Miroku 1873 Deluxe Sporting

I just realized in the pictures I posted you can't really see the case color (shotgun buttplate, receiver, lever and forend cap). It's not the greatest I've ever seen but it's real nice for a production gun!

Nice Rifle, thanks for posting photos.  Does that say something . com on the magazine tube?

Thank you, I'm pretty pleased with it. Yes, it's the silly sticker that they put on new Wincheaters now. It says winchesterguns.com, I just haven't gotten around to removing it yet.

Well, I'm assuming the rifle is chambered in the original 44 Winchester Central Fire, rather than the more common 357/45 combination. The case hardening is probably chemical bath related, rather than the original bone charcoal hardening, because it's cheaper, and because modern alloys can actually weaken under the traditional process. Regardless, the wood is gorgeous. One place to look for quality replacement sights is Buffalo Arms. Thanks for sharing.

Yes, I know the case color isn't "real" but it's very well done for a simple finish (much better than Rugers attempts). I guess I forgot to mention the caliber (thought I put it in the text but I guess not), it is indeed a .44-40! I have zero interest in a '73 chambered for .357 and a .45 Colt might be fun one day but for now the original caliber will suit me fine.
Still trying to decide on a Lyman type tang sight or one from MVA, I've ordered several examples of the Patter 21 sight for my Miroku 1895's from Buffalo Arms so they are familiar to me.

Correct me if I'm wrong here, but it sure appears that Winchester has not equipped this model with the tang, or if you prefer, dang safety? Does this gun then have the half cock position as a choice instead of a necessity?
We have had to get to used to onerous ideas to make traditional guns squeeze past every attempt by a certain element to take them away, and it would be a victory for common sense and personal responsibility if the dang "safety" was kicked out the door for this model.
Whenever the word safety comes up with traditional leverguns, it's always referred to as some type of mechanical addition to a successful design. Nobody it seems, wants to realize that the only true safety lies in safe handling, and no number of mechanical doodads will ever change that.

The tang safeties on my other Miroku's don't bother me a bit but no their 1873 line does not have the tang safety. Comes with the half cock notch and not the rebound hammer. It DOES have some sort of internal safety on the firing pin extension, not sure how that works and the only reason I know it's there is Pi0neer sells a replacement "without the trigger block safety mechanism". Its also got the familiar trigger block safety that so many complain about but again I've never had a problem with keeping the lever closed on a Winchester. And since you asked about the tang safety, the tang does comes drilled and tapped for a tang sight from the factory. 

Nice rifle, especially that figured walnut stock.  I have a 73 in .44 WCF with a straight grip stock.  I never noticed the triggr block safety on mine. After shooting a friend's 73 with the pistol grip stock, I wished I had got the PG model.  Well, maybe I'll look for one in .45 LC. 

Ya I lucked out with the wood on this one I think. Or maybe they are just saving the real nice stuff for the 73's because that's where the majority of their sales are, my other Miroku's have nice straight grained wood but it's nothing special to look at really. I waited for several years for Uberti to make a 73 like this one, when this was announced I knew I had to have one!