'73 Winchester Barrels

[MI2600]

I always assumed that barrel length was measured from the bolt face to the muzzle, as used by ATF. I also believed '73 Winchester rifles were either 20" or 24".

I'm currently replacing the stock and forearm on a recent '73 acquisition in 38-40, finally filling my set of all three calibers...I'm ignoring the .22 short which is unobtainium. In the process, I noted there was no evidence of an ammunition tube hanger tenon near the muzzle. The only tenon is under the forearm cap. I then reasoned that maybe only the 24" barrels had the forward hanger. In any event, I measured the barrel at 19 1/8"...?

Everything about the rifle appears original. There is an indication that the rifle was at some point part of several because of an "11" on the former bott stock. Can anyone explain the missing 3/4" of the barrel?

 

[BigBlue 94]

Rifles could be ordered with any length of barrel from 12 or 14" up to 34", I believe, in increments of 2". I have a 30" barreled 32-20 rifle. Measuring from where the barrel meets the receiver will usually net you almost an inch short. If that is where you measured from, id say its a 20".

 

[dfariswheel]

Going on memory, I seem to recall the Winchester carbines had 19 or 19 1/2 inch barrels.
If you look at many modern replicas, the barrels are 19 inches and those are supposed to be close replicas.

 

[lysanderxiii]

The method used in 1873 to denote barrel length was the length of the barrel, not the current ATF standard, which includes the headspace (for a rimmed cartridge.)

For the Model 1873 the difference is lost in the rounding of the "barrel length".