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Out of Battery Discharge, '73


Tex Jones, SASS 2263

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Appears that I had an OOB with the '73 rifle at yesterdays match. Happened so fast that the only thing I remember was the blowback and a modest movement of the lever opening. No damage and an examination of the rifle showed all parts, including the firing pin operating as normal. Fired it for the next 4 stages with no problem, but not believing in one of a kind flukes, I'm trying to figure out what caused it. The only thing I can think of is that the lever safety was depressed enough before the lever was fully closed to allow the roundto be fired, sort of running the trigger before the lever, as in a '66. Anyone have any ideas?

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If you pick up the slack on your safety with the trigger your gun is ready to fire. However if you start to open tha lever while pressure is on the trigger the extractor will pull tha round back out of tha chamber, pulling tha trigger now will also result in an OOBD .

 

 

RRR

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Yikes! Seeing this video of Cypress Sam is spooky since I had a couple of similar "jams" yesterday. Fortunately mine were at the loading table with rifle empty, but the mechanism would not operate properly. Something got stuck but could not figure out what.

 

Rifle worked fine when loaded and shooting but what is shown in the video is what I experienced with my rifle empty a couple of times.

 

What would be the cause?

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Given that Tex Jones was running gun as normal and did NOT feel a stuck case or hard lever closing, I would suspect the same cause as what RRR has posted. Trigger was not pulled completely until the lever had opened slightly.

 

With some 73's, given the geometry where the trigger bears against the trigger safety block, you can put a little pressure on the trigger while the lever is almost closed, but where the trigger safety block stops the trigger movement, which will hold the safety block "pinched", and then the lever can be opened slightly more, enough that the toggle links come out of their lock. Then if you finish applying trigger pressure, the trigger will release and hammer drop, but now the bolt is open about 3/8". Most of the time you get a light primer hit. Sometimes you get just enough for the primer to go off, and you get an out-of-battery discharge.

 

If you are shooting light loads in 38s, usually not much damage and the case does not even show any failure. Heavier loads or a 45 caliber gun, and you can rupture the case, bend the lever, and get a sharp rap on your lever hand.

 

Solution - quit opening the lever until the the gun has fired. Running at speed requires a LOT of concentration (and practice) to make sure you get the trigger slapped hard before the lever EVER opens.

 

Good luck, GJ

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Whew! Hope he's alright!!!

 

He wasn't alright before............. :lol:

 

A piece of brass went through the cartilage of his left ear and hat. A few other minor cuts on his face.

 

I have personally seen 3 OBD

 

One was Korupt Karl using a rifle I had sold him...........ammo issue like this

 

The other was one week after Sam, by the TO in Sam's video using a 66 pulling the trigger out of time.

 

That's enough!

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I had a couple of similar "jams" yesterday. Fortunately mine were at the loading table with rifle empty, but the mechanism would not operate properly. Something got stuck but could not figure out what.

 

Rifle worked fine when loaded and shooting but what is shown in the video is what I experienced with my rifle empty a couple of times.

 

What would be the cause?

 

 

I would not call it a "jam" if this only happens when the rifle is cycled empty. This could be one of several things, perhaps a "upper trigger" tip that is broken off or badly shaped so that the sear ("upper trigger") is not catching and holding the hammer in the full cock notch.

 

To say that what is in the video that Wyatt posted "is what I experienced with my rifle empty a couple of times." is not very accurate. That video shows the firing pin having enough inertia to fire a primer when the lever is slapped hard. If you are slapping the lever hard at the loading table, WHY?

 

If you mean the hammer is falling when you work the action slowly and without cartridges in the action, that is a WHOLE different problem. Perhaps a post of it's own would be better than hijacking this one with what kinda sounds like a different problem. Think we will need more info to be able to help you, LT.

 

Good luck, GJ

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Given that Tex Jones was running gun as normal and did NOT feel a stuck case or hard lever closing, I would suspect the same cause as what RRR has posted. Trigger was not pulled completely until the lever had opened slightly.

 

With some 73's, given the geometry where the trigger bears against the trigger safety block, you can put a little pressure on the trigger while the lever is completely closed, which will hold the safety block "pinched", and then the lever can be opened slightly, enough that the toggle links come out of their lock. Then if you finish applying trigger pressure, the trigger will release and hammer drop, but now the bolt is open about 3/8". Most of the time you get a light primer hit. Sometimes you get just enough for the primer to go off, and you get an out-of-battery discharge.

 

If you are shooting light loads in 38s, usually not much damage and the case does not even show any failure. Heavier loads or a 45 caliber gun, and you can rupture the case, bend the lever, and get a sharp rap on your lever hand.

 

Solution - quit opening the lever until the the gun has fired. Running at speed requires a LOT of concentration (and practice) to make sure you get the trigger slapped hard before the lever EVER opens.

 

Good luck, GJ

 

 

As usual, G. Joe tells it well, "geometry" capable of this is fairly common but not so on all Uberti '73s - -- just some.

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Had an oobd at yesterday's match with my '73 in 45LC. I have developed a bad habit lately of not fully releasing the trigger on my shotgun so I am afraid something like that may have caused mine. No injury as the shell was fully in the chamber but the lever did kick back and the end result is a bent extractor and the rear of the trigger now binding against the frame.

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  • 1 year later...

Does this only happen to Uberti 73's? How are the jap Winchester 73's? Does it only happen when you keep pressing down the trigger as you just keep using the lever?

Same mechanism, same result. It happens most frequently when no one is even touching the trigger. A round gets stuck partially in the chamber and the shooter jerks or slaps the lever and inertia causes the firing pin extention to move forward.

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Yep had an oobd shootin my 73 .45 bent leaver sore knuckles new drawers only thing we could figure is I left my finger riding the trigger.

Rafe

Hey Rafe, sounds like ya had two OOBD's if ya had ta change yer shorts!!! LOL... Sorry pard, could'nt help myself on that one, glad yer ok, SCARY fer sure...

 

 

Spades H.

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Gotta say THANK YOU!!! I didn't know you were virtually looking down a barrel when you put your face over the carrier and moved stuff around. I do now. I had a split case this last weekend and was looking directly on top of the carrier when I was relieving the rifle of the insulting obstruction! Never again......!!!

 

THANK YOU,

 

KCD

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