Traditions 1873 357 Magnum Case Hardened – Superb 5.5 in. Revolver

Description

The Traditions 1873 357 Magnum Case Hardened takes the 1873 pattern and chambers it for the cartridge that makes the platform genuinely practical to shoot often. A color case hardened frame carries the mottled blues and browns of the original process, the 5.5 inch barrel and cylinder are deep blued, and walnut grips finish it. A transfer bar safety sits behind the period appearance.

Traditions 1873 357 Magnum Case Hardened Chambering and Barrel

Chambering an 1873 in 357 Magnum does two useful things. It gives the shooter a full power magnum load when they want one, and it lets the same revolver digest 38 Special, which is mild, inexpensive and available anywhere. For anyone who wants to actually practice with a single action rather than admire it, that flexibility matters more than any other spec on the sheet.

The 5.5 inch barrel is the middle length of the three classic options and the one most shooters settle on. It gives more sight radius than the 4.75 inch gunfighter barrel and a steadier hold, without the muzzle heavy feel and holster awkwardness of the 7.5 inch cavalry gun. On a magnum chambering the extra length also helps velocity and takes some sting out of the muzzle blast.

Finish, Action and Loading

Color case hardening is a heat treatment rather than a finish applied over steel. The frame is packed in a carbon rich medium and heated, and the blues, straws and greys that result are a byproduct of carbon migrating into the surface. It leaves the frame harder than it began, which is why the process was used on working guns long before anyone valued the look. Every frame emerges with a pattern unique to it.

The action is a true single action: the hammer must be thumbed to full cock for each shot, which rotates the cylinder and sets the sear, leaving the trigger to do nothing but release the hammer. Traditions adds a transfer bar, which only rises into position when the trigger is deliberately pressed. An original 1873 rests its firing pin on a chambered primer, which is why shooters historically loaded five and left the hammer on an empty chamber. Here all six chambers can be carried loaded.

Loading follows the original sequence. Half cock the hammer, swing open the loading gate on the right side, and the cylinder turns freely to accept rounds one at a time. The ejector rod under the barrel clears empties through the same gate.

Specifications

• Model: Frontier Series 1873 Single Action
• Manufacturer part number: SAT73-007
• Caliber: 357 Magnum, also accepts 38 Special
• Capacity: 6 rounds
• Barrel: 5.5 in.
• Action: Single action
• Frame: Steel, color case hardened
• Barrel and cylinder finish: Blued
• Grips: Walnut
• Safety: Transfer bar safety system
• Sights: Fixed, traditional 1873 pattern
• UPC: 040589018133

Why Buyers Choose the Traditions 1873 357 Magnum Case Hardened

Original Colt Single Action Armies trade as collectibles, and current production Colts cost several times what this does. That leaves a gap for a revolver with the correct profile, the correct finish and a proper single action trigger that an owner can shoot every weekend. Chambering it in 357 Magnum widens that gap further, because 38 Special practice ammunition costs a fraction of what 45 Colt does and is far easier to find on a shelf.

The transfer bar is the other reason buyers pick these over vintage guns. It removes the last practical argument for carrying five rounds, and it means a revolver knocked off a table at a match does not become an incident.

Who Should Buy It

The Traditions 1873 357 Magnum Case Hardened suits the cowboy action competitor who wants to shoot light 38 Special loads in matches and full magnums elsewhere, the shooter who wants an authentic 1873 without collector pricing, and the handloader who likes having two cartridges available from one cylinder. It also works as a trail gun where a magnum load has a job to do.

Learn more from Traditions, or browse the rest of our firearms selection.

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