Chaparral 1873 lever guns?

[Yosemite Sam]

Does anyone have experience with Chaparral firearms, specifically their 1873 lever guns?

My local shop has one of the "Short Rifles" on the shelf, and it has real nice wood, real pretty case coloring on the receiver, a 20" octagonal barrel, and reasonably good sights. Runs about the same price as a Uberti, which I've read about. In fact, the two guns are extremely similar, and are probably made in factories about 3 blocks from each other, if not the same place under different contract names (ref Cimarron/Pietta).

Related question: How strong is the 1873 action? I've read that with .45 Colt, only SAA-level loads should be used in the Uberti. I also note the brass cartridge elevator. Is this generally the case across the board with 1873 style guns?

-- Sam

 

[DeletedMember58]

Sam,

Not made by the same contractors for certain. The Uberti is made in their plant (which I have visited) while the Chaparral is made in the old Armi San Marco plant which is a little further away than three blocks. :wink:

The early Chaparrals were imported by Charter Arms a few years back, and they finally dropped 'em because of the frequency of warranty work. Not sure exactly who brings them in now, and I wonder if what is currently available may be old stock from the Charter attempt.

CDNN sells 'em for a whole lot less than what a Uberti costs, so if your retailer is pricing them similarly, run away. Current cost is $600 through them, which is about where used Ubertis begin.

I have no personal experience with them, but know two fellows who own the larger 1876 made by the same fellows. Both had a lot of issues before being usable. One had function issues which were rectified, but the rifle was stamped 1873! A bit hard to fix without a complete refinish job on the receiver.

If you haunt the Cowboy Action type websites, there is a lot of grumbling about the build quality. Again, this was with product from two or three years ago.

Oh yeah, one more thing. Make darn certain that "real nice wood" is really real. Chaparral used (uses) a faux finish technique on plain grain wood to make it "appear" like real nice wood.

 

[dusty3030]

Toggle link guns are slicker than snot. The Henry, 1866, and 1873 repros are smooth shooting and shucking guns.
The Uberti is the best out there in clones of these rifles.

The toggle link action is smooth, but the toggle links are the weak point. Stick to black powder equiq. loads. These guns will shoot loose quickly with hot rod "Ruger" type loads.

The brass elevator is correct for these guns. The bolt is steel and is held in battery by the toggles inside. The elevator ejects the empty out the top and brings a fresh round in line with the bolt.

 

[Coop]

Yosemite Sam,

If you are looking for an 1873 lever action rifle, I recommend you acquire a Uberti reproduction 1873 rifle.

Annie and I have had five of them, and currently own and shoot a Uberti .38 Special 1866 "Yellowboy" and a Uberti .357 Mag 1873 "Deluxe". All have come from Taylors out of Winchester, VA thru Enck's Gun Barn near Lancaster, PA.

We have been SASS/Cowboy Action Shooters since 1998. The toggle-link lever action rifle design by John Moses Browning was, and is today, a very smooth action.

Annie and I have shot thousands of cartridges thru our Uberti rifles all over the USA in CAS competitions. AND, we will be in Phoenix, AZ for the Cowboy Action Shooting National Championship match in late February 2011.

I am - SASS Alias "Chicken Coop", Life Member SASS 5791, SASS Territorial Governer, western PA "Dry Gulch Rangers".

Have fun, Shoot safe.

Coop

 

[Yosemite Sam]

Thank you all, especially Otony for the background info.

I think I'll pass on this one.

I started out looking at Marlin 1894s that could handle some stouter loads, but somehow drifted into the "pretty" guns... Time to reset.

-- Sam

 

[DeletedMember58]

"The toggle-link lever action rifle design by John Moses Browning was, and is today, a very smooth action."

Coop, you are right that it is a very smooth action, but ol' John M. didn't start selling his designs to Winchester until the 1880s, the High Wall being the first rifle sold. He later went on to design the 1886, 1892, 1894, and 1895 but the earlier Winchester lever actions were all prior to his association with the firm.

By the way, I own a Uberti 1873 chambered in .44 Special! Now there is sumpin' you don't see every day!

 

[Coop]

Otony,

Thank you for your correction. My information was in error.

Who did design the toggle link action. Was that Tyler Henry?

Coop

 

[wwb]

The toggle link was B. Tyler Henry's design, and the loading port on the side of the receiver was by a fellow named "King"... can't recall his first name, and too lazy to go upstairs to get the Winchester book.

 

[Coop]

OK, thanks all for your responses. AIR, the receiver loading gate for the tubeular magazine was called the "King's Improvement", and, I think, was first used on the Winchester 1866 Yellowboy.

God, I love this forum!!!

Coop

 

[DeletedMember58]

Ya know Coop, I have always wondered what would have been the result if Winchester asked John M. to simply improve the toggle-link action rather than develop the rear bolt '86 and '92.

In fact, if I am not mistaken, John M. used a .44-40 1873 to develop one of his first automatics!

I like this forum too! SWMBO says too much! :wink: