Major Miles Stone Posted August 19, 2011 Share Posted August 19, 2011 The discussion about the 1873 lever action safety and whether it should or should not be removed got me to thinking. Is there a way to install an 1873 lever safety in an 1866? Since I'm pretty new to all this, I was thinking that since I have a new 1873 lever action rifle it would be fun to have an 1866 with the brass receiver as a back-up rifle. But if there is a risk of an out of battery discharge with an 1866 I certainly would think twice about it. I'm not intending to restart the debate about lever safety versus no safety. Just want to know if a good smith can do this to an 1866. If it is not possible I'd pass on the 1866. My coordination is not good enough to guarantee that I would not pull the trigger when the rifle was not completely in battery every time. Thanks, Don Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Fill 'Em 67797 Posted August 19, 2011 Share Posted August 19, 2011 Some of the early '66s did come with a lever safety, so it is possible. It's a pretty simple device, don't see why a good gunsmith couldn't do it. You may have to send it to a "cowboy" gunsmith that knows that type of gun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wagon Box Willy Posted August 19, 2011 Share Posted August 19, 2011 Maybe Driftwood Johnson can comment here as I know that he had some kind of safety added to his iron framed Henry. I'd also be interested. Willy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twelve mile REB Posted August 19, 2011 Share Posted August 19, 2011 Yes, even a gunplumber could do it. 12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colorado Coffinmaker Posted August 19, 2011 Share Posted August 19, 2011 The short answer for the current build '66 is no. The free space and geometry for the required machine work just isn't there. Be careful not to outrun your rifle and you won't need it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Driftwood Johnson, SASS #38283 Posted August 19, 2011 Share Posted August 19, 2011 Howdy As Willy mentioned, there is an alternative to adding the lever safety to a '66 or a Henry. When I got my Henry I gave it to Happy Trails for an action job. Hap had a neat trick for adding an extra layer of safety with these rifles. He drilled and tapped a hole in the bolt. He also milled a short slot in the underside of the firing pin extension. A set screw is threaded into the tapped hole in the bolt. The end of the set screw extends up into the slot. There is plenty of clearance so that the firing pin extension can operate normally. It can slide forward and back normally. But it is impossible to remove the firing pin extension from the gun without first removing the set screw. My Henry has the thin .062 pin that fastens the firing pin extension to the bolt. This is the pin that can shear in a worst case scenario, allowing the firing pin extension to leave the gun in the direction of the shooter's face. If I should happen to have an out of battery discharge because I have accidentally brushed the trigger with my finger, the set screw will prevent the firing pin extension from leaving the gun. I still have to be careful not to pull the trigger too soon, but hopefully if I do, the firing pin extension will stay connected to the bolt. Not the same as the lever safety, which prevents pulling the trigger until the lever is fully closed, but I do feel much more confident shooting my Henry with this safety improvement. Here is a photo. You can see the rear end of the set screw in the bolt. Its slot in the firing pin extension is barely peeking out underneath the bolt. The long slot is a lightening cut in the firing pin extension and is not related to the safety improvement. Henry Safety Improvement Unfortunately, Hap is retired now and is no longer doing this work. But I'm sure a reasonably talented smith could figure out how to do the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larsen E. Pettifogger, SASS #32933 Posted August 19, 2011 Share Posted August 19, 2011 Howdy As Willy mentioned, there is an alternative to adding the lever safety to a '66 or a Henry. When I got my Henry I gave it to Happy Trails for an action job. Hap had a neat trick for adding an extra layer of safety with these rifles. He drilled and tapped a hole in the bolt. He also milled a short slot in the underside of the firing pin extension. A set screw is threaded into the tapped hole in the bolt. The end of the set screw extends up into the slot. There is plenty of clearance so that the firing pin extension can operate normally. It can slide forward and back normally. But it is impossible to remove the firing pin extension from the gun without first removing the set screw. My Henry has the thin .062 pin that fastens the firing pin extension to the bolt. This is the pin that can shear in a worst case scenario, allowing the firing pin extension to leave the gun in the direction of the shooter's face. If I should happen to have an out of battery discharge because I have accidentally brushed the trigger with my finger, the set screw will prevent the firing pin extension from leaving the gun. I still have to be careful not to pull the trigger too soon, but hopefully if I do, the firing pin extension will stay connected to the bolt. Not the same as the lever safety, which prevents pulling the trigger until the lever is fully closed, but I do feel much more confident shooting my Henry with this safety improvement. Here is a photo. You can see the rear end of the set screw in the bolt. Its slot in the firing pin extension is barely peeking out underneath the bolt. The long slot is a lightening cut in the firing pin extension and is not related to the safety improvement. Henry Safety Improvement Unfortunately, Hap is retired now and is no longer doing this work. But I'm sure a reasonably talented smith could figure out how to do the same. Or, if someone has the old style retention pin you can simply buy the new style parts that have the retention plate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Bullweed Posted August 20, 2011 Share Posted August 20, 2011 Counting on a safety to overcome something that should be done might be a bit risky. Trigger control means keeping your finger off the trigger until its time to fire. This applies to the rifle, shotgun and pistols. A SxS can be especially unsafe if closed with fingers near the triggers. I would suggest practice, practice, practice (did I say practice) to overcome this opportunity. If a round does go off with the gun not in battery, especially a standardly wimpy loaded .38, I would think that the bolt would just kick open. I cannot believe that there is enough power in the round to be problematic until one gets into the .38WCF, .44WCF, .44s and .45 Colt. I am sure that some will disagree with my reasoning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie Whiskers Posted August 20, 2011 Share Posted August 20, 2011 If you're used to running your 73,then you're most likely used to squeezing the lever before you pull the trigger.Instinct will "probably" make you repeat that action even on a 66.First rifle I bought was a 66 in 44-40...no lever safety and I never had a problem with it.Then I bought a 73 in 44-40 and ran it for a year or so before someone pointed out to me there was NO lever safety in that either.Apparently Uberti forgot to put one in during the build process.I bought that new too.It took some getting used to have one when I bought my next 73 in 38/357.Just make sure the lever is compressed before you squeeze that trigger.66's are smooth and fun to shoot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Driftwood Johnson, SASS #38283 Posted August 20, 2011 Share Posted August 20, 2011 Counting on a safety to overcome something that should be done might be a bit risky. Trigger control means keeping your finger off the trigger until its time to fire. This applies to the rifle, shotgun and pistols. A SxS can be especially unsafe if closed with fingers near the triggers.I would suggest practice, practice, practice (did I say practice) to overcome this opportunity. Oh Please!! I have heard that logic since I started shooting. Unfortunately, none of us is perfect. We are human. Practice all day long and you still may make a mistake sometime. That's why Winchester put the safety lever in the '73 in the first place. Read my post again. I had an internal safety device installed in my Henry on the off chance that I might graze the trigger sometime while closing the lever. I've been shooting it for three years now, with full stoked 44-40 Black Powder rounds. So far, I have not tripped the trigger while closing the lever. But I am not arrogant enough to think I will never make a mistake. The safety device is in there just in case. Just like I bring my Rugers along to every match when shooting my Colts. Just in case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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