cartridges introduced in 1873 (45/70, 45 colt, and ?????)

[dntorbert]

I've been considering getting a 45/70 rifle and have been doing a lot of reading about the cartridge and I recall seeing a picture somewhere saying 1873 was a good year because of 3 cartridges introduced that year and I am almost sure that two of them were the 45/70 and 45 colt but I cannot remeber what the third was....any ideas????

 

[Jeeper]

I would guess the 32-20 or 405 winchester. No real idea but those sounded good

 

[Mike Irwin]

It was the .32-20, in the Winchester 1873 rifle.

The .405 Winchester was introduced 20 years later, with the Winchester Model 1895 rifle.

 

[WIL TERRY]

THE THIRD WAS THE

44WCF IN THE WINCHESTER '73 RIFLE.
WE KNOW IT NOW MOSTLY AS THE 44/40 WHICH WAS MARLIN'S DESIGNATION. THEY WEREN'T ABOUT TO PUT " WCF "[ WINCHESTER CENTER FIRE ] ON THEIR RIFLES AND CARBINES.

 

[Jeeper]

Mike,

I have a 1873 chambered in 32-20 and that is why I thought that. I just wasn’t sure if it was earlier than that in a pistol

 

[BigG]

I am no expert but... I thought the original 1873 Winchesters were all in 44 WCF for several years. That's why the real oldies are not even marked as to caliber - you bought the rifle and you bought a box of cartridges marked for the Win '73.

The other '73 cartridges like 32/20, 25/20, and 38/40 were introduced AFTER 1873, IIRC. Remember, the 1873 was produced until 1929. What? Not as old as you thought?

I will need to check COTW at home to be certain.

 

[Jim Watson]

How about 11 mm French Ordinance, as starred in The Mummy?
It came out in '73 but was probably not what they were talking about.

 

[Mike Irwin]

Damn...

You're right, G. The .32-20 wasn't introduced until the 1880s.

It was the .44-40.

The .38-40 was introduced in the middle to late 1870s.

All of the 1873s I've seen, though, including some in the triple digit serial number range, have had caliber designations on them.

 

[sricciardelli]

The .25-20 was sometime between 1893 and 1895.
The .32-20 was in 1882.
The .38-40 was in 1874.
The .44-40 was in 1873.
The .45-70 was in 1873.
The .40-90 Remington Special was in 1873.
The .45-50 Peabody was 1873.