Gallery rifle

[dgw65]

Welcome to the forum.
Any Club should be OK with undlevers of any make. You do not need a trickled up gun. It depends on what type of shooting you want to do. I run a Tuesday evening underlever session on our 25 yard indoor range. I run a competition on the first Tuesday of the month. I have two sections one for standard rifles with original sights and a section for modified or telescopic sights. Its a precision comp not a run and gun thing.
It's popular. I also look after the probationers I have a couple of Club guns for them to use or they can use there own if they have a certificate. Most of them hand load so there is a healthy debate on all things that make them go bang.
Ask away I'm sure someone on the board will be able to help.

Thanks, sounds the type of thing I'd be interested in I never use telescopic sights not even on airguns, feels like cheating .

[GeeRam]

Which Winchester, '73 or '94?

Our club President has a 16" saddle ring Winchester carbine that he drags out for the odd run out in our winter carbine shoots. Its out of the box and not tweeked.
In fact, only two of us have a 'tweeked' lever action, my Uberti 1873 and another member with a '92 Rossi have both had our rifles slicked up a little bit by A&A Gunsmiths. Nothing drastic, just a little bit of action work. My Uberti is a factory comp version with the shorter stroke anyway, although this isn't anything like as short as the aftermarket short stroke kits used in the USA on the CAS comps.
All the other members with a mix of Henry's, Chiappa's & Marlins just use them out of the box for club gallery carbine shoots. Only one member has a red dot prism type sight fitted to his Henry, everyone else uses the out of the box sights that came with the gun.
Every one shoots .38/.357 versions as well, except two members with .44mag, and me with my .45 Colt.

[dgw65]

Which Winchester, '73 or '94?

Our club President has a 16" saddle ring Winchester carbine that he drags out for the odd run out in our winter carbine shoots. Its out of the box and not tweeked.
In fact, only two of us have a 'tweeked' lever action, my Uberti 1873 and another member with a '92 Rossi have both had our rifles slicked up a little bit by A&A Gunsmiths. Nothing drastic, just a little bit of action work. My Uberti is a factory comp version with the shorter stroke anyway, although this isn't anything like as short as the aftermarket short stroke kits used in the USA on the CAS comps.
All the other members with a mix of Henry's, Chiappa's & Marlins just use them out of the box for club gallery carbine shoots. Only one member has a red dot prism type sight fitted to his Henry, everyone else uses the out of the box sights that came with the gun.
Every one shoots .38/.357 versions as well, except two members with .44mag, and me with my .45 Colt.

'73

I fancied getting a Japanese Winchester, having the wood fitted better then aged so it's darker & more shiny with a few dings so it has an old school ruler feel to it. I actually prefer the finish of the action on the Ubertis but the wood always looks a little too red to me, also the Winchester felt a tad lighter and has Winchester written on it (I know Miroku make them). I can look into slicked action, weak latch springs, short stroke etc if it all turns competitive. I was thinking .38 purely because it was cheaper but I'd welcome advice to advice on all the above, I am a newb after all!

Anyway, much as I'd love CAS from a weapons point of view the rest of the scene is of little interest so I was looking for opportunities to use an underlever aside from gallery in case I can't find a club that does gallery but reading on here it seems they count as just another rifle so any club with a rifle range would probably either have a class for them or at least allow practice.

What this is all really about is identifying what I most want to shoot and finding a suitable local club, then picking other disciplines from what else they offer to form the basis of my FAC application, I'm after one-stop shooting one or two Saturdays a month, chuck a pile of guns in the truck - go have fun type of thing. I'd be up for antique muzzle loaders too.

[GeeRam]

I fancied getting a Japanese Winchester, having the wood fitted better then aged so it's darker & more shiny with a few dings so it has an old school ruler feel to it. I actually prefer the finish of the action on the Ubertis but the wood always looks a little too red to me, also the Winchester felt a tad lighter and has Winchester written on it (I know Miroku make them).

One of our now sadly departed elder club members, had an original 1902 made 1973 in 44-40, and the wood on his 100+ year old rifle didn't look too different in colour to the stock on my Uberti

Weight wise, it depends on barrel type with either maker.
The octagonal barrel rifles are a lot heavier than the round barrel carbine's, but the common 20" length's can be found in both type's so you need to compare like for like.
If you are only going to use it for shorter range gallery, a 16" round barrel carbine is more than adequate, although these usually only have a 8 round capacity tube rather than 10 of the 20" length rifles/carbines.

[dgw65]

I fancied getting a Japanese Winchester, having the wood fitted better then aged so it's darker & more shiny with a few dings so it has an old school ruler feel to it. I actually prefer the finish of the action on the Ubertis but the wood always looks a little too red to me, also the Winchester felt a tad lighter and has Winchester written on it (I know Miroku make them).

One of our now sadly departed elder club members, had an original 1902 made 1973 in 44-40, and the wood on his 100+ year old rifle didn't look too different in colour to the stock on my Uberti

Weight wise, it depends on barrel type with either maker.
The octagonal barrel rifles are a lot heavier than the round barrel carbine's, but the common 20" length's can be found in both type's so you need to compare like for like.
If you are only going to use it for shorter range gallery, a 16" round barrel carbine is more than adequate, although these usually only have a 8 round capacity tube rather than 10 of the 20" length rifles/carbines.

Wow, well fair enough on the wood colour then I've never handled an original! The copies I have played with were both 20" octagonal barrel, the type I'd likely go for.

[GeeRam]

The copies I have played with were both 20" octagonal barrel, the type I'd likely go for.

I didn't think Winchester offer a new 1873 with the 20" octagonal barrel, only 24"?

And a 20" oct barrel isn't listed as an option on their website after a quick check.

[dgw65]

The copies I have played with were both 20" octagonal barrel, the type I'd likely go for.

I didn't think Winchester offer a new 1873 with the 20" octagonal barrel, only 24"?

And a 20" oct barrel isn't listed as an option on their website after a quick check.

My mistake must’ve been 24 then it certainly wasn’t an original and both guns were roughly the same overall I’m sure of it, both were definitely octagonal.

I can live with a 24” barrel they’re all small in the scheme of things.

[FredB]

The world is littered with japanese made "Winchesters" with broken lifters which are sintered parts and cannot be repaired---or purchased--. My original '92 was made in 1904 and still functions perfectly with a smoother action than any of the modern clones. If you can't afford an original, then get a Rossi. I have never known one of these fail.
Fred

[GeeRam]

I found handling the 24" on the one shoot I borrowed one, not very nice for a galley comp, even when compared to my 20" oct barrel Uberti.

I wouldn't want a 24" for gallery.

[dgw65]

The world is littered with japanese made "Winchesters" with broken lifters which are sintered parts and cannot be repaired---or purchased--. My original '92 was made in 1904 and still functions perfectly with a smoother action than any of the modern clones. If you can't afford an original, then get a Rossi. I have never known one of these fail.
Fred

Interesting, is this as a result of competition use? ..and does it apply to all clones or specifically the Miroku/Winchester?

I don’t deserve an original