Chicago Outlaw Sider, SASS # 63575L Posted December 11, 2010 Share Posted December 11, 2010 Pards I needs some help. My last 3 shoots I was having a problem with my riffle. 1866, Uberti, 45LC. I reload using a Dillon 650, making a 200 grain bullet LRNFP over 4 grains of IMR Trail Boss in Star line, Federal, Winchester , Remington, and Top Brass casings with a Winchester Primer (Large Pistol). I am hitting the primer pretty good leaving a good dent but the bullet is not firing. I will re-strike it 2 or 3 times and it will finally go off. I have not had any problems in other rifles or pistols with any of the ammo. Any info and help would be great. Do you think it is the firing pin spring, or main spring? I do not want to just replace parts needlessly. Thanks in Advance COS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uno Mas SASS #80082 Posted December 11, 2010 Share Posted December 11, 2010 COS; I too am owned by a Uberti 1866 YellowBoy; Purty! If you flip the rifle on its back You'll see a big screw on the lower tang. Adjusting that screw will increase the hammer spring tension and hit the primer harder. Take the gun to the range and experiment a quarter turn at a time. [Edit:] Got into the safe to confirm my (nonexistent) memory. It's the screw under the lever, not the bigger screw all the way toward the butt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boothill Bandit, SASS# 48598 Posted December 11, 2010 Share Posted December 11, 2010 Pards I needs some help. My last 3 shoots I was having a problem with my riffle. 1866, Uberti, 45LC. I reload using a Dillon 650, making a 200 grain bullet LRNFP over 4 grains of IMR Trail Boss in Star line, Federal, Winchester , Remington, and Top Brass casings with a Winchester Primer (Large Pistol). I am hitting the primer pretty good leaving a good dent but the bullet is not firing. I will re-strike it 2 or 3 times and it will finally go off. I have not had any problems in other rifles or pistols with any of the ammo. Any info and help would be great. Do you think it is the firing pin spring, or main spring? I do not want to just replace parts needlessly. Thanks in Advance COS Have you changed any parts before the last three shoots? Have you had any out of battery discharges (that you know of)? You might want to check your headspace on the bolt. It's one possibility. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rance - SASS # 54090 Posted December 11, 2010 Share Posted December 11, 2010 My yellowboy started doing the same thing.. It's a 38 not big ol' 45 but.. I blamed it on too hard a primer.. I had always used Winchester never a problem but had to buy Remington last winter... harder primer... started having missfires. But anyhow... This spring... while shooting I noticed some drag marks thru the bluing on the back side of my hammer... It was the part of the hammer that is kinda semi-circled.... I'd manually pull the hammer back and somehow.. still don't know how.. the space between the brass receiver and the hammer had gotten closer... the curved part of the hammer was actually dragging on the brass receiver... making it drop slower and I was having missfires and jacking out live rounds.. I took some tools and reworked the hammer semi-circle til there was space enough not to drag again... Still don't know what caused it.. Rance Thinkin' just maybe somethin' else to look for Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nate Kiowa Jones #6765 Posted December 11, 2010 Share Posted December 11, 2010 COS; I too am owned by a Uberti 1866 YellowBoy; Purty! If you flip the rifle on its back You'll see a big screw on the lower tang. Adjusting that screw will increase the hammer spring tension and hit the primer harder. Take the gun to the range and experiment a quarter turn at a time. UM, The 73 has the hammer spring strain screw. The 66 doesn't. Pards I needs some help. My last 3 shoots I was having a problem with my riffle. 1866, Uberti, 45LC. I reload using a Dillon 650, making a 200 grain bullet LRNFP over 4 grains of IMR Trail Boss in Star line, Federal, Winchester , Remington, and Top Brass casings with a Winchester Primer (Large Pistol). I am hitting the primer pretty good leaving a good dent but the bullet is not firing. I will re-strike it 2 or 3 times and it will finally go off. I have not had any problems in other rifles or pistols with any of the ammo. Any info and help would be great. Do you think it is the firing pin spring, or main spring? I do not want to just replace parts needlessly. Thanks in Advance COS As mentioned, what all has been done to the gun? Did you buy it new or used. If the ammo works in your other guns and nothing has been done to this gun I would suspect excessive headspace. The firing pin doesn't contact the primers correctly in a gun with excessive head. I see this too often even with new out of the box Uberti rifles. If it's used someone before you may have shot it with over pressure loads which can cause excessive headspace. I've seen this too. I've had two 66's and a Henry here to repair because of this. All that said, it may be something as simple as the firing pin rebound spring bound up with crud. I see things like this in the 45lc guns because they tend to crud up with the blowby smut caused by the down loaded CAS 45lc ammo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew Duncan Posted December 11, 2010 Share Posted December 11, 2010 Primers not seated Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Boy Posted December 11, 2010 Share Posted December 11, 2010 COS, that Matthew is a smart fella. If the primer eventually ignites after 2 or 3 more hits with the firing pin ... you are pushing the primer down against the pocket so the anvil can crush and ignite the primer. I suspect, if you look at the primer pockets of your spent brass - they are loaded with crud ... which is why your primers are not fully seated in the pockets. Give your brass a good cleaning and then see if they ignite Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nate Kiowa Jones #6765 Posted December 11, 2010 Share Posted December 11, 2010 COS, that Matthew is a smart fella. If the primer eventually ignites after 2 or 3 more hits with the firing pin ... you are pushing the primer down against the pocket so the anvil can crush and ignite the primer.I suspect, if you look at the primer pockets of your spent brass - they are loaded with crud ... which is why your primers are not fully seated in the pockets. Give your brass a good cleaning and then see if they ignite but, he said the ammo works in his other guns. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WOODFOX , sass#34179 Posted December 11, 2010 Share Posted December 11, 2010 I had a mainspring go soft in my 1860 Henry and at our last shoot in nov of this year my 73 did the same thing replaced the springs problem went away . That is where I would look my 66 hasn't had a problem yet they are all 45's ,and older guns 6 years or more . Woodfox Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Boy Posted December 11, 2010 Share Posted December 11, 2010 Thank You Nate ... missed those words. A good cleaning of the bolt assembly then would be my 1st step Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uno Mas SASS #80082 Posted December 11, 2010 Share Posted December 11, 2010 UM,The 73 has the hammer spring strain screw. The 66 doesn't. Nate, well... kinda. The 73 has a fine hammer spring adjustment screw that the 66 doesn't. Butte... both have a screw that holds the whole assembly, which serves as a gross hammer spring adjuster. Learned this from Jim Bowie: At a yearly, my usually reliable '66 started acting up, with primer strikes that failed to ignite. Fortunately, Jim was on site. He took the gun, cycled the action a couple of times, grinned his famous Bowie smirk, flipped the rifle over, grabbed a screwdriver seemingly out of mid-air, and tweak the screw I described about 1/2 a turn. He then sent me back on the range. The gun was flawless for the rest of the 11 stages. He later described the fix I related. I've had to do the fix once more, apparently the screw can back out with lots of firing. Jim's the magician that has done all the work on my Rugers and Winchesters. I'm still saving my pennies for your SS 92 in 454 Casull. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicago Outlaw Sider, SASS # 63575L Posted December 11, 2010 Author Share Posted December 11, 2010 Well Gentelmen, I thank you very much. I shall take all of your advice sincerly. God Bless and may he grant you and your families all your wishes and watch over you. COS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nate Kiowa Jones #6765 Posted December 11, 2010 Share Posted December 11, 2010 Nate, well... kinda. The 73 has a fine hammer spring adjustment screw that the 66 doesn't. Butte... both have a screw that holds the whole assembly, which serves as a gross hammer spring adjuster. Learned this from Jim Bowie: At a yearly, my usually reliable '66 started acting up, with primer strikes that failed to ignite. Fortunately, Jim was on site. He took the gun, cycled the action a couple of times, grinned his famous Bowie smirk, flipped the rifle over, grabbed a screwdriver seemingly out of mid-air, and tweak the screw I described about 1/2 a turn. He then sent me back on the range. The gun was flawless for the rest of the 11 stages. He later described the fix I related. I've had to do the fix once more, apparently the screw can back out with lots of firing. Jim's the magician that has done all the work on my Rugers and Winchesters. I'm still saving my pennies for your SS 92 in 454 Casull. I hear ya. I do about the same thing with the 66 and 60 but I file a shallow groove across the lower tang about 3/8 to 1/2" in front of the hammer screw. Then I use a short piece of pin stock, about 1/16" dia under the spring in