Doc Windshadow Posted March 16, 2011 Share Posted March 16, 2011 It can happen a lot of ways; My grandmothers cook/housekeeper born in 1900 had a glass eye due to some other kid in 1906 tossing some 'dud' .22 rimfire rounds into a burning pile of leaves the flying case remains not the slug was what did the damage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bart Solo Posted March 16, 2011 Share Posted March 16, 2011 Howdy Boys I don't think it is at all funny to make jokes about this. There is a significant safety issue and too many are making light of it. Yes, the retaining pin on the Uberti toggle links is very thin and it would not take too much to shear it. Yes, if you remove the trigger safety interlock, it is possible to have an out of battery discharge if the trigger finger brushes the trigger when the lever is closing. Yes, I have seen a '73 lever broken in half because of an out of battery discharge. The shooter had removed said safety device. The bolt flew back with enough force to break the loop off the lever when its backward motion was arrested by his hand. The lever was broken and the shooter had a sore hand. Yes, shooters have been struck by firing pin extensions exiting the gun. No, none appear to have been struck in the eye, the hammer seems to deflect the firing pin extension upwards and most strikes appear to be to the forehead. Yes, Uberti changed the design of the firing pin extension a few years ago because of this safety defect. The original Winchester design did not use an Uberti style pin, the retaining device on the original was more substantial. Recent Uberti toggle link rifles are now more like the original Winchester design. I own an older '73 and an Uberti Henry. My '73 has the same thin retaining pin as any other, I would not dream of removing the trigger safety interlock because of these issues. I did lighten the spring so it is easier to use. My Henry does not have a trigger safety interlock, no Henry or '66 does. Happy Trails installed a socket head screw that rides in a slot milled in the firing pin extension. If the firing pin extension should try to leave the gun, the head of the socket head screw should stop it. I hope. The jokes are aimed at a bunch of "I heard a man who knew a fellow, who heard from hig best friend that . . . " type posts that seem to be popular on the wire just now. Right now there is another thread on the front page of the wire about some rumor that somebody was accidently shot at an undisclosed shoot in New Mexico. Frankly, I don't have time to deal with rumors, except to make jokes. As to the alledged danger posed by the 73, I will defer to the experts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Driftwood Johnson, SASS #38283 Posted March 16, 2011 Share Posted March 16, 2011 The jokes are aimed at a bunch of "I heard a man who knew a fellow, who heard from hig best friend that . . . I am well aware of that. I just don't happen to believe it is something to joke about, I think it is a serious issue. There have been incidents, as several of us have noted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Concho Billy Posted March 16, 2011 Share Posted March 16, 2011 I am well aware of that. I just don't happen to believe it is something to joke about, I think it is a serious issue. There have been incidents, as several of us have noted. Sorry about joking around Driftwood.......I agree that someone being injured sure isn't a laughing matter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bart Solo Posted March 16, 2011 Share Posted March 16, 2011 I am well aware of that. I just don't happen to believe it is something to joke about, I think it is a serious issue. There have been incidents, as several of us have noted. There is a serious issue that should be handled, but we are't handling it in a serious way. People are still removing the 73's lever safety because they mistakenly think risking an out of battery discharge will give them an extra .001th of a second. If we think there is a problem that needs to be resolved we need to make sure the guns used in SASS matches haven't been compromised by shade tree gunsmithing. If the problem is with the manufactured product we need to ask Uberti and the others to address the problem. For example Uberti might consider installing a lever safety on their 66 and Henry models. Not period correct, but they are shooting centerfire cartridges that aren't period correct. Anyway a page and a half of comments has only produced two examples of a shooter losing an eye--Rooster Cogburn and somebody's housekeeper back in 1906. One of them was fictional, the other wasn't a shooter and neither had anything to do with a Uberti 73's firing pin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shooting Bull Posted March 16, 2011 Share Posted March 16, 2011 Howdy Boys I don't think it is at all funny to make jokes about this. There is a significant safety issue and too many are making light of it. Significant? Really??? If that's true, shouldn't we ban the use of all '73s until the "issue" is resolved? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Driftwood Johnson, SASS #38283 Posted March 16, 2011 Share Posted March 16, 2011 I'm not talking about banning anything. If you read the comments carefully, you will see Uberti has already addressed this problem with their more recent offerings. I just get a little bit ticked off when somebody asks a legitimate safety question and a whole bunch of guys treat it like a joke. As I said before, nobody has had an eye put out that I know of, but there have been plenty of instances of guys being whacked by a firing pin extension leaving the gun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manatee Posted March 16, 2011 Share Posted March 16, 2011 Significant? Really??? If that's true, shouldn't we ban the use of all '73s until the "issue" is resolved? Next time you put your face up against a buttstock and look over the iron sights, focus a little closer and you'll see a bolt or a firing pin extension of just about most hunting or CAS rifles. Is the lockup of a bolt a "significant" thing? That question is almost the most ignorant question I've seen on this forum. Remember that you're dealing with 20,000 psi in most of our rifles and as much as 50,000 psi in a hunting rifle. Weatherby drilled gas relief holes in the bolts. Most other companies at least have gas ports in the locking areas of the receiver. Significant. Yah. It's significant. sheesh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shooting Bull Posted March 16, 2011 Share Posted March 16, 2011 Next time you put your face up against a buttstock and look over the iron sights, focus a little closer and you'll see a bolt or a firing pin extension of just about most hunting or CAS rifles. Is the lockup of a bolt a "significant" thing? That question is almost the most ignorant question I've seen on this forum. Remember that you're dealing with 20,000 psi in most of our rifles and as much as 50,000 psi in a hunting rifle. Weatherby drilled gas relief holes in the bolts. Most other companies at least have gas ports in the locking areas of the receiver. Significant. Yah. It's significant. sheesh If you'll go back and read more carefully you might notice that NOBODY said the lockup of a bolt isn't significant. What was stated by Driftwood Johnson and questioned by me is if '73 firing pins suddenly flying off of rifles is actually a significant issue. That lead to me saying that if it is really a significant issue the rifles need to be banned until the issue is resolved. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manatee Posted March 16, 2011 Share Posted March 16, 2011 If this was a Toyota, there would have been a recall. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shooting Bull Posted March 16, 2011 Share Posted March 16, 2011 If this was a Toyota, there would have been a recall. Guess that certainly answers my question. Thanks P.S. Didn't mean to sound flippant in my posts. Sorry if I seemed that way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manatee Posted March 16, 2011 Share Posted March 16, 2011 Guess that certainly answers my question. Thanks P.S. Didn't mean to sound flippant in my posts. Sorry if I seemed that way. Me neither. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.