going to beat you on time, you did better than avg. on accuracy..... So how'd ya do❓ And against what❓ Inquiring minds want to know.....

[@Waldherz]

Are you crazy? Having fun?! Nooo, that cant be!

[@dscrappygolani7981]

Oh, he's having a blast....pun intended.

[@Tobascodagama]

"I love to reload during battle." -- Karl, 2020

[@richmeisterradio]

I somehow doubt that he knows who revolver ocelot is.

[@royrunyon1286]

He should have added, "especially when no one's shooting back..."

[@automaticbobcat9166]

The '73 Winchester may be the prettiest rifle ever made. I love these things.

[@Echowhiskeyone]

The Winchester lever guns are among prettiest ever made. I love my 1892, that was made in 1892, still shoots good 128 years later.

[@jakeola10]

Its gorgeous, but something makes me prefer the look of the 1866 and i don’t know why

[@herknorth8691]

Karl ca. 2019: "Well, I think I finally got the message across that bolt actions are obsolete for fighting in the modern era." Internet people, ca. 2020: "I think Karl's trying to tell us that lever actions are just as good as assault rifles." Karl: "..."

[@apollohateshisdayjob9606]

They are obsolete as well, but if you gave me the choice between old bolt and old lever, if I am in an ambush situation and have no plan of reloading, just dumping the mag and either being victorious or fleeing.. I'm gonna take the lever every time lol It is not as good as a semi, but it is absolutely better than the bolt until it's time to reload

[@jeffreyroot6300]

I grew up with a family legacy 1873 in .44-40. It put some out of season venison on our table when I was young. We still have it, and it’s a beautiful rifle. Thanks for the video Karl and crew!

[@LOUDcarBOMB]

3:20 Pretty cool that Karl has his name engraved on the back of the grip.

[@HighlandFoxx]

It's a nice gun I'll give him that. But the engraving gives him no tactical advantage whatsoever.

[@LOUDcarBOMB]

@@HighlandFoxx I'm watching George Salonikh's MGS4 stream and didn't even think of that comment to add to mine. Nice one.

[@iododendron3416]

@@HighlandFoxx It's lighter :P

[@remko1238]

Muster Muckee II - that quote should be epic,, just like the napalm-smell-in-the-morning one 🤜🏿

[@StrangerOman]

Ian: Jesus... Gun Jesus B) Karl: Fully semi-automatic assault speed lever action YEEEEEEEEEEEEHAW :D Really awesome footage. Your skill with that lever action is just so satisfying to watch.

[@royrunyon1286]

He didn't drop enough rounds on the ground for battlefield archeologists to find later.

[@nailbomb3006]

Karl, don’t forget about the third member of the 1873 trifecta, the 1873 “Trapdoor” Springfield. It’s debatable which is the most historically significant (along with their respective cartridges!), but all three played major roles in the Westward Expansion of the U.S.

[@denisdegamon8224]

Everyone seems to forget the rifles that decimated the buffalo herds, the 1874 Sharps and Remmington Rolling Block.. they made the plains safe for the western exspansion by removing the indians food source. The leather from the hides drove the machinery of the industrial revolution.

[@morisato54]

You had my upvote at "My mining papers!"

[@paleosteveo3501]

I love that when they decide on a theme, they commit to it

[@proteus2103]

@@paleosteveo3501 Howdy, you seemed to have placed your single action army on my digital scale, sir

[@jonathanballmann7569]

We need a western made with Karl as a consultant on all the important things

[@nicholasmaugeri759]

Buzzard Beaks we need a western STARING Karl and Ian lol

[@richmeisterradio]

"Twisting your elbows, thats a revolver technique."

[@Tornado1861]

The 1873 SHOT Show must have been epic, Colt SAA, '73 Winchester, 44 WCF, 45-70, Trapdoor...

[@millsbomb100]

I love seeing, non semiautomatic rifles on InRange. Was there talk of a what would Winchester do series?

[@pffear]

What would Winchester do❓ Travel to Utah to meet with Browning for his next piece of genius he could buy.

[@pffear]

@@SimuLord Browning could visualize in his minds eye the mechanics of an idea..... It's said he would often be seen sitting, thinking, moving his hands as though moving the actual pieces of a device that existed only in his mind......

