Very nice looking rifle. Well made and lever action is very good. Fun to shoot.

I purchased the iconic 1873 about 2 years ago and it has been spectacular at the range. It's one of those rifles that is a pleasure to shoot and definitely attracts the attention of other shooters. Cycles both 38SPL and 357 fine. I typically go with RNFP style target ammo that has no issues cycling. I have done my own minor upgrades to it myself to smooth out the action and feeding but it's not necessary. Highly recommend getting a peep sight and either replace the current buckhorn with a blank or a fold down. There's no recoil with 38SPL almost to the point that it's boring to shoot, but great for beginners. This was made to shoot 357, and you get consistency and nice velocity out of the 20" barrel.

I purchased this rifle about a year ago and upon receiving it the first thing I noticed was that fit, finish and bluing were top notch. Honestly the best I've ever seen. Action was very smooth. Took it out to shoot it the first weekend after receiving it and had multiple light primer strikes in both .357 mag and .38 special (all off the shelf factory ammo from various manufacturers). Called customer service and ended up taking it into the Winchester service center in Arnold Missouri. After about a month with the rifle they informed me that they didn't have parts to fix it and were going to replace it with a new rifle once they got another shipment in.
Fit and finish of the new rifle was excellent just like the first and I've been shooting it for a year now without issue. Because of this I believe I just had bad luck with the original rifle and Winchester stood behind the product so I'm happy. I've gone back and forth trying to decide if I should give it 4 or 5 stars and the only reason I gave it 4 was because my experience validated a lot of peoples concerns with the miroku Winchester and that is parts availability. This is a rifle that I hope will be passed down for generations which is the only reason I bring up parts availability.

This is a magnificent rifle! It's rock solid and smooth. It's my first Miroku built Winchester and because of the excellent craftsmanship, fit and finish, it won't be the last. And, as usual, Bud's came through with excellent customer service!

I am a loyal buds law enforcement customer and will continue to be, but I was surprised when buds did not match the rifle price that cdnn offered. I purchased from buds anyway. My order was placed and the ach, check, cash was removed from my account in two days. In that time I have been told the rifle went out of stock, my order deleted and was then reordered and the clock restarted. Once buds received the rifle it was shipped out. The entire process took 22 actual days. I was given a 15 dollars credit on my next purchase. My FFL armory dynamics in Marianna FL has been great. Thx. Dave

I purchased this rifle for Cowboy Action Shooting and could not be happier. It is a joy to load and shoot. Ejected shells from just to the right of your feet. The rifle likes a crisp ejection & chambering. I think this rifle is superior to any European firearm reproduction on the market. I endorse the .357 short rifle reviews for this Winchester found on the internet for the /NRA RifleMan/ and /Shooting Times/. I would recommend shooting at least ten to twenty rounds for practice and to break the shooter and action in before entering any match.but that is just common sense. I could have bought a used European lever action for half the price but the seller advised me I would not be happy. Very glad I listened to him.

This is one of the best cowboy action lever action rifles, as I own Uberti also, but this Winchester is the one to go to.

Orders this gun got the 357 magnum to match a Ruger Pistol also bought at buds. Nice gun great look and fun to shoot. Thanks Buds.

Buds --- 5 stars for great service! Winchester --- 3 stars for making a good looking rifle, 0 stars for Quality Control. The rifle looks good. Fit and finish are excellent. However, the trigger stop was inoperable due to an incorrectly installed trigger stop spring. Out of the box the rifle would allow the shooter to pull the trigger (on purpose or unintentionally) regardless of the position of the lever (hammer dropped while out of battery). Having never owned an 1873, I did not catch this problem when I inspected the rifle before doing the transfer. The buttstock and mainspring had to be removed to access the trigger stop components. I repositioned the trigger stop spring, tested it before reassembly, and found the spring would "walk off" the trigger stop after only 4 to 5 cycles of the lever. A slight bend to the spring to align it more firmly over the trigger stop and the problem seems to be solved. It is a good looking rifle and probably won't give any more trouble, hence the 3 stars. But having to work on a brand new rifle to make it function properly sure leaves a bad taste. This is my first Winchester ---- I wish now that I had purchased a Uberti, saved a couple hundred dollars, and got a better quality firearm out of the deal.

Beautiful rifle. Bluing is rich and deep, wood is satin finished with nice grain. Can't wait to shoot it.