Uberti 1873 Rifle Review (2026): 800 Rounds, Seven Models and the $250 Caliber Gap

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Table of Contents

Review: Uberti 1873 Rifle, the Gun That Won the West, Built Again

Our Rating: 8.0/10

• MSRP: $1,399 (Short Rifle, .357 Magnum) to $1,799 (Competition)
• Street Price: $1,447.99 for the .45 Colt Short Rifle (342810) at Palmetto State Armory on September 27, 2026 (Use our live pricing for the best up to date deal)
• Calibers: .357 Magnum and .45 Colt in Uberti’s current U.S. lineup
• Action: Lever action, side loading gate, exposed hammer
• Barrel Length: 16.125 in. (Trapper), 18 in., 20 in. or 24.25 in.
• Twist: 1:18.75 in .357 Magnum, 1:16 in .45 Colt, 6 grooves
• Capacity: 9+1 (Trapper), 10+1 (18 and 20 in.), 13+1 (24.25 in.)
• Receiver: Color case-hardened on most models, blued steel on the Trapper
• Stock: A-grade walnut; crescent buttplate on most, rubber pad on the Competition
• Weight and Length: Uberti lists 8.2 lb and 43.25 in. for every rifle but the Competition (8 lb, 39 in.), see below

Quick Take

The Uberti 1873 is Uberti’s reproduction of the Winchester 1873, the lever gun Uberti’s own page calls “The Gun That Won the West.” Uberti sells seven versions in .357 Magnum or .45 Colt, from the 16 in. Trapper to the 24.25 in. Sporting Rifle, with color case-hardened receivers and walnut stocks.

We shot two: the .45 Colt Short Rifle (342810) and the .357 Magnum Competition (342905). They ran 800 rounds between them with one stoppage, and it was mine. The action is slick, and the Competition’s short-stroke lever is fast enough to spoil you.

The catch is money. The .45 Colt Short Rifle was $1,447.99 at PSA, while a Winchester-branded 1873 Short Rifle in .45 Colt was $1,206.99 at the same store.

Best For: Cowboy action shooters, collectors and anyone who wants a rifle to match a single-action revolver. Not for hunters who want the most power for the money.

Design Intent: One Cartridge for Rifle and Revolver

Uberti’s own history of the 1873 is the best pitch for it. The original Winchester was chambered for the then-new .44-40, and Colt and Smith & Wesson soon built revolvers for the same round, so a rider needed one cartridge belt for both guns. Uberti says more than 720,000 1873s were made over 50 years, until 1923.

Uberti’s rifle keeps the original’s layout: a side loading gate, a tube magazine under the barrel, an exposed hammer and, like the 1860 Henry before it, a lever lock. Uberti pitches it the same way today, as a way to own a lever gun and a single-action revolver in the same cartridge. Pair a .45 Colt Short Rifle with a .45 Colt revolver like the one in our Uberti 1873 Cattleman review and you have the classic combination.

One thing is missing, though. The current U.S. table on Uberti’s site lists only .357 Magnum and .45 Colt. The .44-40 that made the original famous isn’t on it.

The $250 Caliber Premium and a Chart That Doesn’t Add Up

Uberti lists the Short Rifle in .357 Magnum (342710) at $1,399 and the same Short Rifle in .45 Colt (342810) at $1,649. Same 20 in. octagonal barrel, same case-hardened receiver, same walnut, same 10+1 capacity on Uberti’s own table. The difference is $250 for the bigger cartridge.

Street prices narrowed it. EuroOptic had the .357 Short Rifle at $1,299.99, and PSA had the .45 Colt at $1,447.99. PSA also had the 24.25 in. .45 Colt Sporting Rifle (342820) at the same $1,447.99, three more rounds of capacity for no extra money.

Then there’s Uberti’s spec table. It gives the 16.125 in. Trapper, the 18 in. Half Octagonal, the 20 in. Short Rifle and the 24.25 in. Sporting Rifle the same 43.25 in. overall length and the same 8.2 lb. Rifles with barrels eight inches apart can’t be the same length. Only the Competition has its own numbers, 39 in. and 8 lb. We’d treat Uberti’s weight and length column as a placeholder, not a spec. We saw the same copy-paste on Uberti’s Cattleman revolver table.

Uberti 1873 Rifle Variants

Uberti’s current table lists seven rifles, with Uberti’s list prices.

Retailers also carry Uberti 1873s that aren’t on Uberti’s current table, including Hunter models (342711 and 342712), 150th Anniversary rifles (342812 and 342813) and a Limited Edition (342811). And two importers sell Uberti-made 1873s under their own names. Cimarron’s 1873 Short was $1,284.99 at Guns.com, and Taylor’s sells “tuned” versions that Battlehawk and Classic Firearms listed from about $1,634 to $1,926.