[@kiltymacbagpipe]

Anyone else think Karl was going to pee on his rifle?

[@carlsasau6162]

I thought he would at least list the possibility.

[@TheWolfsnack]

@@tjvohs1 ...and then drank the run off as a tonic

[@TheWolfsnack]

@@tjvohs1 ..and then drank the run off as a tonic!

[@Legitcar117]

Bruce Hewat I’m sure some of the cowboys did as well, it’s just more historically accurate :)

[@murphy4yt]

Denis O'Brien I have read that the old buffalo hunters did.

[@Arthurzeiro]

At 4:35, they should have changed that case for a burlap bag with a $ on it for Karl.

[@jamesnorlin1273]

Wait, was this at the 007 match? Looks pretty similar to the course Ian was running for that one.

[@InrangeTv]

Yes

[@GentlemansCombatives]

Bond vs the pinkertons

[@christophernemeth421]

The name is Earp. Wyatt Earp.

[@FLiN_v.dimgray.hexadecimal]

secret agents vs. cowboys? *WHAT A THRILL, THROUGH DARKNESS AND SILENCE IN THE NIGHT...*

[@iododendron3416]

This town is not big enough for the two of us, Mr. Bond.

[@SangTheCryptek]

"Mah mining papers!" Lol awesome

[@RedArmyReenactor]

You could really see how excited Karl was to do this in the first few second of the intro. Keep doing the things you like Karl, don’t let this fun thing you’re doing become too much work

[@Mihsan31337]

Wow, Karl looked so happy in that intro. It even made me happy too.

[@the20thDoctor]

5:27 I haven't seen one of those in YEARS! I had one as a kid, got it at a yard sale, it's basically a surge protector but each socket has its own switch. I had it set up on my night stand and could control lamps, fans and my radio from bed. I thought it was pretty clutch at the time. Neat seeing one again.

[@steveshumate1983]

It was really cool to see someone run this gun with skill. One can easily imagine how overwhelming this rifles firepower would be in comparison to a single shot breach loader or even more so a muzzle loading rifle.

[@commander31able60]

I've never felt a tension like this before... That's so different from simply changing a clip! This reload time is exhilarating!

[@Yin_yue_]

I know we see having to reload shot-by-shot in battle, during movement or otherwise, as a significantly impractical thing by modern standards; but there's something about the calm, collected demeanor one gives off while doing so that's really neat. It also makes one think about the strength of mind and difference in tactical thought one had to have back in the day while using these weapons, and it really does give you a greater appreciation for things like box magazines and semi-auto capability. I love these videos in particular. Excellent content as always.

[@laddjm]

I always enjoy your content. Especially this kind of content. I have a Winchester 1873 in 44-40 and it’s one of my favorite rifles. Cheers

[@themilsurpnerd9896]

I always like it when you guys talk about stuff you're really into, when Karl talks about wild western guns or history or Ian talks about French firearms they get super into it and it's great!

[@JerryEricsson]

My uncle Earnest owned one of the original Winchester in .44, he always kept it leaning against the door frame of his little cabin on the river. Sadly it was lost in a fire, his home was so rural and without phone service that the fire burned his home and all the belongings, including the rifle and an original Edison cylinder record player with a dresser filled with old music on the cylinders. His twin daughters were later discovered to be the cause of the fire, they wanted to move to town and their dad would not allow it. My uncle was never the same after the fire, they built a small house on a hill overlooking the home place, he used to just go sit on the stone porch of his old cabin and look at what once was. He died a year later.

[@viciousslayer]

karl, what were the results? im curious to see how an extremely good shooter that is proficient in cowboy shooting performed against the competition

[@con6lex]

Love this video! Karl runs the lever fun so well, steady on sites while cycling. I really want a Marlin lever gun in 357mag.

[@cptnemo20kl]

And the anticipation of a video imagining a lever-action squad continues...

[@windwalker5765]

I want to see them look at two things: First, a "lever gun squad" vs. a US Army WWI Springfield squad. Second, a WWII "lever paratrooper" squad with lever guns and revolvers in .357 Magnum.

[@cptnemo20kl]

@@windwalker5765 Why paratroopers?

[@windwalker5765]

@@cptnemo20kl I'd put a comment about this in another video. I'm assuming that by WWII, the main force would be armed with semi-auto rifles, same as in our timeline. I'm suggesting that a carbine in .357 beats out the M1 Carbine, but would not be selected over the Garand for standard troops.

[@windwalker5765]

@@cptnemo20kl I would have said .44 Magnum, but it didn't exist until 1955.

[@cptnemo20kl]

@@windwalker5765 Ah, I see. A comparison of .357 vs .30 M1 would be an interesting test, indeed!

[@giuliannochiarelli151]

This is one the best things in this channel. Great work karl!

[@Leverguns50]

I really enjoyed this video about the 1873 Winchester I see it has set a new world record of 10 shots in 1.55 seconds, which I would think would be pretty fast even for a semi automatic

[@CssHDmonster]

i love seeing karl using a lever action, i feel like he should custom-order a modern gamer lever action or something

[@asillycryptid7235]

That'd be cool, there's all kinds of gamer bits you can put in those replicas. Short throw lever kits, top feed elevators, trigger jobs are certainly a thing, etc. It's even a balancing act on tuning the gun too far to the point of failure just like modern guns :V

[@d4ngru5h83]

You should watch garrand thumbs video with the marlin lever action, pretty badass.

[@asillycryptid7235]

That's one of the videos that pushed me to get an 1894 CST, picked it up today in fact :D

[@DanielESmith-iz7lx]

Ireally like this historical content and Karls delivery is enthusiastic and entertaining. Those are what keep me coming back!

[@shannonnezul4903]

'Bolt guns are obsolete' proceeds to kick ass with a lever gun it just made me smile it's more the man than the machine I can see why people loved this rifle it's why I love mine too, beautiful and functional.

[@Porty1119]

Leverguns are less obsolete than bolt guns.

[@Skidracer21]

@@Porty1119 the pump action is less obsolete than both.

[@Porty1119]

@@Skidracer21 That's fair.

[@fredeschen3783]

Watch out for rust under the leather. I found out the hard way after wrapping leather around a saddle ring to dampen the noise.

[@nutz4gunz457]

Fred Eschen I made the mistake of leaving a bunch of 44mag rounds in a leather cartridge holder for over a year. When I checked on it all the cartridges were corroded green and crusty as hell.

[@CDOES]

Awesome video, Karl! I loved this and everything about it. I just wish it was longer.

[@matthaught4707]

I noticed that Karl doesn't run the action after the final shot before moving, opting to run with a fired case in the chamber. I'm assuming that's because of the lack of any manual safety, but it's interesting to see how drilled that is.

[@jesseslater728]

I'm sure somebody has pointed this out by now, but the chief advantage of 44-40 is in black powder shooting. It's much thinner brass casing obdurates much more fully, sealing the chamber, and keeping functionally all fouling out of the action.

[@tugboatyan]

Renowned card-shark waylaid en route to poison the martini of some Old World ruffian who cheated him at a hand of poker, 1878 (colorized)

[@the20thDoctor]

If it was 1878 he'd be a card sharp, right?

[@TodayLifeIsGoood]

"You're pretty good."

[@dwightehowell8179]

The thing that stands out to me is that while these guns are hopelessly obsolescent in many ways they still work as well as they ever did. They would still take game to put food on the table and if the bad guy just happened to be standing at the wrong location they'd still put them on the ground even if they had the most advanced guns available. Sure there is armor today that would stop rounds like these but that armor would not only stop the old rounds; they stop the new rounds.

[@nathanaelgodson3994]

Been Playing Red Dead Redemption 2 the last weeks and love to see those guns in action for real

[@Hashashin_Fidayin]

Great video, great rifle, great shooting! Really badass to see someone reload with a bandoleer while moving! Thank you for posting!

[@andreuvidaller7966]

I keep coming back to your old west videos just to see all the fun you have shredding with leverguns.

[@RichardGoth]

Great presentation Karl! Loved every minute!

[@headonbody8037]

karl this is the happiest i've seen you during a video intro.

[@taylorkessen8772]

This is an awesome video. I'm looking forward to more coverage of topics like this!

[@ammarchetta]

Thanks Karl (and Ian). I think modern firearms are great, and really like well set up ARs. That being said, It's great to see historic firearms used in these types of matches. Thanks for the time and effort on your part.

