Uberti 1873

[Slider]

Hi All,

I know the subject of misfires with 1873's has come up before but, primarily regarding modded comp guns.

Today I took my brand new "stock" Uberti 1873 short rifle in .357 to the range and got about a 1 in 5 misfire rate, shooting rested aimed single shots, no fast cycling etc...

Most fired with the second strike, I am confident "fairly" about primer seating etc and am reasonably happy its not an ammo thing.

That said I am using CCI small rifle primers...

Everything else was okay if you don't count all those dead clicks.

I'm in Australia so I don't have access to numerous lever gun Smiths etc.

I don't see the point returning it as it will only mean the gun will disappear for months, I am certainly going to trick it up and swap bits out anyhow.

I was looking for any advise?

Thanks

Rod

Sydney Au

[Cheatin Charlie]

Try using pistol primers. Federal if you can get them.

[Rancho Roy]

I would be willing to bet dollars to donuts your firing pin extension is binding up. I've seen this on a couple of Uberti rifles.

 

With empty chamber and hammer back, see if the firing pin extension can be freely pushed into the receiver with your thumb and if it springs back on its own. If not, you'll need to take it out and polish it and the receiver hole which it is inserted into.

 

Also check that the hammer isn't binding in the receiver raceway or getting hung up on the sear.

 

Good Luck!

[Tex Jones, SASS 2263]

You might also check the firing pin. The inside of the bolt may have some debris, which may be binding the firing pin/spring. As a suggestion, you might also try shooting the ammo in another '73, if you have one available, just to make sure of the ammo, eventhough it sounds like it's a rifle problem. Good luck.

[Garrison Joe, SASS #60708]

Do NOT use rifle primers in pistol cartridges! They have a much tougher metal cap and will not set off with a light strike. CCI's are known to be the hardest primer already, and then stepping up to small rifle primers really means your need a VERY strong primer strike, something the 73 cannot deliver.

 

Primer going off the second time you strike it is a VERY common symptom that you are not seating primers 0.003" below flush with the case head. If the primer sticks up at all proud of the case head surface, it's way high. Small pistol primers will seat more easily, too, being thinner metal.

 

Clean the firing pin bore in the bolt. Common for the factory to leave some grease, oil or even metal shavings in the firing pin bore. Use a Q Tip and even pipe cleaners to get all the three different sizes in that bore cleaned out.

 

Good luck, GJ

[Boggus Deal #64218]

As with Garrison Joe, I would bet that it is the primers. Not that cleaning out and checking the bolt is a bad idea but the .357 is a pistol cartridge, designed to loaded with pistol primers.

[Snakebite]

All good ideas. Make sure things are moving freely, but for sure, stop using Small Rifle primers. The Pistol cases are NOT designed for them. The Rifle primers are not only harder, but they are usually higher too. A stock gun comes with enough hammer spring that it should set off even the toughest Pistol primers.

 

Snakebite

[Tex Jones, SASS 2263]

Do NOT use rifle primers in pistol cartridges! They have a much tougher metal cap and will not set off with a light strike. CCI's are known to be the hardest primer already, and then stepping up to small rifle primers really means your need a VERY strong primer strike, something the 73 cannot deliver.

 

Primer going off the second time you strike it is a VERY common symptom that you are not seating primers 0.003" below flush with the case head. If the primer sticks up at all proud of the case head surface, it's way high. Small pistol primers will seat more easily, too, being thinner metal.

 

Clean the firing pin bore in the bolt. Common for the factory to leave some grease, oil or even metal shavings in the firing pin bore. Use a Q Tip and even pipe cleaners to get all the three different sizes in that bore cleaned out.

 

Good luck, GJ

Good catch, Joe. Missed the small rifle primers. Small pistol primers for sure.

[Big Rock, SASS #44055]

I would be willing to bet dollars to donuts your firing pin extension is binding up. I've seen this on a couple of Uberti rifles.

 

With empty chamber and hammer back, see if the firing pin extension can be freely pushed into the receiver with your thumb and if it springs back on its own. If not, you'll need to take it out and polish it and the receiver hole which it is inserted into.

 

Also check that the hammer isn't binding in the receiver raceway or getting hung up on the sear.

 

Good Luck!

 

I agree with this. My daughters '73 short rifle was aweful. I took it to a gunsmitth friend and the firing pin extention was a smaller diameter then the hole it was to run through. Yes it is supposed to be smaller, but not a .1" smaller. He made a new one that is .005 - .010" smaller to the hole in the receiver, and it runs great now. The original extention was small enough that it would tilt and lock up when pushing the hammer back. And also tilt when hit by the hammer.

[Hashknife Cowboy]

Look for crud in firing pin hole....kinda common

[Palo Verde, SASS # 56522]

Garrisn Joe provided good advise, you might re-read it and think on it.

 

Also, please note: If you polish the F. Pin Extention, the hole in the receiver that it runs through or the hole in the back of the B Bolt that it runs in, do not enlarge the holes or reduce the diameter of the Extention -- will just hurry the wear in places you do not want wear.

[Barry Sloe]

I'm not one of the experts, but we had a new rifle with a similar problem. All that had to be done was tighten the hammer spring a bit. Harder strike meant more consistent firing.

 

Good luck,

Barry Sloe