Hi everyone. Just bought my Uberti Winchester 1873 .44-40 win. Gun works like a dream an is accurate but still few improvments would be nice especially to sights. This is my first post here. Have to rely on you cause back home (finland) not so many owns this model.


My gun is nickel plated and both of the sights are too. I really have hard time to shoot with the original sights. Somehow I can't focus my eyes to the sights.

Here is a picture of it -->

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b353/sailor1234/kivri.jpg

So has anyone fitted a scope to this rifle and is there scope mounts that will fit to Uberti 1873? Difficult I guess cause rifle is ejecting casings straight up... perhaps a handgun scope?


Also how about this sight any good for hunting game and for the shooting range? --->

https://secure.benelliusa.com/uberti/store/images/products/177.jpg

and this to front any good? Sadly no gunstore nearby or friend of mine has these at hand so I can't test. :(

https://secure.benelliusa.com/uberti/store/images/products/125.jpg

Yes, I equipped my '73 with the Uberti tang peep and front sight with inserts exactly as pictured. I liked that folding tang peep so well I got a couple more for other rifles. They don't have the fine adjustments such as needed on long range rifles but the '73, with the cartridges it chambers is not a long range rifle anyway and those sights will allow you to get all the accuracy of which the rifle and cartridge is capable. My 44/40 would hold good handloads into three inches at 100 yards and that is about the maximum practical range for a 44/40.

Yes, I equipped my '73 with the Uberti tang peep and front sight with inserts exactly as pictured. I liked that folding tang peep so well I got a couple more for other rifles. They don't have the fine adjustments such as needed on long range rifles but the '73, with the cartridges it chambers is not a long range rifle anyway and those sights will allow you to get all the accuracy of which the rifle and cartridge is capable. My 44/40 would hold good handloads into three inches at 100 yards and that is about the maximum practical range for a 44/40.

Hi CoyoteJoe and thanks for answering so quickly :)

Did the mounting of rear tang peep need any gunsmithing, front seems to be bolt-on? At rear there is only one screw in my gun. So I assume the other needs to be drilled at least? :confused:

I think I could give a try to peep sight but scope always fascinates me but it ruins the guns image a little bit :o

It was quite a few years ago that I mounted the tang sight and I really don't recall but I think I probably did have to drill and tap a hole in the tang. The front is a dovetail, just knock one out and the other one in. To scope a '73 would require a long eye relief scope such as a handgun or scout scope mounted ahead of the receiver. The barrel will have to be drilled and tapped for the mount base. I'm not aware of any mounts available expressly for the '73 but for an octagon barrel I would use the Weaver base made for a Marlin m336 lever action rifle. Those rifles have a flat topped receiver so scope bases made for them have flat bottoms, easily mounted on an octagon barrel. However, I don't think you'd find much advantage to a scope on a '73, neither the rifle nor the cartridge is much of a long range precision affair.
"ruins the guns image a little bit"?? I'd say "blows it plumb to H*LL"!:D

One of the best things you can do for a clearer view of your sights is replace those shiny silver sights with some blued versions to knock down the glare you're fighting. The bright nickel sights are causing flare and low contrast which increases sighting difficulties. Also, your idea to add a tang peep sight is an excellent one which will greatly increase your longer range accuracy.

A small aperture in the peep sight creates a larger Depth of Field (DOF - area within which everything is in focus) which helps my 62 yr old eyes shoot my 24" [61cm] hex barreled .357 Mag Rossi at 200 - 300 yds [183 - 274 meters] and sometimes beyond with surprising accuracy. Example; I can shoot an 8" [20cm] dia steel plate at 175yds [160 meters] with ease. In addition, a tang sight is a great hunting sight because it's fast to get on target and you can insert a larger aperture in it or just remove the screw in aperture and you have a great hunting 'ghost' rear sight.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v726/Coloradoglocker/100_3649.jpg

I installed a Marbles Tang sight:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v726/Coloradoglocker/100_3655.jpg

Replaced the rear sight with a Marbles folding one for when I use the tang:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v726/Coloradoglocker/100_3654.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v726/Coloradoglocker/100_3653.jpg

And replaced the front sight with a Marbles thin (1/16" wide [0.2cm]) beaded blade sight for greater accuracy at long ranges.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v726/Coloradoglocker/100_3651.jpg

Those additions significantly increased my accuracy because I now have a very clear view of the front sight due to the increased DOF, a much longer sight radius (distance between the front and rear sight - in my case the tang to front sight length is 30"[76cm]), and the fact that the rear sight is so close to your eye that sighting it accurately is very natural. Best of all, it maintains the western 'look' of the rifle.

Thanks Steve your post helps a lot.

That Marbles folding sight is a must because I would like to keep "normal" sight in use too.

What about that front sight. I checked from the http://www.buffaloarms.com/browse.cfm/2,271.html and there is so many versions: different height, width, size of the dot (1/16" as yours, 3/32"...), colour. So how do I choose the right one or is at matter of taste?

By the way is there a lot of difference between Marbles tang sight and a Lyman version? Why did you choose the Marbles one?

Both the Lyman and the Marbles tang sights (and tang sights in general) will require the existing tang screw be replaced with a longer screw, due to the extra thickness of the sight's base.
Some makers include them with the sights, while others provide them at extra cost.

The main difference between the Lyman and the Marble's tang sight's designs is that the Marble's sight is click adjustable for both elevation and windage; while the Lyman is click adjustable for elevation only - it's adjusted for windage by shimming one side or the other of it's base. (set and forget).

The OTHER difference is that the Lyman sight will cost you only 1/2 to 2/3 what the Marble's will.

ANY tang peep will require that second, forward sight base anchor hole be drilled & tapped, if a particular rifle is not already so set up.

The best part about a tang sight is that the rear barrel sight can be changed to a folding leaf type, and zeroed for short range, quick forest shots - while the tang sight can be zeroed for longer, deliberate shots.
A front sight that's the same height as the issue sight will work just fine, whether with the tang sight alone, or with the two-sight combination.

.

Rangr44 covered it pretty well.

I might also mention in regard to the Lyman tang sights that they have changed from the original design. The old Lymans, like the Uberti, are held upright or folded by a flat spring underneath the stem. When recoil or a bump moves the stem out of vertical the under spring will snap it back upright. The new Lymans are retained upright by a ball detente and when moved out of the detente position it will not return itself. That means you have to manually reset the sight after every shot or else tighten the pivot screw so tight it can't fold, neither alternative is very good. I will never own another of the new Lymans, they have cheapened the design to ruin. The Uberti is of the old design and works as it should and also offers windage adjustment, which is a big plus. I don't know about the Marbles in regard to returning to vertical, I hope it does.
Another plus for the Uberti is that they are made expressly for the '73 Winchester and come with the proper screws for mounting and are the proper hight to align with the front sights pictured.

http://www.taylorsfirearms.com/products/detail-accessories.tpl?subcategory=Scopes%20and%20Accesso ries (http://www.taylorsfirearms.com/products/detail-accessories.tpl?subcategory=Scopes%20and%20Accesso ries)

About the only way to scope one and look even reasonably period correct. Scroll down to 900101.

Hi again guys!

I received a packet from BuffaloArms and I already installed Marbles folding one to rear and new front sight too (same assembly as COSteve has) . Marbles tang sight waits still to be installed but it can wait cause I tried the weapon with these new sights and its AWESOME! Really accurate gun. I can hit with ease to beer cans from 100 meters with every shot and its enough for hunting.

Thanks everyone for the advice.

Now back to the range...