[@marklichem]

Hultafors actually make knives with a screwdriver tip, I believe its their model for painters and it costs like 10 bucks.

[@CandidZulu]

Yes the tip is for paint cans.

[@marklichem]

@@CandidZulu Is'n the notch on the back for paint cans? I mean everybody will use the tip but still ^^

[@taggartlawfirm]

mark lichem they make the best axes !!

[@EddieRiggsBF3]

This video is perfect example, why i become patreon supporter. Love these guns and love the content what you make.

[@Matt61702]

Thanks for making my week. IRTV old west content is so enjoyable!

[@natpeterson8856]

thank you Mr. Karl for sharing those amazing experiences with classic repro gun !

[@aqualung.]

Superb contect. I like the way the little field maintenance tips break up the stages. I also want a single action revolver and a levergun now.

[@python13578]

Great video Karl, AR videos are all over so this was really refreshing and entertaining to watch. Keep up the great work.

[@WINTEJER000]

this was one of my favorite 2 gun matches i have watched

[@areyoulying4937]

That was an awesome watch! I have a couple of Winchester carbines and love shooting them!

[@bretsubotnik1777]

Great video, I watch all of your stuff,loved the noise at 7mins,I know the feeling

[@briarus1000]

i was waiting to see how you did on that stage the entire video. great video!

[@theoldehandgonne2503]

Here's a tip regarding the loosening screws: Rub a bit of soft beeswax on the threads of the screw, and then screw it back in. Not only does it make it extra water tight (helping to prevent rust), but it also prevents the screw from slipping. (This method also works for loose ladder sights)

[@MikeUtah]

Love those guns! Love the 2 Gun content. Thanks Karl.

[@dadsausmchero]

So glad to see someone do a timed shoot with the old west guns. Looking for ward to seeing the rest of your "Wild West" collection on the clock.

[@Khorsathedark]

This was awesome Karl. If you can do more that would be great.

[@rokuth]

Loved it. Seen so many Westerns (the Rifleman comes to mind) that to see these guns in real live action is just spectacular.

[@bauer431]

Thank you for using Black Powder and demonstrating what these tools are truly like.

[@andersbendsen5931]

Absolutely adored this. Thank you!

[@sd4594]

Thank you for using the .44 WCF terminology and explaining how .44-40 came into being. Looking forward to the next video!

[@conorobrien2411]

1870’s dudes: I want 15 rounds of capacity and an action that lends itself to fast and accurate shooting. 1910’s dudes: 5 gigantic, high recoiling rounds that I can barely hit anything with is fine

[@jic1]

Remember that the 1870s *military* dudes had *one* gigantic round they could barely hit anything with.

[@GentlemansCombatives]

@@jic1 That's why custer got slaughtered once the indians closed to 15 yards

[@troy9477]

Nice. Been wanting an 1873 repro in 45 Colt myself. My SA .45 Colt is a stainless Bisley. I need a more Colt-like one. Nice to see how the lever gun is still effective. I have several and love them all. Being left handed, they work well for me. Keep it up, Karl. Great work

[@JJW3]

I love my Uberti 1873 rifle. I got a recent 2018 produced model in the 20 inch short rifle configuration in .45 Colt. It was imported by Cimarron. Everything is beautiful on the rifle. Even the wood grain on the stock is fully tiger striped. The internal action was also surprisingly smooth. There were hardly any burrs or machine marks that I needed to clean up. I had read that the Uberti clones usually need a good bit of cleanup inside, but thankfully that was not the case with this example.

[@MatSpeedle]

Of all the guns I've shot these are two of my favourites. Simple to use and deadly in the right hands! This looks like a lot of fun.

[@dirus3142]

What I learned today. If I have problems with my action, I should spit on it, and run it with vigor. Also, the term pot hole started in Rome. Were potters dug holes in the road to steal the clay used in the road construction. Just wanted to share those that with some one today.

[@VA3WFT]

Great video. Love your work, mate.

[@GiantPinhead]

Outstanding, as usual. Very enjoyable!

[@sski]

Awesome gun, awesome video. Thanks, Karl.

[@EeekiE]

The acoustics of the SAA during the first salvo were sublime.

