sometimes Uberti 66 not hitting primer hard enough

[Cheyenne Ranger, 48747L]

My brother's 66 has a problem:  one we have worked on for about a year with really no success

 

sometimes when he cycles the rifle the round in the chamber will not fire (happens about a third of the time.)  If he thumb cocks the hammer again it will fire.

 

when he cycles 'with authority' the rifle does better but still will have the occassional FTF.

 

He has cleaned the guts within an inch of its life and gotten a new hammer spring (if you can call a bent piece of metal a spring).  He has stoned and smoothed most everything, too.  bolt, firing pin and firing pin hole in bolt have been cleaned and recleaned

 

FWIW:  someone suggested Uberti sears are soft and that may be the problem 

 

asking for input from the Wire

 

thanks

cr

[Juan Solo]

Assuming you've tried a regular power hammer spring, and you've tried federal primers...firing pin or bolt extension just slightly out of spec maybe? Or perhaps the primers aren't being seated all the way?

[Cold Lake Kid, SASS # 51474]

One of my posse members was having a similar problem.

We found the problem to be as suggested by El Cubano, the primers not seated deeply enough.

First strike of the pin seated the primer and the second fired it.

[Sedalia Dave]

Does it do this with factory ammo?

[Jackaroo, # 29989]

The problem is probably in the firing pin housing in the bolt.

Remove the bolt and firing pin and Spring, you might have trouble removing the spring too. Repeated firing after a while will cause a burr in the bolt where the firing pin goes in. Get a small drill bit I think it's. 3/32 and clean out the firing pin hole, a burr forms there a snares up the spring so the pin sometimes does not go all the way in. Smooth up the step there and see if that fixes it, fixed mine.!

[Sarge]

My 66 started doing this this past spring.  Everything looked perfect.  Continued.  Put in a new firing pin and spring and it took care of the problem.  To the naked eye couldn't see any damage to the original firing pin, but under magnification, it appeared to be slightly flattened.

[Marauder SASS #13056]

Good ideas above.

Also, check the head space.  It is not uncommon for that to become a problem so that the firing pin is not able to reach the primer all the time with enough length and energy to fire the case.

[Badlands Bob #61228]

There is also a hammer spring tension adjustment screw under the lever.  Check to see if that needs tightening.

[Cheyenne Ranger, 48747L]

thanks for input

 

answers to a couple of comments above

these rounds work in 6 revolvers and a Marlin 1894 with nary a hickup so don't think they are high primers.

 

our thoughts are that "something" is hanging up and the hard levering is keeping that from happening--only when he levers it normally do it seem to show up--which ties right into a bunch of the above comments.

 

will run through the above list and report back

[Max Payne]

As you run thru the fixes above, don't fail to address the hammer spring tension adjustment screw mentioned by Badlands Bob above.

[Colorado Coffinmaker]

There is NO hammer spring TENSION screw in the 1866.  There is only the attachment screw.  A tension screw is something that has to be added to the lower tang.

 

My primary "looks" would be the Firing Pin Extension Rod as it travels thru the frame.  You should be able to move the extension rod in and out with minimal finger pressure.  The Firing Pin return spring may also be your problem.  The return spring is much heavier than it needs to be.  It can be replaced with a lighter one or cut WAY down.  The Firing Pin itself can be too short.  There should be between 45 & 50 Thou extension.  Head space can be a REAL problem also drag of the Extension Rod in the recess in the Bolt can be a nasty problem.

Polishing the inside of the Bolt can help as can polishing the Extension Rod.

[Cheyenne Ranger, 48747L]

looking into CC's ideas

 

I was thinking and realized IF the chamber was a bit short the bullet could be hitting the front of the chamber keeping the rim from making contact with the chamber and when the firing pin hits it the lead bullet deforms rather than the primer going off.  Second strike then hits the shell which has moved forward so the rim is now in correct position and goes off.

 

someone asked how factory ammo works--none of our cowboy guns has ever had commercial ammo run through them.

 

I did a comparison of bullet shapes and it would seem the 'fat' one (our regular bullet) could be keeping the cartridge from seating fully.  The other would allow the cartridge to fully seat.

 

ignore the apparent difference in length--trick of the camera

 

 

[Wild lead]

I had a similar problem with my 73 put in longer firing pin from pioneer and fixed whatever problem I was having

[Cypress Sam, SASS #10915]

With the bolt, firing pin and firing pin extension assembled out of the gun, the end of the firing pin should be exactly flush with the bolt face.  If it’s not, you need a longer firing pin, available from several sources.

 

Also make sure that the firing pin and extension move freely as others have stated.

 

Also it is important that you don’t have excess headspace.

[H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619]

Has the gun had any kind of an action job?

 

When I got my 66, used, it was clear to me that it had had the following things done to it.

 

1.  The lever safety (This is an early Navy Arms one) had been removed

2.  The action was VERY slick.  I don't believe it has a short stroke, but the action was incredibly smooth like some of the "race guns" that friends at the range have let me try on occasion.

3.  The hammer was falling noticeably slower than the hammer on my real 73 or my Henry, indicating that the hammer spring had been lightened somehow.

 

As such, it would have the occasional failure to fire.

 

I took the gun to Happy Trails and asked him if he could "restore it to something closer to factory specs."   He did.  The action is still very smooth, but the hammer falls much faster and it's ever so slightly "stiffer" than it was.   The lever safety has been restored.   Never had a problem since.

 

I know he replaced some springs, but other than that, I am not sure what else he may have done.

 

In other words, sometimes some of these action jobs that get done to these guns take things just a little to far.