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Magazine tube liner


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Having never had (noticed) a problem with the 38’s in my match rifles feeding correctly a liner has not been a priority for me. Now retired (and somewhat bored) have been thinking I need a new toy. 
There was a thread not long ago about them but the search function can’t seem to find it. 
So asking the brain trust here 2 questions:

1) do you use a liner in your rifle(s) and did it make a difference?

2) is your liner aluminum or carbon fiber and if you bought a new one which would you recommend?

Thanks in advance

Regards

:FlagAm:  :FlagAm:  :FlagAm:
Gateway Kid

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I just put an aluminum .38 liner in my '73.  Got it from Jimmy Spurs in VT; Cowboy Gunworks.  It was a drop in tube with new spring and follower.  Could not have been simpler.  Installed it, not because I had had problems, but because on paper it made a load of sense.  Have not run many through it yet, but it has been flawless so far.  SB

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I have several of the carcon fibre liners...I believe that is what I will stick with. I think the rifles feed a little smoother

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I have one 66 with carbon insert, works great for smoother feeding. Second is a 73 with aluminum insert, also great for smoother feeding. Read somewhere the carbon inserts tend to get stuck in the metal magazine tube causing issues when you need to clean it. Not had this problem "yet".

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I installed an aluminum liner.  No problems before or after.   Had a corrosion problem and feel it was easiest way to control.   Clean tube, wax liner and install.  Repeat yearly.      GW

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I have had several of the carbon liners that Slick sold for several years  and they worked fine.  I believe a couple 73 are still running with them.  However a few years ago I decided the alum ones to be a better "mouse trap".   Sassy and I have a couple  from both Jimmy Spur and Lefty Wheeler.

Yes, I believe they make feeding smoother for 38s.  Plus to Old Graybeard, Ranger Dan, and G W Wade's posts.

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About a month ago, purchased a new 20" deluxe short rifle 357/38.  Not a professional gunsmith and for education, been making one change at a time to the rifle after the initial disassembly and smoothing. 

 

An aluminum liner was added last week.  It was drop-in and included a new follower and spring.  Spring was a bit long but thin gauge wire and did not need cut.  Ordered it from Longhunter and do not remember the actual maker.  It was drop-in, no work needed.  My magazine tube was cleaned and in good shape and I sprayed the liner and tube with One-shot.  Put a knurled brass tube cap on the rifle and I plan to keep an eye on the liner every teardown cleaning.  To me, it loads easier and feeds slightly smoother.  Visually can see the bullet enter the carrier straighter.   Prior to purchase, some of the reading had comments about potential additional weight added by the liner.  It's lightweight and I sure don't think that is noticeable.  

 

Question back to all:  I reviewed the "carbon" tube also but have never had my hands on one.  My question is why is it called a "carbon" liner?  This looks like a fiberglass / phenolic resin tube and this description makes more sense to me.  Carbon is black, has high tensile strength but doesn't take abrasion and is very corrosive against steel.  Just curious.

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It is called carbon as a abbreviated form of a carbon fiber filled polymer.   Same kind of a reinforced plastic that some automotive and aerospace parts are made from.

 

good luck, GJ

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I handed both of my rifles to Shotgun Boogie along with a blank check and told him to make them right.  Part of the magic he worked was installing mag tube liners.  Did they help the rifles perform better?  Darned if I know.  But I can sure tell you the only thing slowing me down now is me, not my rifles. 

 

P.S.  The rest of the story is that I've NEVER been able to notice things like that making a difference.  I hear people say they prefer lightened brass carriers because they can feel the aluminum ones bouncing.  They also say they can feel a coil mainspring modification stacking as the lever is moved.  How on Earth can you feel those things?  I can barely feel my own hands from day to day. Me shooting a SASS stage is something akin to that old line about throwing s--t against the wall and hoping something sticks. :wacko:

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Thanks for the info GJ.

 

The SASS world is new to me and really enjoying the people.  I've worked on my own guns for years so am pretty set-up for the basics.  I did take this one over to a friend's airplane hangar for a lathe to make a punch, and a press to remove the "so called removable" forward pin at the bolt to get at the firing pin.  They must be pressing the rear and forward pins during assembly because that pin did not want to budge.  Glad to have the new style bolt with replaceable lower tab.  Gladder to have not destroyed it removing that pin.

 

For CAS shoots, still shooting my Marlin at the moment.  I'm just playing with this 73.  Going to get the dust cover engraved next - a cowboy barbecue rifle at the moment.  I'll use it for CAS after deciding what short stroke kit.  Really wanted to play with the Boogie one that has the screw adjustable lifter arm (and we communicated by email yesterday) but it's currently not available.  Having lots of fun.  Very glad Uberti and aftermarket parts are mostly available.  Seems to me that simply buying a new SASS slicked rifle from a well-known reputable gunsmith would not have cost me any more money (probably less) and if ever sold would be of more value than a home build.

 

Last thought on the liner.  My current feeling is $80 for a liner is an expense to be considered.  Was it needed?  Probably not.  Is there anything negative about it?  Just the $.

 

 

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I had a carbon fiber tube installed in my uberti when i had a magazine detonation …. I strongly believe that the carbon fiber tube helped contain the explosion and saved me further damage, not to mention possible physical harm. I think the aluminum tube i had installed as a replacement will do the same thing plus the inside diameter is a little smaller helping to further align the cartridges.4959114F-9518-4053-8978-40766CC48F8D.thumb.jpeg.bca3af29550da04e5e22b707950ae4c0.jpeg

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17 minutes ago, Pb Mark said:

Seems to me that simply buying a new SASS slicked rifle from a well-known reputable gunsmith would not have cost me any more money (probably less) and if ever sold would be of more value than a home build.