Competitor Comparison

Here’s the Uberti against the other 1873s and the modern pistol-caliber lever guns people compare it with.

Winchester Model 1873 Short Rifle ($1,145.33 to $1,206.99)

Winchester sells its own 1873 again, and PSA had the .45 Colt Short Rifle (534200141) at $1,206.99, about $241 less than the Uberti. You get the Winchester name. Midway lists the .357 Winchester with a blued frame, while most Uberti rifles have case-hardened receivers.

Cimarron 1873 ($1,177.00 to $1,284.99)

Retailer listings show Cimarron’s 1873s are Uberti-made, sold under the Cimarron name with their own model lineup. Guns.com had a Cimarron 1873 Short at $1,284.99, and PSA had the Deluxe Short at $1,599.99. If you find the configuration you want cheaper under the Cimarron name, it’s worth a look.

Henry Big Boy Steel (from $864.99)

The Big Boy is a modern American pistol-caliber lever gun, and PSA had the Big Boy Steel in .41 Magnum at $864.99. It costs hundreds less than the Uberti, but it isn’t a period-correct 1873. If you want the history, buy the Uberti. If you want a lever gun that shoots your revolver ammo for less, look at the Henry.

Rossi R92 ($527.78 to $633.99)

The R92 is the budget pistol-caliber lever gun, and Guns.com had one at $633.99, less than half the Uberti. It isn’t an 1873, and the finish shows the price. For a cheap rifle to match a revolver, it’s the obvious start.

Verdict: The Uberti is the most expensive way into a pistol-caliber lever gun on this list, and the Winchester 1873 undercut it on the day we checked. You buy the Uberti for its case colors and its range of models. For more options, see our best lever action rifles.

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Testing Protocol

We tested a .45 Colt Short Rifle (342810) and a .357 Magnum Competition Rifle (342905). We shot them over four sessions in September, from 60 to 85 degrees, at 25, 50 and 100 yards on the factory sights.

Ammunition Log

• .45 Colt: Winchester Cowboy Action 250 gr lead flat nose, 200 rounds
• .45 Colt: Hornady LEVERevolution 225 gr FTX, 100 rounds
• .45 Colt: Federal Champion 225 gr lead semi-wadcutter hollow point, 100 rounds
• .357 Magnum: Magtech Cowboy Action 158 gr lead flat nose, 200 rounds
• .357 Magnum: Federal American Eagle 158 gr JSP, 100 rounds
• .357 Magnum: Hornady LEVERevolution 140 gr FTX, 100 rounds

That’s 400 rounds through each rifle, 800 in total, fired in the order listed.

Phase 1: Break-In

Both rifles started on the cowboy loads after a wipe-down. The Short Rifle’s lever felt a little notchy for the first 50 rounds and smoothed out after that. The Competition was slick from the first round, which is what Uberti’s action job is for.

Phase 2: Reliability

At round 63 on the Short Rifle, a Winchester Cowboy round jammed at the carrier. I had eased the lever forward instead of running it all the way. A firm, full stroke cleared it, and it never happened again. Nothing else went wrong in 800 rounds. Empties flew up and out, and the Competition’s short-stroke lever made fast strings easy.

Phase 3: Accuracy

From a rest at 50 yards on the factory sights, the .357 Competition shot five-shot groups of 1.5 inches with Hornady LEVERevolution 140 gr, 1.8 with American Eagle 158 gr and 2.0 with the Magtech cowboy load. The .45 Colt Short Rifle shot 1.9 inches with LEVERevolution 225 gr, 2.2 with Federal and 2.4 with the Winchester cowboy load. At 100 yards the Short Rifle held LEVERevolution to 3.6 inches.

Our trigger gauge read 3 lb 14 oz on the Short Rifle and 2 lb 12 oz on the Competition. Both broke cleanly.

Tracking & Observations

After 400 rounds each, the case colors showed no wear beyond a little lead smudge around the loading gate. The lead loads left fouling in the bore that a brush cleared easily. The crescent buttplate on the Short Rifle is period-correct and it bites with .45 Colt, especially the heavier loads.

What This Means for You

• Reliability: Run the lever all the way, every time.
• Ammo Preference: Hornady LEVERevolution grouped best in both calibers.
• Accuracy Expectation: About 2 inches at 50 yards on the factory sights.
• Comfort: The crescent butt is authentic but hard on the shoulder with .45 Colt.
• Model Choice: The Sporting Rifle was the same street price as the Short Rifle, with three more rounds.

Performance Testing Results

Reliability (8/10)

One stoppage in 800 rounds, and it was my short stroke. The 1873 rewards a full, confident lever throw.

Accuracy (8/10)

Groups of 1.5 to 1.9 inches at 50 yards with the best loads, on open sights. That’s plenty for steel plates and deer at sensible pistol-caliber ranges.

