'66 not feeding problem

[Matthew Duncan]

Uberti ’66 Sporting Rifle in 45 colt.  Got about two thousand rounds thru it before the following problems occurred.

Carrier block is falling down before the Breech Block (or bolt) rams the cartridge into the barrel.

With the side plates off, I cycled the lever slowly.  Cartridge comes out the magazine tube into the carrier block.  Carrier Block rises and lines up with the barrel.  Just as the Breech Block (?) starts forward the Carrying Block falls back down carrying the cartridge with it.  If I give a little upward push with my pinky finger, the Carrier Block stays up and the Breech Block (?) pushes the cartridge into the barrel.

Looks like the Left Lever Spring (spring on the right looking down form the top) maybe the culprit.

Should the end of the Lever Spring fit into the notch on the Lifter Arm?  If it is my spring is about 1/8” to long.  I’m thinking when the spring was new there was enough pressure on the Lifter Arm to keep the Carrier Block up.  Now that it is broken in and is too long to hit the Lifter Arm notch, that is what causing the problem.

Thought I’d heat up the middle of the spring to cherry red, bend until it’s a 1/8” shorter and then drop in water to get some hardness back in the metal.  I also order a new spring just in case.

What do you Cowpokes think?  Is my spring too long and the end should be ending up in the Lifter Arm notch?

[Delmonico]

Pard there is more to heat treating a spring than that.  Don't do what you said about the spring.  That will ruin it.  It will be so hard it will break, possibly even when you put it in the water.  If you heat spring steel red hot and quench it in water  it can acually throw piece in yer eye or finger when it breaks. 

[Matthew Duncan]

Yep. It was the spring.

New spring has more arch which makes it fit in the notch.

Works now!

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[Delmonico]

Good deal, where ya been hidin'?