[@grendelgrendelsson5493]

What a fantastically enjoyable video that was! Although I love watching AR's being put through their paces, the mystique of those wonderful Wild West weapons is irresistible. We can buy SAA's in Britain now but we're not allowed the normal cartridge cylinders; we have to load from the front so it basically qualifies as a muzzle loader. Anyway, thank you very much for that video Karl, you've made can old Western fan very happy!!!!

[@NonApplicable1983]

7:42 I thought you were gonna pee in it.

[@RobertoDonatti]

I love the single calibre combination. When I still could go in the bush, I carried my 1892 Winchester and my Colt New Service both in .44 WCF. So versatile. I even had birdshot shells. I hunted everything with those guns, from partridge to boar.

[@markconway8835]

Fun! And you ran 'em good, on the clock. Black Powder and everything. Excellent!

[@jaywondergem7026]

Showing how it’s done...with black powder! Thank you Carl! Excellent shooting, and a great history lesson.

[@CanadiaGames]

Can't wait to see more of these kinds of vidoes :D

[@deniskozlowski9370]

Nice job. I love the old west weapons and gear.

[@user-ho4nw5sf3w]

My first center fire fire arms were an 1873 Winchester and Colt SAA. My Grandfather gave them to me. Needless to say. I knew how lucky I was the moment he gave them to me. That was 1962,and I was 12. They'll go to my Grandson some day soon. I will still have a Colt SAA 357 and Winchester 1873 in .357 mag. Of all the firearms I would suggest both of these firearms to anyone who wants a simple and very reliable firearm.

[@zachburke5440]

Loving the western themed content! I've always been a fan of the Old West Vignettes that you do here, but this is especially fun to see. I've been reading a lot of Louis L'Amour's Sackett family novels set in the Old West lately, and this was a perfect video to complement them!

[@MrWarwick15]

Nice Karl! Thanks so much. Rich.

[@rayfeltz8477]

I greatly enjoyed watching this.

[@JP-hv5xm]

it's amazing how much smoother the action is on the pistol caliber guns vs the rifle cartridge guns. I have a Rossi 92 (winchester 1892 copy) and compared to winchester 1894 or Marlin 336 the action is like butter and you can work it so fast.

[@operator1192]

I’ve been listing after that rifle for a long time. I picked up an Uberti 1873 Cattleman in 45 Colt a few years ago and fell in love after that. I just bought my first lever gun not long ago, a Marlin 1895 but the 1873 is still just such a sexy and iconic design and I would definitely go with an Uberti again.

[@asillycryptid7235]

Oh this is extremely my kind of content right here, love it! Was kinda hoping to see a one shot reload on the SAA, but I'm not sure if that'd be permitted here :D

[@proteus2103]

This is the granddaddy of the ar. Excellent shooting by the the way.

[@spooch3257]

Never caught an episode so early after being uploaded =]

[@bigbud6842]

This video and your desert brutality using the lever action has helped me officially decide to get one for myself. I feel like in the event of actual combat it would be more than sufficient, its powerful, accurate and reliable. Its drawback it's also a benefit too in the heat of combat, if you run out of ammo you insert it directly into the gun and you can just keep shotting. With a magazine once your out of reloaded magazines you have to reload the whole magazine, or at least spend time putting the bullets back into a mag then changing said mag out.

[@camrsr5463]

That was really cool!

[@zzxxooooxxzz4964]

Very cool video I enjoyed it very much thank you for your time we all appreciate it plan on doing any videos and 3220 cartridges sorry but I got to ask I love that 32 WCF cartridge I'd have to say that is one of my most favorite underrated cartridges extremely accurate it's a shame that most people don't even know what it is hope to see some soon thanks a lot keep them coming

[@Javic167]

Scores for the stages would have been interesting to compare it with modern loadouts. Good video as allways Karl.

[@calska140]

Looking sharp, Karl.

[@pinnedthrottle7690]

Karl, thank you for the tips on keeping the 73 running with black powder! I’ve reloaded 45 colt for my uberti 73 with BP and while I can shoot it for a good while, still would slow up and eventually jam due to fouling. I’ll remember these tips next time I’m out on the range!

[@SunsetSam]

Nice stage! Like it

[@jonathandalton2921]

thanks karl , good video

[@TheGorillafoot]

Looks like so much fun.