Issue with my new uberti 1873 lever gun....Please Help.

[treetop00]

It's a taylor winchester model 1873 with a 20 inch barrel. Okay it says it'll hold 10+1 but when you load anymore than 5 it'll want to bind up and if you get 7 or 8 in it's even tougher. The first time I put 10 in you might as well forget it. I was shooting factory winchester 38 special lrn bullets. Does it with others as well. I just figure this has got to be something simple or goofy? Works great with 5 rounds in the tube and load from there but start goofing up past that. Does this gun have the wrong magazine spring or whats going on? Thanks

[Jefro]

Howdy Treetop, first remove the mag spring and follower and give the mag tube a good cleaning, it will be nasty and most likely rusty in there, no they don't charge any more . The mag tube screw was put on by a gorrila named Mongo, if you don't have the correct gunsmith type screw driver, or tip and an impact wrench, take it to someone who does. It should hold ten without a problem, you still may may want to cut a couple of coils. Better yet go ahead and buy a stainless steel mag spring and follower, that's one of the first things you really need. You can find them and other spring kits at Longhunters or many other gunsmiths that specialize in cowboy guns. Good Luck
Longhunters


Jefro Relax-Enjoy

[treetop00]

Jefro, thanks for the reply so quickly. This is a brand new codymatic gun I bought from don jones aka cody conagher with all his slick trimmings, I first tried to contact him but couldn't get ahold of him this evening. Gun cycles and shoots phenomenal, he does some crazy nice work, I just think something goofy is up. It works 5 bullets like a charm, just acts like there is too much pressure to cycle properly after 6 in the tube. I took spring out and put back.....yes correctly and still same issue. I just didn't want to go cutting springs or nothing before I got some input. Even from the factory.....brand new it should have cycled the bullets no problem, I would think. It's like they got me a extra long or stiff spring.

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[Jefro]

Ok, if you got it from Cody then it should be smooth as butter. Sumpins up, just wait till you can talk to him, he'll make it right. Good Luck


Jefro Relax-Enjoy

[August]

Yup.  Something is wrong.  Don't do anything until you talk to Cody.  He'll take care of you!

[Abilene]

When it has enough rounds in it to jam, is the last round that is loaded sitting at an angle on the carrier?  If it is, it might have a problem with a sharp edge in the carrier mortice that should have a bevel.  Uberti made a bunch with this problem a few years ago.  If the last round is at an angle, the edge of the rim gets underneath that edge and the more spring pressure (more rounds loaded), the worse it gets.  If it is at an angle as mentioned, try pushing the nose of another round or a dowel or stick or something into the loading gate and push the rear of the round on the carrier to the left so it is sitting straight on the carrier.  If that fixes it, then it needs that bevel filed into the frame.  

[treetop00]

When it has enough rounds in it to jam, is the last round that is loaded sitting at an angle on the carrier?  If it is, it might have a problem with a sharp edge in the carrier mortice that should have a bevel.  Uberti made a bunch with this problem a few years ago.  If the last round is at an angle, the edge of the rim gets underneath that edge and the more spring pressure (more rounds loaded), the worse it gets.  If it is at an angle as mentioned, try pushing the nose of another round or a dowel or stick or something into the loading gate and push the rear of the round on the carrier to the left so it is sitting straight on the carrier.  If that fixes it, then it needs that bevel filed into the frame.  

This is exactly what it is doing, with more and more pressure it just gets worse and by 6-7 its really tight and they start going sideways
Sitting in the carrier. So its sounds like that might be the problem. Ill just have to get ahold of cody. Thanks a million.

[RickB]

I just bought a 1873 Trapper model with a 16 inch barrel. The adverts on line say this gun should hold 9+1 in 357 but I can only get 7 in comfortably and if I put in an 8th it jams up the rifle pretty bad.

Should I contact Stoger (where the rifle came from) or should I just clip back the mag spring so it allows the proper number of rounds?

I'll clean the mag tube and see if that makes it any better.

It's a 357/38 and I'm trying to put in .38 rounds. Just so you know.

[cpt dan blodgett]

The rifle probably cost you well over $1000.00 does not function as designed, send it back and have the folks you got it from make it right.  I am amazed by the S*** people tolerate when buying guns.  Were it a new car with problems folks would have it in the service department in a few nano seconds.  Just my $.02

[Pit Mule]

And as long as your in there order a stainless steel spring & follower if it does not have one. It really helps cut down on the crud build up in the tube.

[RickB]

Actually I was thinking of taking it back to have them send it back for fixin or replacing. But these rifles are as rare as hen's teeth so I figured that I would see if replacing the spring and follower in the mag tube would fix it. I read in Guns of the Old West that Cimarron had this very same Uberti trapper model that they custom made the mag spring and follower to guarantee that it would hold 10 in the mag. I wrote Cimarron yesterday and they replied today that they have the parts in stock and will sell them to me. Spring is $11 and the follower is like $6. I'll probably order two of each to make sure I have extras on hand.

This is a sweet little rifle to be sure and if I can get her working with a new spring and follower then I'm good to to.

I bought the rifle, brand new in the box, for $988.00. So putting new around $20.00 in custom parts in her isn't much in my thoughts.

If that doesn't fix her, you can bet she will be going back for repair or replacement. That's for sure.

[h c ramrod]

if your shootin reloads they might not be crimped heavy enough so when shooting after 3 or 4 rounds feeding down and bupmping the heads are being push in deeper causing them to be to short and hence the lever needs to push the next round foreward in the mag tube to bring up the round thats in the caryer . just a thought , Ram

[Nakota]

For my Uberti '73 the Solution was lightly to chamfer / to break the Edge of the chamber (Really just a little bit). Now, the Cartridge rim will no longer hit the Edge of chamber and is easier sliding into the Chamber.
I hope my English is understandable.

[treetop00]

Just a update I did talk to cody and he sent me a new magazine spring which I received today and it FIXED the problem!!
I don't know why it had wrong spring to begin with but all is weel now and gun cycles 10rds flawlessly. Customer service as well as gun have been top notch as well as the gun. Now just gotta get some lead. Thanks for listening