 

I don't remember the last SASS prepped gun that I have sold, there's gotta be one.....

 

But, yes, other folks would value a pro's work more than they would yours.  Unless you are a name smith already.  :o

 

Where having a gun built by a smith wins out is all the work gets done faster, without having additional shipping events and possible damage or loss during shipping, and it is generally guaranteed for years to all work smoothly.   Doing your own work, installing parts from several sources, all you gain is the experience and satisfaction when the package all comes together.  Sometimes that is not a smooth journey.

 

good luck, GJ

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Too many stories and pictures like that and I'll be wearing my Kevlar gloves... 

 

Did the seller send you a warrantee replacement?  Just joking but bet they would with those pictures available.  

 

Never read or considered the additional protection that liner might provide.

 

 

 

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El Catorce and Lowdown Larry:

Would you care to let me/us know how that detonation came about? 

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8 hours ago, Cold Lake Kid, SASS # 51474 said:

El Catorce and Lowdown Larry:

Would you care to let me/us know how that detonation came about? 

My rifle locked up on the second round of the rifle string…needed to hammer back a bent round at the fumble area… and made the rookie mistake of not emptying out the mag tube… so I learned to ALWAYS empty out the magazine if you need to pound back a squib or a bent round…

 

oh! And also learned that a secondary benefit to having a .38 magazine alignment tube in your magazine is that they may help contain a magazine detonation and minimize damage and injury…maybe. They’re not designed to do that so maybe I was just lucky. 

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11 hours ago, Cold Lake Kid, SASS # 51474 said:

El Catorce and Lowdown Larry:

Would you care to let me/us know how that detonation came about? 

I'm not certain how it happened, was shooting the rifle stage and it locked up smoke came out of the receiver, I have to blame a high primer but more worried on how I missed it. I use two methods of checking and one got through somehow. 

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So I am someone who actually had a problem that was cured by installing an aluminum liner.  I live in Florida near the gulf and with the salt air everything rusts.  My rifle developed a hiccup that while shooting a stage I would lever the gun but a cartridge wouldn't feed out of the magazine onto the carrier so no round would load and I would have to lever again.  I tore the rifle down and found I had rust inside my magazine tube.  I cleaned and oiled it and it worked for a match or two then happened again.  I decided to try the aluminum tube with the stainless follower and it has solved my problem completely.  

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Interesting!  Thanks Pards.

I shoot .45 Colt in my NMVs and my '73, so I don't think I have an issue with my rifle's magazine tube, but a Pard is shooting a model '92 rifle in .357/.38 Spl. and he has been having issues with feeding.

Taking it down to clear the magazine tube, after it jammed up, I have noticed both .357 and .38 Spl. rounds entering the action, from the tube, are feeding off kilter/crooked.

I have a tube liner on order for his rifle, which will, hopefully, solve the problem.

If the installation is just going to be a "drop-in" then I can do it, otherwise it's going to Jason, our Gunsmith, for proper fitting.

 

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When you find rust in a Uberti magazine tube, it most likely came from poor factory cleaning of the rifle after bluing.   This problem has been happening to some of their rifles for years.  The salts have to be washed out of the mag tube with hot soapy water before the rusting will stop.   Just scrubbing with a bore solvent doesn't always get the salts out, rust continues to eat into the steel. 

 

Then apply some dry lubricant, like Eezox or Boeshield.  Clean mag tube and repeat once a year after that.   Or  if shooting BP or subs, clean the mag tube every couple of months because some powder fouling will find it's way into the mag tube, too.  Remember to lube the threads of the mag tube plug - it really has a tendency to stick.

 

good luck, GJ

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8 hours ago, Jack Spade said:

So I am someone who actually had a problem that was cured by installing an aluminum liner.  I live in Florida near the gulf and with the salt air everything rusts.  My rifle developed a hiccup that while shooting a stage I would lever the gun but a cartridge wouldn't feed out of the magazine onto the carrier so no round would load and I would have to lever again.  I tore the rifle down and found I had rust inside my magazine tube.  I cleaned and oiled it and it worked for a match or two then happened again.  I decided to try the aluminum tube with the stainless follower and it has solved my problem completely.  

I bought a used rifle and was having trouble loading 10 rounds, I took it apart and the rust was so bad I could not clean it and make it smooth. I even tried steel wool around a bore brush on a rod chucked up in a cordless drill and couldn’t get it smooth. I sprayed the tube with Birchwood Casey Barricade, installed an alignment tube kit. I never had anymore trouble with it. I pulled the alignment tube a year later and there was no additional rust, I really like Barricade.

 

 Randy 

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A liner definitely helps in Uberti rifles that are a smaller caliber. When I first started speeding up, I would have half moon looking marks in brass occasionally, but consistently on multi round dumps. There would be a hiccup but I could just lever again and the rifle would feed. I was levering the rifle up and the case was half out of the tube, half on the carrier. It took awhile to figure this out. I'd send live rounds out of the rifle into the upper atmosphere over my right shoulder. My timing could not be consistent. A liner fixed that for the most part.

I run an aluminum liner. I believe the carbon fiber liner to be superior to the aluminum one. The aluminum liner still corrodes do to dirt and debris near the carrier. It needs to be cleaned once or twice a year in my experience. The carbon fiber liner just stays cleaner. It does not corrode and requires very little maintenance. Tested the carbon fiber liner on a buds rifle and that is my conclusion. 

FYI - all of my 38 special cartridges are loaded to 1.51 OAL to help consistent feeding as well. 

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I have the carbon fiber insert in my 73 .357/.38. I see no difference to be honest. 

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