Shooting Bull Posted July 3, 2022 Share Posted July 3, 2022 Shot a whole match yesterday with no problem. Get to the unloading table after the last stage and my rifle won’t cycle. When I try to close the lever the bolt hits the carrier. I have to press the carrier down with my finger first then I can close the lever. I assume that means I somehow bent the lifter arm. Is there someway to definitively troubleshoot this? And if it does turn out to be a bent lifter arm, is that a drop in part or is fitting required? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tarheel Doc Posted July 3, 2022 Share Posted July 3, 2022 When this happened to me I had bent the lever. I sent it to the gunsmith and he bent it back. Not sure this applies to your situation? My advice is to have cowboy gunsmith take a look at it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eyesa Horg Posted July 3, 2022 Share Posted July 3, 2022 I don't know a darn thing about 73's, but I'd start with a disassembly and cleaning. The issue may become apparent. Good Luck Read below and above for experienced info. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larsen E. Pettifogger, SASS #32933 Posted July 3, 2022 Share Posted July 3, 2022 Do you have positive slamdown? If not the carrier may just be dirty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nickel City Dude Posted July 3, 2022 Share Posted July 3, 2022 Probably a bent or more likely a broken lifter arm. You can weld them but it would not be reliable in the future. It is best to just replace it. I haven't bought one in a long time but the last time I did it was $20. They are easy and quick to replace. I have taken apart a lot of 1860 Henry rifles and they are just about the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tex Jones, SASS 2263 Posted July 3, 2022 Share Posted July 3, 2022 I you have a similar model rifle, compare the levers to see if one is bent; same with the lifter arm.. It happened to me with a '66 and, indeed, it was a bent lever. Kinda rare for a '73, but it does happen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larsen E. Pettifogger, SASS #32933 Posted July 3, 2022 Share Posted July 3, 2022 Stock or short stroke? If short stroke whose kit? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gateway Kid SASS# 70038 Life Posted July 4, 2022 Share Posted July 4, 2022 Two Quick questions SB. Q1. let me see if I understand the problem. Last shot, empty ejected, carrier fully up, bolt completely retracted, lever open. When closing lever to return bolt to “ in battery” carrier still up unless manually pushed into place and bolt hits back of carrier? Disassemble and look. Any damage that severe should be pretty obvious. If as LEP said it is really dirty that should be apparent as well. Check lever against a known good one to be sure it is okay. Q2. whose short stroke? if it is the lifter arm that is damaged it will require fitting to get the timing back to correct. Better to get a new lifter rather than fighting an unknown amount of bending. If the kit is PGW or C&I they both are pretty simple with good instructions on their web site. Don’t know about SGB as don’t have any of them. Cut and weld, get back to whoever built it. Seems weird that the lifter or lever could be so badly bent that the carrier has to be pushed into position to allow the bolt to not hit without an obvious cause. Good Luck and let us know what you find Gateway Kid Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shooting Bull Posted July 4, 2022 Author Share Posted July 4, 2022 This was the first match after a thorough cleaning. Nothing is dirty all is well lubed. Dry fired perfectly after cleaning and performed perfectly during the match. It’s a Shotgun Boogie rifle with his short stroke kit in it. I do have an identical rifle. Will compare lifter arms and levers between the two. Will report back. (Probably tomorrow.) Gateway Kid Q1: Yes, you understand the problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abilene, SASS # 27489 Posted July 4, 2022 Share Posted July 4, 2022 Didja get the right sideplate all the way flush to the frame in the rear when you reassembled? If not the end of the carrier spring can slip off the lifter cam. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shooting Bull Posted July 4, 2022 Author Share Posted July 4, 2022 12 minutes ago, Abilene, SASS # 27489 said: Didja get the right sideplate all the way flush to the frame in the rear when you reassembled? If not the end of the carrier spring can slip off the lifter cam. Yep. Everything was buttoned up nice and tight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hells Comin Posted July 4, 2022 Share Posted July 4, 2022 I have a idea call SGB ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shooting Bull Posted July 4, 2022 Author Share Posted July 4, 2022 48 minutes ago, Hells Comin said: I have a idea call SGB ! Today’s Sunday and tomorrow’s a holiday. I plan on calling him on Tuesday. I’ve got a spare and am not shooting any matches for a few weeks so it’s not an emergency. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garrison Joe, SASS #60708 Posted July 4, 2022 Share Posted July 4, 2022 Easy cause right after a reassembly, and an easy fix - Could be you didn't get the lifter spring back in right, including getting the tab on the forward end flat into the frame, and screw tightened enough to make spring have tension, but not fully tight. Tighten screw just to the point of having carrier move correctly, and a smidge more. If you end up replacing the lifter arm on a short stroked rifle, you will have to have the arm fitted. And if SGB did the original work of short stroking the gun, you didn't get much for instructions to be able to find out how to tune the new arm. So, that means get the gun back to SGB for fitting a new arm (if it's not just a reassembly glitch). good luck, GJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackaroo, # 29989 Posted July 4, 2022 Share Posted July 4, 2022 I'd say the right side lifter spring has turned slightly and not sitting 90 degrees to the arm and not making a positive contact on the lifter arm. Seems strange all of a sudden happening, and I have found with the some slixsprings the wire arm can get loose and turn in the block, thus not keeping it 90 degrees to the arm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dusty Devil Dale Posted July 4, 2022 Share Posted July 4, 2022 deleted --misread the O.P. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colorado Coffinmaker Posted July 4, 2022 Share Posted July 4, 2022 Well . . . . You Broke it. It's Broken. OK, my first look based on your description is the Lever Side Spring that powers and holds the Carrier Block Arm in the "up" position has somehow failed. Pull the side plates and look inside. I have never used a Shotgun Boogie SS Kit so I don't know if the carrier arm is set up for Positive Slam Down although I suspect it is and I believe he uses an adjustable set screw. Regardless, you need to pull the side plates and peek inside. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Original Lumpy Gritz Posted July 4, 2022 Share Posted July 4, 2022 Mongo needs to go back to his Red Ryder BB gun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew Duncan Posted July 4, 2022 Share Posted July 4, 2022 15 hours ago, Shooting Bull said: It’s a Shotgun Boogie rifle with his short stroke kit in it. One of the Allen screws came out and is gumming up the works? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garrison Joe, SASS #60708 Posted July 4, 2022 Share Posted July 4, 2022 4 hours ago, Colorado Coffinmaker said: Lever Side Spring Make that the Lifter side spring, and I'd agree. good luck, GJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colorado Coffinmaker Posted July 4, 2022 Share Posted July 4, 2022 HI GJ I tend to over-simplify. To me, the retired Gunplumber, There are TWO "Lever Side Springs. One to retain the lever "up" and one to hold the Carrier Block "up" and power the Carrier Block "down." If the Lever Spring for the Carrier is Fungu, the carrier can jam from an abundance of "spooge." If the gun has been set up with "Positive Slam Down" all the spring does is hold the carrier block up while the bolt strips the cartridge and the lever powers it down. Properly set up, the lever should power the Carrier Block down in any case. I'd prefer to be able to peek inside myself, as with most Short Stroke having Positive Slam Down built into the Carrier Block Arm, something is amiss (well yea, He Broke it). If a set screw is all that provided Slam Down, it may have simply backed out leaving the spring to power the carrier block thru the Spooge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garrison Joe, SASS #60708 Posted July 4, 2022 Share Posted July 4, 2022 Semantics won't fix gun, but getting eyeballs on the working of the action is worth a million words. However, we can't get that, normally. Bull, hope it shows you the problem, or you can get it worked on to keep it from being a "long pole in the tent" Like said, would be real useful to see pictures of how a SGB short stroke is set up. good luck, GJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colorado Coffinmaker Posted July 5, 2022 Share Posted July 5, 2022 PLUS ONE for Garrison Joe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texas Lizard Posted July 5, 2022 Share Posted July 5, 2022 To much bull in the receiver?? Just a thought...Post info getting it to work... Texas Lizard After 8 months in VA...I am back to give you a bad time... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shooting Bull Posted July 5, 2022 Author Share Posted July 5, 2022 Took both rifles apart and compared parts. I can't see any difference between the levers and the lifter arms. Also, the lifter spring seems to be sitting on top of the lifter lobe (Is that the correct term?) correctly. Not gonna mess with it anymore and potentially screw it up even more. Will send it back to Boogie to see what he says. Thanks for all the help. Much appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Original Lumpy Gritz Posted July 5, 2022 Share Posted July 5, 2022 7 minutes ago, Shooting Bull said: Took both rifles apart and compared parts. I can't see any difference between the levers and the lifter arms. Also, the lifter spring seems to be sitting on top of the lifter lobe (Is that the correct term?) correctly. Not gonna mess with it anymore and potentially screw it up even more. Will send it back to Boogie to see what he says. Thanks for all the help. Much appreciated. Can you do the parts switch deal and see what happens? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hells Comin Posted July 5, 2022 Share Posted July 5, 2022 See if the NUT on the lifter/lever screws are touching the lifter arm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Payne Posted July 5, 2022 Share Posted July 5, 2022 On 7/3/2022 at 6:43 PM, Shooting Bull said: Shot a whole match yesterday with no problem. Get to the unloading table after the last stage and my rifle won’t cycle. When I try to close the lever the bolt hits the carrier. I have to press the carrier down with my finger first then I can close the lever. I assume that means I somehow bent the lifter arm. Is there someway to definitively troubleshoot this? And if it does turn out to be a bent lifter arm, is that a drop in part or is fitting required? Happened to my wife a few years ago. In comparing it to another rifle, I found it to be a bent lever. That surprised me because she's not strong enough to bend it, & she didn't notice any out of battery or anything. I used another lever as a pattern & bent it back, which fixed it. But, then just for insurance, I bought a Cowboys & Indians heat-treated lever & installed it. It's been fine since, & I keep the original in the parts box, just in case. Also, in the past it's been hard to just buy a lifter arm. C & I wouldn't sell just the arm, you had to buy the whole short stroke kit. This may have changed since then. You might be able to buy one from Shotgun Boogie, & it has an adjustment screw to set the timing, so you don't have to go thru the disassemble, file, & reassemble hassle multiple times. I also once got just the lifter arm from Lefty Wheeler when I broke one. Of course, you'll have to redial the timing (disassemble, file, assemble - repeat). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snakebite Posted July 5, 2022 Share Posted July 5, 2022 Make sure toggle isn't dragging on the loading gate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beaver Posted July 5, 2022 Share Posted July 5, 2022 Bull, You have mail Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shooting Bull Posted July 5, 2022 Author Share Posted July 5, 2022 Thanks for all the info everybody. I've already talked to Boogie and have it all boxed up ready to ship. WHEN this happens again I'll keep all the above suggestions in mind. Especially the mail from Beaver. Thank you my friend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beaver Posted July 5, 2022 Share Posted July 5, 2022 Anytime! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Knob Creek McGee Posted July 6, 2022 Share Posted July 6, 2022 I had a problem similar to, or maybe the same as, you a few years ago. When pulling the lever down and forward, the lifter would lift the carrier just a little too high such that it, the carrier, was in the way of the bolt and the bolt would hit the carrier and lock up the rifle action. If I pushed the carrier down about 1/32" then I could complete the cycle. I bought the used rifle about 9 years ago and it had a lot of work done including a short stroke. I used it consistantly and reliably for 5 years, 6 months and 5 1/2 stages. Then it just locked up. The lifter resides half in the chamber with the linkage and the other half in the chamber that the carrier rides in. When you pull the lever down and forward you are slamming the top of the lifter into the top of the slot of the frame between the two chambers. That is what stops the lifter from going up higher. This hammers a grove in the top of the lifter so now the lifter can push the carrier up too high. If you have this situation like mine, put a piece of tape on (covering) the grove. Your rifle will now cycle. At least until you wear through the tape. Below is a picture of my lifter after Rancho Roy welded a little bit of metal filling in the grove. He ground much of the top flat and I had to grind more a little at at time until it fit correctly. I wish I had a picture of the grove in the lifter before the metal was welded on. I didn't want to buy a new lifter because of the precision filing I would have had to do like when I installed a short stroke kit in my other '73. . Just my $0.02 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shooting Bull Posted July 13, 2022 Author Share Posted July 13, 2022 Mystery solved. Tab on the bottom of the bolt was bent. Bolt is being replaced with the new style that has a replaceable tab made of spring steel. New tab will be less likely to bend in the first place and easy to replace if it ever does bend or break. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Original Lumpy Gritz Posted July 13, 2022 Share Posted July 13, 2022 Get a spare tab Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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