Burgess problem wants to be fixed

[Prescott Palmer]

After running approx 20 cartridges through my Burgess 45 Colt rifle the indent ball on the lever starts jamming the lever to the point where it will stop the lever from levering.

The 1st time it happen I took the rifle to a gunsmith, he fixed it and it ran smooth for about the 20 cartridges.

So this time I took it apart to see how it works

 

Seems that the indent ball keeps the lever up against the stock which in turn keeps a "cartridge stop" lever down so that now the head of the cartridge is up against a lug on the bolt. As the bolt is levered back the spring in the magazine pushes the cartridge back into the carrier and the carrier is raised so that the cartridge can now be pushed into the chamber. At the same time the "cartridge stop" which has a spring under it raises up to block the next cartridge till the next cycle. Whew!

 

When you lever the lever back you can definitely feel, in that last 1/16 inch of travel, the "cartridge stop" being pushed down. Now the indent ball is is suppose to take over and keep the lever from falling that 1/16 inch which in turn keeps the "cartridge stop" from stopping the cartridge. Hope that is clear enough.

 

So by now you're asking, Prescott what is you're question? Wait it's coming.

 

I put it back together without the indent ball and it runs fine. You just have to remember to hold the lever up much like you do on a "73 to disengage the safety. If you don't it can jam.

 

THE QUESTION. Is there a way I can put the indent ball back in so it will do it's job? And not jam up the works.

I was thinking of cutting a coil or two off the spring so there won't be so much pressure on the indent ball.

Any thoughts or experience with this problem?

 

Please no "use the rifle as a tomato stake" replies.

I like the rifle and in runs fine for all intents and purposes.

And like most guns of that period once you understand it, it's not that hard to disassemble and reassemble.

 

PM me if you think that's best for this question.

 

Thank you for reading.

 

Prescott

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Larsen E. Pettifogger, SASS #32933]

If I recall, the originals didn't have the indent ball and spring. The lever just sagged. You can put a lighter spring in it. I did an article on the Burgess for the Chronicle when they first came out. Don't even remember what year or month it was in, but the article had lots of pictures and a description of how it worked. Take a punch and push the ball down. It sounds like the spring may be bottoming out before the ball is below the surface of the lever.