Uberti 1873 Rifle Dust Cover Spring

[Hawk Eyes Hudson]

Well, I will start this conversation up front!  I was a cleaning my Uberti 1873 357 Mag super slicked up rifle.  It was so slick I had to slick it down.  Anyways I was a taken off the dust cover and for any of you newbies this is won of the most dangerous maneuver's when it comes to cleaning or working on your 1873 Uberti.  I have done this several times before and know full well the ramification's of not knowing what your doing.  Even with doing this several times you certainly need to be over cautious!  There is only one quote for this procedure.  "Under tension, Small Parts and OH! ****!  I hope this does not offend any of the Ladies.  Well I did not lose any of the parts and placed them in a small container with a little solvent.  I will not reveal what happened after a short term distraction but where that spring went is anybodies guess and seems like the baby got thrown out with the dish water.  Oh Me!  Well it was time for a short prayer.  Sometime later I had to pray again for my bad behavior.   Well I hate to cut this story short but I think Mamma's got supper ready.  I groaned and whimpered for a while and the most intelligent one I know said, "You know that old firing pin spring you replaced with the new lightened one,  cut you a piece and it will fit."  I did and the gun is back to work.  Ain't it funny sometimes how small things matters.

 

I hope this helps someone someday out of a bind.

 

Hawk Eyes Hudson

Quote

"From My Cold Dead Hands"

 

[Gungadin]

Need to work in a small room with nothing but a white floor.  I've been very lucky finding springs....except for one I had to buy and I was lucky to find it...for sale.

 

Reminds me of a poem my grandfather used to recite 'The carpenter man said a nasty word.....'

[Bingo Montana]

AR15 detent springs and 73 dust cover spring. Both must be made from the same wire. IYKYK.

[The Rainmaker, SASS #11631]

8 hours ago, Bingo Montana said:

AR15 detent springs and 73 dust cover spring. Both must be made from the same wire. IYKYK.

Yes they are... disappearium!

[Kid Rich]

First thing I do is take the dust cover off and put in the spare parts bin, only have to do it once. It doesn't go back on the rifle until  I sell it or give it away.

kR

[Rye Miles #13621]

On 11/14/2023 at 8:15 AM, Kid Rich said:

First thing I do is take the dust cover off and put in the spare parts bin, only have to do it once. It doesn't go back on the rifle until  I sell it or give it away.

kR

Not a bad idea, after all the 66 doesn’t have one!

[Cypress Sun]

I've only did that ONCE. Didn't lose the spring, but I couldn't find the indent ball. I was cleaning it in the garage, pulled it back too far, ping went the spring and ball. I heard it hit the drywall ceiling and then concrete floor. Found the spring within seconds. Hunted for the ball for about 45 minutes with bad language increasing by the minute.

After about 45 minutes, my gal came out to the garage to see what I was cussing about. I told her about the indent ball, how big it was and what happened. She looked down at the floor, picked something up and said..."You mean this?" Yep, you guessed it...it was the indent ball, she found it within a minute of coming into the garage!

[Colorado Coffinmaker]

Yep.  The most fun is when the Spring and Ball launch at the same time NOT.  Neither the '66 nor the Henry have Dust Covers, and when we think about it, the Dust Cover on the '73 serves no real purpose in our game.  My Main Match rifles are Henrys.  Never needed a Dust Cover.

[Phantom, SASS #54973]

On 11/14/2023 at 6:15 AM, Kid Rich said:

First thing I do is take the dust cover off and put in the spare parts bin, only have to do it once. It doesn't go back on the rifle until  I sell it or give it away.

kR

Many years ago I had an extractor go bad at a match...all that was available was a 66 extractor. Found out that the dust cover was just a stoopid thing that gets in the way...in our game.

 

Phantom

[mean gun mark]

Pm me your address and I can mail you one.  I am an elevator mechanic and there is a particular hall push button that has the exact size needed, I change 2-3 out a month and throw em in a bucket for spare parts.   Over the years I have mailed at least a half dozen of these out to various shooters.

