Winchester 1873 Safety

Guns Magazine, Dec, 2006 by Jeff John

Q: I have done a lot of shooting and reloaded thousands of rounds of ammo, but one thing I have never done is loaded black powder cartridges. I just became the proud owner of an original 1873 Winchester rifle in .38 WCF. I have an 1892 in .38 WCF, which I use in Cowboy Action so I am familiar with the cartridge. The 1873 was built in 1890. It is in excellent condition and I want to use it. If I can't shoot it I don't want it. I am told this gun would be rated for black powder only. Here is where I am confused, which sometimes doesn't take much, but....

The research I have done seems to show black powder burns very fast and pretty much uncontrolled. The pressures I see from black powder are low, but I also see low pressures from light charges of Bullseye, Titegroup, Unique and Trail Boss to name a few just as low if not lower than black powder. If black powder gives the gun the jolt people say it does, why then could a person not use a low charge of Trail Boss for example, which doesn't "jolt" the gun like black powder and produces the same or less pressure?

Can a person use a low charge of the appropriate smokeless powder in place of black powder? If not, why? I realize the toggle-link action in the '73 isn't as strong as the '92 but that's it. Because the '73 has an octagon barrel, it is way heavier than my '92. Logic, which I know is rare, should dictate if the pressures are lower there should be no harm regardless what powder one is using? Am I right or wrong?

Don Brown

Calgary, Alberta, Canada

A: Black powder is an explosive rather than a propellant, but it is still safer in antique guns than equivalent charges of smokeless propellants. It delivers its initial boost at once and uses the rest of the barrel as a pressure vessel, which is why long barrels are generally encountered in 19th century handguns and rifles. Loading data is simple: Fill the case to the base of the bullet. Smokeless powder delivers its boost over a longer duration, which is why revolvers must be maintained with less endshake, headspace and barrel/cylinder gap when used with smokeless powder. It is not as critical with rifles if the rifles are made from good materials and lock up properly.

If your 1873 Winchester is safe to shoot, it should be safe with mild charges of smokeless powder. Where you can run aground is making a mistake in reloading. The safety margin of the 1873--new and reproduction--is virtually nonexistent. A mild overcharge of Bullseye, Titegroup or Unique your Model 1892 would take in stride can be ruinous to the 1873 and a double charge disastrous to the gun and injurious to you.

Choice of smokeless powder data is critical, too. Reloading data after WWl "magnumized" the .32-20, .38-40 and .44-40 for use in the much stronger 1892 Winchester and 1894 Marlin and even factory high-velocity ammo was available. These loads were published in manuals until the late 1960s. All such loads can turn the 1873s into self-dismantling rifles, much to the regret of those who wittingly or unwittingly discharge them. Today, the same caveat applies to data developed for Ruger revolvers only. Such data will turn your 1873 to rubbish in short order.

Your 1890's-era 1873 is made from forged steel unlike the 1st Models, which were made from forged iron. If you wish to load smokeless powder in your 1873, stick with Hodgdon Trail Boss powder. The 1st Model should be relegated to black powder only, but the steel 1873 is marginally stronger.

Unlike the other propellants you mention, you'll not get an unsafe charge of IMR Trail Boss (913/362-9455, www.imrpowder.com) into the .38-40 case. Be sure and have your 1873 looked over by a good gunsmith to make sure the links are good and headspace is correct.

Before you load a quantity of ammo, you might want to slug the bore. I've seen many .38-40s (and .44-40s) with bores .002" to .004" larger than standard. Often the best performance is attained with black powder and soft-cast bullets. If your gun won't chamber bullets of groove diameter safely, black powder will bump up undersize soft lead bullets to fill the grooves. Smokeless powder can't do the same safely within the pressure limitations of the 1873.