Ergonomics & Recoil (8/10)

The lever is slick, and the Competition’s short stroke is a real speed advantage. The crescent butt on the standard rifles is the one complaint. The Competition’s rubber pad fixes it.

Fit, Finish, and Quality Control (9/10)

This is where Uberti earns its price. The case colors are rich and even, the walnut has real figure, and the wood-to-metal fit is tight on both rifles.

Value (7/10)

At $1,447.99 in .45 Colt, it cost $241 more than the Winchester 1873 at PSA and hundreds more than a Henry or a Rossi. You’re paying for looks and history.

Features (8/10)

Seven models, from the handy Trapper to the long Sporting Rifle, plus a factory-tuned Competition. The missing .44-40 is the gap for purists.

Technical Deep Dive

Uberti’s Seven 1873 Rifles

From Uberti’s current model table. Uberti’s weight and length figures are left out because the table repeats the same numbers for rifles of different lengths.

Model (item)	Caliber	Barrel	Capacity	Receiver	Twist	MSRP
Trapper (342435)	.357 Mag	16.125 in. round	9+1	Blued	1:18.75	$1,599
Half Octagonal (342445)	.357 Mag	18 in. half octagonal	10+1	Case-hardened	1:18.75	$1,699
Short Rifle (342710)	.357 Mag	20 in. octagonal	10+1	Case-hardened	1:18.75	$1,399
Short Rifle (342810)	.45 Colt	20 in. octagonal	10+1	Case-hardened	1:16	$1,649
Sporting Rifle (342820)	.45 Colt	24.25 in. octagonal	13+1	Case-hardened	1:16	$1,649
Special Sporting (342770)	.45 Colt	24.25 in. octagonal	13+1	Case-hardened	1:16	$1,749
Competition (342905)	.357 Mag	20 in. octagonal	10+1	Case-hardened	1:18.75	$1,799

The Competition Rifle

Uberti describes the Competition as built for competition shooters, with an action job and a short-stroke lever, a 20 in. barrel, a shotgun-style buttstock and a gold bead front sight. In our test it was the more accurate rifle and the faster one to run.

Parts, Accessories and Upgrades

Upgrade Category	Recommended Component	Why It Matters	Cost Estimate
Matching Revolver	A single-action revolver in the same caliber	One cartridge for both guns	$600 to $900
Cartridge Belt	A leather cartridge belt with loops	Period-correct and practical at matches	$60 to $150
Cleaning	A bore brush and rod for your caliber	Lead cowboy loads foul the bore	$15 to $30
Ammo	Hornady LEVERevolution	Grouped best in both of our rifles	$30 to $50 per box

For a .45 Colt load we’ve tested, see our Remington Core-Lokt .45 Colt review.

Common Problems & Solutions

• Round jams at the carrier: Almost always a short stroke. Run the lever fully forward and back.
• Crescent butt hurts: It’s period-correct. Shoot lighter cowboy loads, or pick the Competition with its rubber pad.
• Lead fouling: Lead cowboy loads leave deposits. Brush the bore after each session.
• Planning a scabbard or case: Don’t rely on Uberti’s listed lengths. Measure the rifle, because the table repeats one figure for different barrel lengths.

Who Should NOT Buy This Gun

The Uberti 1873 is a beautiful rifle, but it isn’t for everyone.

• Buyers who want the Winchester name: The Winchester Model 1873 Short Rifle, from $1,145.33, cost less when we checked.
• Anyone on a tight budget: The Rossi R92, from $527.78, matches your revolver ammo for less than half.
• Shooters who want a modern lever gun: The Henry Big Boy Steel, from $864.99, skips the history for a lower price.
• .44-40 purists: Uberti’s current U.S. table doesn’t list it. Check other importers, such as the Cimarron 1873 lineup from $1,177.00, and confirm the caliber before you buy.

Final Verdict

The Uberti 1873 is a gorgeous, smooth-running copy of the Winchester 1873. Our two ran 800 rounds with one stoppage that was my own fault, and the Competition is one of the slickest lever actions we’ve run. Its weak points are price and a spec table you can’t fully trust.

Buy the .357 Magnum if you don’t need .45 Colt, since it lists $250 lower. For matches, the Competition is worth the extra. If you want a rifle to go with a single-action revolver and you care how it looks, this is the one. For the history behind it, see our guide to cowboy action shooting.

Specs and list prices in this Uberti 1873 Rifle review come from Uberti’s 1873 Rifle and Carbine page. Street prices are what our live cards showed on September 27, 2026.

Final Score: 8.0/10. The best-looking pistol-caliber lever gun you can buy, at a price that reflects it.

FAQ: Uberti 1873 Rifle