Hombre Rifle
The movie Hombre just came on TV and I am wondering about the half mag., round barrel rifle he carries. Looks like 45 cal. I had looked for a reproduction before but couldn't find one. Any ideas? Thanks.
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The gun Paul Newman used in that 1967 movie was a button-magazine 1873 Winchester in .44-40 WCF.
Edit: Better image
Where can you get a reproduction?
Cimarron, Uberti, Chaparral arms, and Beretta all offer reproduction 1873 rifles.
Chaparral offers a 19" round barrel version in .38spl, .357, and .45LC. Uberti has multiple round barrel versions, including in 44/40.
By quick glance at their respective websites, I don't think any of them currently offer a version with the half-length ("button") magazine, but I know that Cimarron used to at one point, and I think Uberti did as well. So if you're patient and look around, you may be able to find one for sale.
Also, its probably possible to modify an existing rifle into something like the one depicted above, though this might take chopping of magazine tubes, rebluing, etc.
Brownell's does stock half magazines for Ubertis:
http://www.brownells.com/1/1/41912-magazine-tube-half-magazine-tube-half-uberti.html0 -
Thanks. Do you know of anyone who makes a reproduction of this gun? All I can find are octogon barrels. 0 -
BeanTownShootah (BTS) already told you some info.:
Manufacturers:
Uberti
Beretta
Chapparal
<others...maybe>
== Uberti is owned by Beretta, but don't buy a Beretta gun, even though they are made in the Uberti facility....there are slight variations that are problematic, in my opinion
== Stay completely away from Chapparal!!! (This is my opinion and my advice.) I have heard too much regarding their quality problems and parts availability problems. They are a comparatively small manufacturer with questionable future survival prospects. I suggest that, regardless of price you find, stay away unless you want a wall hanger.
Major Distributers for Uberti:
Taylor's & Company: www.taylorsfirearms.com/
Cimarron Firearms Co.: http://www.cimarron-firearms.com/
== Hard to go wrong with either of these distributers (order through your local FFL or buy from an individual. The Uberti guns are branded with the distributer's name, so when shopping, ask which distributer....both guns are mfg. by Uberti, but ask that, too.
== Uberti actually does supply guns to these two distributers with some variation in features, so one or the other or both may offer the variation you desire. BTS said that the variation you are looking for is not currently available through either distributer and I tend to believe that for marketing reasons, so go look on their websites and call them up to check for sure. Copy the Hombre still picture that BTS posted and email it to them, if necessary, to demonstrate what you want.
Also, check the GunBroker Auction side for the gun. Search on Uberti Winchester 1873 or Taylor's Winchester 1873 or Cimarron Winchester 1873 or variations of those. If nothing else, go to the GB Classifieds forum and post a "Want to Buy" topic there.
Then, if no good result, go to the SASS website, http://www.sassnet.com/index.php, register, choosing a "cowboy" alias and go to the forums there. They have the "SASS Wire" forum, where you can ask questions. They also have the "SASS Classifieds" forum where you can post a "Want to Buy" topic. Use the photo as noted above (stored in PhotoBucket or one of those) to demonstrate the gun you seek, posting the link in the forum. The SASS Classifieds might offer a possibility of finding the gun you want, but these cowboy action shooters (CAS) compete with rifles with magazines that hold a minimum of ten handgun cartridges, so it might be tough. However someone there may steer you to one. Many of these guys have HUGE numbers of cowboy guns and lots of gear and they trade and sell it all the time, back and forth amongst themselves and others. They'll buy a gun such as you seek just to have it 'cuz it matches Paul Newman's or John Wayne's or somebody else's gun. They'll buy a gun just for bragging rights. To a lot of these people SASS represents a lifestyle, so you could find virtually any reproduction gun and many originals either directly from one of these individuals or indirectly through leads they give you.
Expect to pay $800.00 to $1200.00+ for a Uberti Win'73 repro. in good condition. One caveat is that a large majority of these guns have been worked over to "slick" them up and may have after-market short-stroke kits in them. Most have a lot of rounds through them, but some are pretty much like new. Ask, ask, ask and don't be afraid to quiz them about cycling problems. These Uberti rifles are easily capable of running 20,000 rounds of low-powered cowboy loads through them without any or few issues. Like all Italian cowboy reproduction guns however, be careful about trying to remove screws. The Italians use soft screws and really torque them in there.0 -
The 1873 Winchester used by Paul Newman in Hombre is unique. I recently visited the current owner to gather information for an article I'm writing for The Winchester Collector magazine. The rifle has a heavy barrel and originally had a full-length tubular magazine. At some time during it's life the rifle was converted to a button magazine and evidenced by the groove running under the full length of the barrel. The wooden forend is shorter than on a standard button magazine, exposing the dovetail slot for the forend tip tenon which is missing. Because there is no forend tip tenon the forend tip has been welded on both sides to the barrel.
The closest one can get to a reproduction would be an 1873 Sporting Rifle with button magazine but the barrel will most likely be longer than the Hombre rifle which is approximately 20". I am fortunate to own one very close to the Hombre rifle in that it also has a heavy barrel with converted button magazine; however, the barrel is slightly over 18" long and the wooden forend is standard length.0 -
i always thought it was a 1876 win. mr myopic. 0 -
Many do. Perhaps because of the heavy barrel. A '76 is similar but the frame is much larger than a '73. I would post photos I took of the rifle but can't figure out how to attach them.
I got the opportunity to shoot the rifle. Here's a video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FsfFTloS-80 -
Ron clayton,welcome aboard !
I as just about to answer the post in your stead.....then there you were ! I"m enjoying your emails on that there shooter.!0 -
Thanks. My goal is to educate all who still wonder about the Hombre rifle. 0
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