Miroku Winchester 1873 Problem

[David Cardin]

Hi All,

 

I was at a shoot yesterday and had problems cycling rounds through my Miroku Winchester 1873. Long story short I ended up having an out of battery discharge.  It was pretty scary.  After bringing the rifle home I was able to remove the stuck brass and give it a good cleaning.  After reassembly I found that the lever appears to far forward and will not fully engage the lever safety.  Please see the attached photo.  Has anyone ever experienced this?  If so what is the fix?

[Tarheel Doc]

My guess is your lever is bent?

[David Cardin]

It almost appears like the entire lever is sitting too far forward.

[JB Sledge]

BENT LEVER, don't ask me how I know!

JB Sledge

[Tex Jones, SASS 2263]

As JB said,  however, what caused the OOB discharge?  You wrote that you were having trouble cycling rounds.  Was that the first time?  New ammo?  Cases not properly sized?  I don't know if any replacement parts can be had, which is an issue others have reported on.  Are you near the Paradise Pass club in Etna Green?  Deuce Stevens might be able to help you out if you aren't near a cowboy gunsmith.  Good luck.

 

Tex

[The Original Lumpy Gritz]

Lever is bent, can be straightened. 

The real concern is why the OOB discharge happened......

[Garrison Joe, SASS #60708]

Yes, an OOB incident often will cause a 73 design to bend the lever.  The bend is what keeps the lever from contacting the trigger safety plunger, as you picture shows.  If you can find an undamaged lever to use as a pattern, it's easy to bend it back to good shape - I've done that to 2 guns and they still run fine.  New parts for a Miroku 73 are HARD to buy.

 

If you were trying hard to close an action, slamming the lever, the spring loaded firing pin can fire the round even when the round is partially out of chamber.

If you bounce the case up off the channel in the carrier block so the primer gets "speared" by the extractor tip, same thing can happen.

If you stuck a slug in the throat of the barrel from a squib or a no-fire case, the next round does not fully chamber and the FP can be carried forward by inertia of loading next round into chamber. 

A reload with lead shaved off the bullet base, a fat crimp or no crimp at all or very long seated bullet  can fail to chamber fully, and FP slams forward if action is worked hard.

 

Your "long story" is going to be about the only clue you have to WHY the OOB happened.  Almost all OOBs that I have been witness to (perhaps 10) have been when the shooter was trying to work the action real hard.   This is not a gun design that fixes itself by applying more force.  Any resistance to normal operation means you have to  stop and find out what is wrong.   This is not like a Remington 700 or an M1 rifle where you can beat on the bolt handle with a hammer.

 

good luck, GJ

[I. M. Crossdraw, SASS# 8321]

2 hours ago, The Original Lumpy Gritz said:

Lever is bent, can be straightened. 

The real concern is why the OOB discharge happened......

This!

[David Cardin]

Thanks to everyone who replied.  It looks like I will have to find a smith that can bend the lever back in shape.  Hopefully I can find someone who knows what they’re doing and will work on Mirokus.

[Sedalia Dave]

Try Lassiter

 

Tom's Single Action Shop

675 Crawford Road

New Lebanon, OH 45345

(937) 687-1039

[Warden Callaway]

My question,  I the gun stock? Has it been "slicked up" with aftermarket kit?  Stock firing pin/bolt or some aftermarket upgrade? 

[Colorado Coffinmaker]

 

Hey Warden!!  Where you been hidin??  There are no after-market kits for a Miroku, nor after-market upgrades, nor after-market firing pins or bolts.

[Rafe Conager SASS #56958]

Like everyone else has said,  you have a bent lever.  Mine was way worse than yours and a pard who knew what he was doing got it back into shape. I'd have a Smith go through it to make sure that nothing else needs repair or replace.

Rafe 

[Cinch]

That deal that you used to flip up on a lever action cap gun to set off the trigger is the fix for this. 
 

Then your finger won’t do it when the lever safety block hangs.

[Texas Red]

Have you tried reaching out to Winchester???   If you're close to Etna Green, IN.  Take into "To Bear Arms Gun Shop"  very knowledgable staff,

TR

[Warden Callaway]

7 hours ago, Colorado Coffinmaker said:

 

Hey Warden!!  Where you been hidin??  There are no after-market kits for a Miroku, nor after-market upgrades, nor after-market firing pins or bolts.

Not so. Pioneer Gun Works provided short stroke stroke kits,  replacement bolts, etc. But they stopped. 

 

https://www.pioneergunworks.com/action-work2

[Larsen E. Pettifogger, SASS #32933]

1 hour ago, Warden Callaway said:

Not so. Pioneer Gun Works provided short stroke stroke kits,  replacement bolts, etc. But they stopped.

 

Ergo the are no after-market kits, parts, etc.

[Warden Callaway]

1 hour ago, Larsen E. Pettifogger, SASS #32933 said:

 

Ergo the are no after-market kits, parts, etc.

They do exist. I have parts of the kit. 

 

My point is, what modifications has his Miroku had?  The stock gun should have some kind of interlock on the bolt to prevent out out of battery discharge. 

[Warden Callaway]

 

[Larsen E. Pettifogger, SASS #32933]

25 minutes ago, Warden Callaway said:

They do exist.

The DID exist.  RIght now there are no kits and no aftermarket parts.  The Miroku has the lever safety and the safety built into the firing pin extension.

[Red Eye Jim]

I saw on Facebook that Deuce Stevens was working on an aluminum carrier for the Miroku.  Don't know if that means he is working out his own short stroke or not.

 

For the OP, you may want to see if someone else in your club has a Miroku if you don't have a backup.  You're likely going to need to deal with that bent lever because I'm not sure you can order a replacement.  I know I'd like to get a replacement tube screw (or whatever that is called) for my .357 carbine, but I never did hear back from Winchester back when I sent them an email shortly after I got it in 2017(?)

[Colorado Coffinmaker]

Sorry Warden.  Get over it.  What was available 10 years ago has nothing to do with what is freely available NOW.  NOW there are NO after-market parts for a Miroku '73, no matter what you have laying around from the past.

[Warden Callaway]

1 hour ago, Colorado Coffinmaker said:

Sorry Warden.  Get over it.  What was available 10 years ago has nothing to do with what is freely available NOW.  NOW there are NO after-market parts for a Miroku '73, no matter what you have laying around from the past.

You guys are really funny.  You sound like Clinton excuse maker uppers.

 

I still don't see a reply saying the gun was factory stock or modified.