Uberti 1873 Rifle
The Uberti 1873 is a faithful reproduction of the original Winchester 1873 — the lever-action rifle often called "The Gun That Won the West." Impact Guns carries it across a full range of barrel lengths and configurations, from the 24.25" Sporting Rifle down to the 16" Trapper carbine, in .357 Magnum and .45 Colt. All share the toggle-link action and rebounding hammer of the original design, updated with modern manufacturing tolerances.
Read our full Uberti 1873 Rifle Buying Guide ↓
Barrel Length Guide: Sporting Rifle vs. Short Rifle vs. Trapper
The full-length Sporting Rifle runs a 24.25" octagon barrel for the classic Winchester 1873 profile and the longest sight radius in the lineup. The Short Rifle steps down to 20", trading some sight radius for a lighter, more maneuverable rifle. The Trapper goes shortest at 16", the most carbine-like configuration and the easiest to handle in tight cowboy-action stages or from horseback. A middle option, the Rifle with Half-Octagonal Barrel, runs 18" with a half-round, half-octagon barrel profile splitting the difference in weight and looks.
Special Sporting vs. Standard: What the Upgrade Adds
The Special Sporting Rifle and Special Sporting Short Rifle add features over the standard Sporting/Short Rifle configurations — check the specific listing for the exact upgrades on a given production run, since Uberti has varied what "Special Sporting" includes over time. Both share the same core action and calibers as the standard rifles.
Competition Ready: Built for Cowboy Action Shooting
The Competition Ready Rifle is built specifically for Cowboy Action Shooting, with a 20" octagon barrel and a 10-round capacity tuned for the sport's stage-shooting format. If you're actively competing rather than just want a period-correct rifle for the collection, this configuration is worth the look over the standard Short Rifle.
Caliber Options: .357 Magnum vs. .45 Colt
.357 Magnum lets you share ammunition with a .357-chambered Cattleman revolver for a matched cowboy-action rig, and it's the lower-recoil, cheaper-to-shoot option. .45 Colt is the more historically correct chambering for an 1873 reproduction and pairs with a .45 Colt Cattleman for period-correct authenticity, at a higher per-round cost.
The Uberti 1873 Hunter: A Modern Departure
The Uberti 1873 Hunter Rifle is a modern departure from the historical chamberings — it's available in .44 Magnum and .45 Colt (Long Colt) rather than the traditional .357/.45 Colt cowboy-action calibers, paired with a matching 1873 Hunter revolver in the same chamberings. It's built for hunters who want the lever-action 1873 platform with more modern stopping power rather than strict historical accuracy.
150th Anniversary Engraved Editions
Uberti released engraved 150th Anniversary editions of the 1873 rifle in both .357/20" and .45 Colt/20" configurations, commemorating a century and a half of the design. These are collector-oriented pieces with decorative engraving beyond the standard rifles' finish.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between the Uberti 1873 Sporting Rifle and Short Rifle? The Sporting Rifle runs a full 24.25" octagon barrel for the classic Winchester 1873 look and longest sight radius. The Short Rifle steps down to 20" for a lighter, more maneuverable gun — both share the same action and calibers.
Should I choose .357 Magnum or .45 Colt for an Uberti 1873? .357 Magnum is cheaper to shoot and lets you share ammo with a .357 Cattleman revolver for a matched rig. .45 Colt is the more historically correct chambering for an 1873 reproduction. Either is a legitimate choice depending on whether cost or authenticity matters more to you.
What is the Uberti 1873 Hunter Rifle? A modern-chambering variant of the 1873 platform, available in .44 Magnum and .45 Colt (Long Colt) rather than the traditional cowboy-action calibers, with a matching Hunter revolver in the same chamberings.
See Also: Uberti • Uberti 1873 Cattleman • Uberti Schofield • Lever-Action Rifles