colt-burgess lever action rifles

[Pluggy]

I recently bought a colt lever action rifle but i am little confused about it.Every Colt-Burgess rifle i have seen is black steal where as the one i have purchased is in nickle.It looks just like the black vertion except the fact that it is made from nickle steal.If anyone has any info about these guns i would sure love to hear from you.....

 

[jim in Anchorage]

Your more than a little confused-a Colt lever action?

 

[mnrivrat]

The Colt-Burgess was a lever action Jim.

Pluggy - is just the receiver nickel plated, or the whole rifle ?

 

[jim in Anchorage]

:banghead:Sorry-I was thinking of the lighting slide.

 

[Oyeboten]

If memory serve, Winchester then made a few really good prototype Revolvers, showed them to Colt, saying 'Uhhhh, ahem..." and Colt backed off on the whole 'Lever Action' thing...

 

[Gordon]

My knowledge of them is limited to it was decent to good design and they are rare. Billy the kid was said to have one.

 

[sonnymiami]

hello, can anyone tell me if the original colt burgess rifles had color case hardened or blued recievers ?

 

[Dr.Rob]

On the example I found the recciever was blue, the lever and hammer were case hardened.

 

[GCBurner]

I've seen old lever guns with the bluing all worn off over time, but not with a nickle plated receiver. "Nickel steel" is the type of steel alloy used to make receivers and barrels, starting in the late 19th century, and a lot of times makers would mark the guns made from it, to show they were using the latest thing. It's much tougher than regular carbon steel, but not really any shinier.

 

[GCBurner]

That's the way the modern reproductions from Uberti come:
http://www.uberti.com/firearms/1883_lever_action_burgess.php

 

[Tommygunn]

That's the way the modern reproductions from Uberti come:
http://www.uberti.com/firearms/1883_...on_burgess.php

I saw something about this repro ...or read something ... that gave me the impression that this reproduction used the internal mechanics of the 1873 Winchester (toggle-link) and only the outside receiver was different than the Winchester.
Does anybody know if this is actually true or was I mis-reading something?

 

[GCBurner]

I saw something about this repro ...or read something ... that gave me the impression that this reproduction used the internal mechanics of the 1873 Winchester (toggle-link) and only the outside receiver was different than the Winchester.
Does anybody know if this is actually true or was I mis-reading something?

This review from American Rifleman highlights some of the differences between the Uberti 73 and Burgess models:

The 1883 Burgess’ receiver is but two-thirds the length of the Winchester—5 1/4 inches, versus 8 inches—contributing to its 11-ounce difference in weight with identical barrel lengths. Cutouts in the receiver of the Burgess are smaller, leaving more metal for strength, and provide marginally less opportunity for debris to enter the action. Unlike the Winchester, there is no sliding dust cover atop the receiver on the Burgess. Instead of a tilting loading gate a la Winchester, the Burgess utilizes a sliding gate. The Burgess’ breech bolt is more massive than the Winchester; though both utilize a toggle lockup, the Burgess’ is shorter and therefore stronger. Both rifles extract from the top with hooked blades pinned to the breechbolt. The Winchester’s extractor is slightly wider giving more purchase, but it also stands proud from the bolt, making it somewhat more vulnerable to breakage. Ejection was accomplished via the elevator in the Winchester, but the Burgess employs a novel collar surrounding the firing pin under spring tension.

 

[cane]

Tommygunn, the article was written by Dennis Adler in "Guns of the Old West", He must have examined a different rifle than the one I have. I have a "Taylors" Colt-Burgess in .44 WCF, and have been using it in SASS matches for about 9 months. Just look at a model 66/73 and a Burgess, where would the "guts" of a 66/73 fit in a receiver about the same length as a '92 Winchester. Mine has color cas hardened receiver, lever, and hammer, not being a noted gun writer like Adler is, I can only speak for the one I have and shoot monthly.

 

[Tommygunn]

Thank you GCBurner and cane for your responses, I think I get the idea. I think it was in fact the Dennis Adler article, and I think I may be misremembereing what he wrote .... or possibly I mis understood it from the start.
Oh well.
Love to get one of those repros .... right now I don't have the $$$.

 

[Dr.Rob]

I might be interested in one if that latch that is located at the heel of the lever can be explained....

Not crazy about the caliber choices, but it's certainly a good looking reproduction rifle.


ALL the originals I have found online (12 or so) have had blued recievers, case hardened levers.

 

[CraigC]

I'd love to get my paws on one of the new replicas. Hopefully they'll offer it in something other than the imminently bland .45Colt.

 

[GCBurner]

I'd love to get my paws on one of the new replicas. Hopefully they'll offer it in something other than the imminently bland .45Colt.

They're also available in .44-40, which from the reviews I've read, seems to feed more smoothly than the straight-cased .45 Colt. The $1400 price tag puts them out of my reach, though. Luckily, I've got an original Colt Lightning to shoot instead.