[Matthew Duncan]

On 11/13/2023 at 7:31 PM, Hawk Eyes Hudson said:

Well, I will start this conversation up front!  I was a cleaning my Uberti 1873 357 Mag super slicked up rifle.  It was so slick I had to slick it down.  Anyways I was a taken off the dust cover and for any of you newbies this is won of the most dangerous maneuver's when it comes to cleaning or working on your 1873 Uberti.  I have done this several times before and know full well the ramification's of not knowing what your doing.  Even with doing this several times you certainly need to be over cautious!  There is only one quote for this procedure.  "Under tension, Small Parts and OH! Shit!  I hope this does not offend any of the Ladies.  Well I did not lose any of the parts and placed them in a small container with a little solvent.  I will not reveal what happened after a short term distraction but where that spring went is anybodies guess and seems like the baby got thrown out with the dish water.  Oh Me!  Well it was time for a short prayer.  Sometime later I had to pray again for my bad behavior.   Well I hate to cut this story short but I think Mamma's got supper ready.  I groaned and whimpered for a while and the most intelligent one I know said, "You know that old firing pin spring you replaced with the new lightened one,  cut you a piece and it will fit."  I did and the gun is back to work.  Ain't it funny sometimes how small things matters.

 

I hope this helps someone someday out of a bind.

 

Hawk Eyes Hudson

 

You could drag a magnet around hoping to round up the stray spring.  The best way i know to find a spring is to step on it with hard sole boots and smash it, ain’t going to roll away from y’all again!

[Hoss]

I actually saw a Uberti 73 once that had no dust cover rails at all. Not sure how that happened, owner said it was not modified. 
and yes, every time I give mine a tear-down I wonder why I am putting it back on. I doubt it keeps any “dust” out of the action. Maybe mud if you dropped your gun. 

[Hells Comin]

Well after all of this I just put mine back on, because I can. It's like buying a new car and taking the door's off.

[Eyesa Horg]

But yet people buy Jeeps with no doors.

[Hells Comin]

58 minutes ago, Eyesa Horg said:

But yet people buy Jeeps with no doors.

Car

[Hawk Eyes Hudson]

Just wanted to give a big shout out to Mean Gun Mark.  Mean Gun stepped up and sent me a couple of dust cover springs.  I just got them darn springs today.  Thanks, a Heap Mean Gun!  I wonder what good a dust cover really covers but Murphy's Law always seems to find a way into my world, Ha!  I do think it makes the gun look complete.  Maybe the old pards was a spill 'in drink or a miss 'in the spittoon?  Seems like it was just January and now it's not.  Guess will see it again next year?

 

Happy Holidays Cowboys,

 

Hawk Eyes Hudson

[Reverend P. Babcock Chase]

Howdy Dusters,

 

Admittedly the dust cover on a '73 is of no value to modern CAS shooters. And yes Henrys and '66s don't have one. Now I'm old but not old enough to have worked at Winchester when the decision was made to add the dust cover. I suspect it was decided by the experience of the Henry and 66 owners. While we tote our rifles around in gun carts a couple or so days a month. Back when these rifles were in regular use, they rode around in wagons, scabbards or were in the corners of cabins or barns. When the (rare?) need arose, the rifles had been sitting around in what must have been dustier environments than we are now accustomed to. 

 

As I said, I wasn't there but that's my take on the situation as it evolved. So, yes, we don't need dust covers on our rifles any more. Keep them on or take them off. It's called freedom of choice, darn it.

 

Rev. Chase

 

 

[Hells Comin]

Dust cover came in handy today. Hurricane gust force winds ( Dust)at Ben Avery.

[irish ike, SASS #43615]

Lost my spring, found an old ball point pen, cut the spring down and wa la. Lost the ball, used some #7 steel shot.

[Navy Davey]

On 11/14/2023 at 6:15 AM, Kid Rich said:

First thing I do is take the dust cover off and put in the spare parts bin, only have to do it once. It doesn't go back on the rifle until  I sell it or give it away.

kR

You would of used at Ben Avery last weekend....big dust up

[Kid Rich]

8 hours ago, Navy Davey said:

You would of used at Ben Avery last weekend....big dust up

No. I put the cloth covers on my guns when they are in the cart. That dust cover over the carrier does nothing to protect the muzzle from getting dirt and dust in it.

kR

Kr

[Hells Comin]

18 hours ago, Navy Davey said:

You would of used at Ben Avery last weekend....big dust up

It was extremely windy and dusty. I used 

Metal Dust cover, cotton ball in barrel and cloth dust cover. 

[Rye Miles #13621]

I assume they added it to keep out mud and dirt when hunting and carrying it outside in the woods, desert etc. We don’t need it for our game but it was a little extra protection back in the day.

