Model agency

Robert Morgan looks at various Winchester rifles and, in particular, trains his sights on the 1873 and 1876

- Robert Morgan

Last month we looked at the origins of the Winchester rifle and saw how it actually owed a lot to Mr Wesson of Smith & Wesson fame. From his original lever-action pistol with its peculiar internally primed ammunition was developed the Volcanic, the first firearm the shirtmaker Oliver Winchester got involved with, albeit only in a financial role. From the terrible product that was the Volcanic, the Henry rifle was born, which even though not without its own set of problems, quickly proved how good a repeating rifle could be. The addition of King’s Patent on its successor model, the 1866 ‘Yellowboy’, allowed the magazine to be filled from the breech end and ironed out many of the problems, but there was still room for improvement.

The big problem with both the Henry and the 1866 was still the ammunition. The rimfire concept was well established by the late 1860s and the cartridges available were reliable and convenient – providing you lived somewhere where you could purchase them. None of the rimfire cartridges available were reloadable, and with the constant surge westwards of the populace seeking fame and fortune in the nascent United States, general stores stocking ammunition were few and far between. For the average settler, the prospect of having to purchase a year’s supply of cartridges during an annual visit to a big town was a costly one, and was the main reason black powder muzzle-loaders persisted for as long as they did.

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