that notch. use the purple loctite on the screw so it doesn't work loose. now you have a rocker for the spring so you can use the screw to adjust it. Do you know how to adjust the strain screw for the 73's and original 92's?. This is the screw there on the bottom of the lower tang just in front of the hammer spring screw? I have never seen one come from uberti setup where the strain screw actually works like it is suppose to. First thing to do is back off the hammer screw and strain screw so it's tip is flush with the inside of the lower tang. Then lightly tighten the hammer screw then back off one turn. Do this because the strain screw won't work if the hammer screw is tight. Now tighten the strain screw to lift the front of the hammer spring. This will give you more hammer spring. Start out with the lest amount of hammer spring then tighten the strain screw until you get consistant ignition. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-BAR #18287 Posted December 11, 2010 Share Posted December 11, 2010 I had a problem with the firing pin extension (the part the hammer hits) binding in my 66. To check it, make absolutely sure the gun is empty; close the lever, and while the hammer is cocked back push on the firing pin extension with your finger. It should go forward easily, and then it should spring back as you take your finger off. If it is hard to push forward or if it does not return, there is a bind in there somewhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew Duncan Posted December 12, 2010 Share Posted December 12, 2010 . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fingers McGee Posted December 12, 2010 Share Posted December 12, 2010 I had a problem with the firing pin extension (the part the hammer hits) binding in my 66. To check it, make absolutely sure the gun is empty; close the lever, and while the hammer is cocked back push on the firing pin extension with your finger. It should go forward easily, and then it should spring back as you take your finger off. If it is hard to push forward or if it does not return, there is a bind in there somewhere. +1. Had the same problem with failure to fire on my 44-40 '66 Carbine. There was a burr on the firing pin extension that was hanging up in the bolt bore. Polished it out and problem went away. Fingers (Show Me MO smoke) McGee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M.T Chambers, SASS#76185 Posted December 12, 2010 Share Posted December 12, 2010 COS, I had the exact same problem with my '73 this year. I loaded ammo with WLP's last winter (all Starline 44 SPL cases and Clays powder) because I could not get Federals. Every match I had some rounds that would not fire in the rifle, but would fire in the Rugers, some would not fire at all. I made the mistake of using some of that ammo at Mason-Dixon Stampede and it almost cost me a clean match. Started reloading with Federals again and have not had a single FTF. My hammer spring is original and unmodified w/ tension screw backed off, which feels jus' right to me...Have your rifle checked out like NKJ said and if everything is in spec you might want to try Federals and see if your problem disappears. I have about 400 WLP's left and they will only be used for practice. Good Luck & Happy Holidays, MTC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arizona Pete, SASS#27943 Posted December 12, 2010 Share Posted December 12, 2010 HAd the same problem with my '66 ~ I ordered a set of springs from Happy Trails, and discovered the firing pin return spring was much smaller/lighter that the replacement. Not sure I understand the physics, but if the pin doesn't return completely, it doesn't strike as hard... ?? Anyway, seemed to fix the problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fingers McGee Posted December 12, 2010 Share Posted December 12, 2010 Just to add a little info to my previous post. Thinking that it was just light hits that was causing the problem, my first instinct was to change the firing pin, firing pin spring, and hammer spring. After changing all three parts out, I still had the problem. It wasnt till I noticed that the firing pin extension was hanging up in the bolt that I fixed the problem. Haven't had any failures to fire since. Fingers (Show Me MO smoke) McGee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buffalo Dick, SASS #12880 Posted December 14, 2010 Share Posted December 14, 2010 While it would have nothing to do with your FTF problem, I couldn't help but notice that your load is 1.5gr (more than 25%) below the minimum load recommended by IMR in their data table for the 200gr rnfp in .45 Colt. While the set of potential problems going out of range on the low side is different, it is not a good idea to second guess the powder manufacturer on load data. http://data.hodgdon.com/main_menu.asp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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