[Hawk Eyes Hudson]

Some time ago before a dust cover was even thought about, a group of travelers was a crossing this country.  The group came to a rather wide and deep river with no ways to cross.  None of the travelers could swim.  They had to cross because they were being tracked by Indians.  One of the sons found a small boat but it would only carry 200 pounds.  The father weighed 200 lbs. and each of the young sons weighed 100 lbs. each.  If they wanted to live, "How did they get across?"

 

 

 

Quote

"From My Cold Dead Hands"

 

[Phantom, SASS #54973]

2 hours ago, Hawk Eyes Hudson said:

Some time ago before a dust cover was even thought about, a group of travelers was a crossing this country.  The group came to a rather wide and deep river with no ways to cross.  None of the travelers could swim.  They had to cross because they were being tracked by Indians.  One of the sons found a small boat but it would only carry 200 pounds.  The father weighed 200 lbs. and each of the young sons weighed 100 lbs. each.  If they wanted to live, "How did they get across?"

 

 

 

 

What the heck are you talking about????

 

[Hells Comin]

2 hours ago, Hawk Eyes Hudson said:

Some time ago before a dust cover was even thought about, a group of travelers was a crossing this country.  The group came to a rather wide and deep river with no ways to cross.  None of the travelers could swim.  They had to cross because they were being tracked by Indians.  One of the sons found a small boat but it would only carry 200 pounds.  The father weighed 200 lbs. and each of the young sons weighed 100 lbs. each.  If they wanted to live, "How did they get across?"

 

 

 

 

They took the dust cover off,now all 3 were able to make the weight limit, And live happily ever after. 

[Phantom, SASS #54973]

8 minutes ago, Hells Comin said:

They took the dust cover off,now all 3 were able to make the weight limit, And live happily ever after. 

I love logic that isn't logical.

 

Phantom

[Hawk Eyes Hudson]

Well seems like all of you cowboys got something to say about anything.  The conversations was a run-in a little slow so I thought I would give you all a "Riddle" to add to the confusion.  When you figure it out get back to me.

 

Hawk Eyes Hudson

[Rye Miles #13621]

4 hours ago, Hawk Eyes Hudson said:

Well seems like all of you cowboys got something to say about anything.  The conversations was a run-in a little slow so I thought I would give you all a "Riddle" to add to the confusion.  When you figure it out get back to me.

 

Hawk Eyes Hudson

You could have started your own thread with this. It would have made more sense than adding it to a 73 dust cover conversation! 

[Phantom, SASS #54973]

7 hours ago, Hawk Eyes Hudson said:

Well seems like all of you cowboys got something to say about anything.  The conversations was a run-in a little slow so I thought I would give you all a "Riddle" to add to the confusion.  When you figure it out get back to me.

 

Hawk Eyes Hudson

Was it what you said or how you said it that was the riddle?

 

Phantom

[Hawk Eyes Hudson]

Solve the Riddle!  How did they cross the river?  What I said and how I said it is the riddle.  It is up to you with the information given to solve the Riddle!  Maybe some of you fellas should look up the definition for the term Riddle.

[Phantom, SASS #54973]

1 minute ago, Hawk Eyes Hudson said:

Solve the Riddle!  How did they cross the river?  What I said and how I said it is the riddle.  It is up to you with the information given to solve the Riddle!  Maybe some of you fellas should look up the definition for the term Riddle.

You win...besides, I never argue with a THSS member...serves no useful purpose.

 

When is a Riddle not a Riddle?

 

Answer: When no one give a rip.

 

Phantom

[Hawk Eyes Hudson]

Sorry Phantom!  It involves logic and math.

[PaleWolf Brunelle, #2495L]

All three started at A.
Both sons crossed in the boat (200# A->B)
One son went back across (100# B->A)
Father crossed over (200# A->B)
Other son went back (100# B->A)
Both sons crossed over (200# A->B)
All three now at B

 

 

[Hells Comin]

1 hour ago, PaleWolf Brunelle, #2495L said:

All three started at A.
Both sons crossed in the boat (200# A->B)
One son went back across (100# B->A)
Father crossed over (200# A->B)
Other son went back (100# B->A)
Both sons crossed over (200# A->B)
All three now at B

 

 

Well the Indians were only  .25 miles away so only the first one in the boat survived. The father should have gone first so he could have started a new family.