Shortening a 76 rifle

[Canyon]

Hi Ya'll,Merry Christmas from New Zealand.I've got a 76 in 45-60 coming in February and my importer says Uberti are only sending full length rifles with short rifles a way off yet.I like to put my name on a short rifle with a 22"barrel.A 28" barrel is too heavy to lug around the bush at my age.What I would like to know is how hard would it be to shorten a barrel on one of these?

[Forty Rod]

Got a hacksaw?   

[Hoof Hearted]

Got a hacksaw?   

Should be a piece of cake!
You'll want to cut the bbl just behind the magazine tube dovetail that way it'll be real clean. Crown, cut new dovetails, install back in action, install sight, shortened mag tube and voila! You're done!

Go slow, measure twice and ask questions

Good luck on ya!

[Forty Rod]

When in doubt, DON'T!!!

Call a competent gunsmith instead.

Years ago I had an old gunsmith tell me the most valuable tools were those wielded by an amateur before they brought the gun to him.

[Leverluver]

FYI, the mag tube hanger does not go into a conventional dovetail.  The slot is more like the mounting of a front scope ring where you twist it 90 degrees to get it to lock into the mortice.  It can be duplicated but it will be very interesting and will take an above average skill level in the use of a mill to do so.

[Hoof Hearted]

FYI, the mag tube hanger does not go into a conventional dovetail.  The slot is more like the mounting of a front scope ring where you twist it 90 degrees to get it to lock into the mortice.  It can be duplicated but it will be very interesting and will take an above average skill level in the use of a mill to do so.

It's not too difficult to do the final work on this dovetail by hand.............

Or you could just make it really big like Chaparral does

[Canyon]

I was looking at the dovetail on my Taurus thunderbolt and it is one of those put in and twist types that would be almost impossible to do by hand.So now I know thats what Uberti used too,I may have to use a standard dovetail if I want to shorten the thing.Thanks guys for the info.

[Grizzly Adams]

Hi, Canyon.  The modification is a simple one for a gunsmith experienced in Winchester leverguns.  Or, you can wait a bit for the 22" barrel rifles to make it into the pipeline in NZ.  They are here in the US now - I have one!

[Leverluver]

GA  Yeah, but did they do the forearm correct (~1" shorter)? 

[ART C GUNN]

To really be authentinc with a short rifle you must remember that the barrel taper is different. No matter what the length barrel the breech and muzzle diameter are the same. So a 24 in barrel has the same muzzle diameter as a 28 in . I have a original 24" full mag 76 that hangs beautifully. That would actually be my barrel preference in the 76. With this barrel length the forestock is the original length and not an inch shorter as the shorter versions. Proportionatly it looks good and not back heavy.