'73 Musket - Loose magazine tube

[Injun Ryder]

Before I get too carried away with this, I wanted to check with the gathered sages.

At yesterday's match, the front band/forend band came loose on my '73 musket thus allowing the magazine to slide forward. I tightened it with a small screw driver and it came loose again.

A pard had a better screw driver and was able to get it tighter at the end of the day.

Is the magazine tube secured by means other than the front band? Is there a recommendation on how to secure it? Shim? Do I need to  remove the forend for any reason to secure the magazine tube on the musket? If so, are there any special tips on doing so?

I have a schematic for the '73 Carbine (Marauder's) but nothing for the Musket.

[DJ]

To answer your question, the magazine tube appears to be held in place only by the friction of the full-length forend and the clamping effect of the top barrel band.  If it comes loose, it makes for a frustrating feeding failure until you figure out what is going on.  I had this problem with a(n) Uberti replica musket.  The Uberti forend was very generously inletted for the magazine tube, leaving only the top band to hold it in place.  I used a Brownell's bedding kit and did a sloppy glass bedding job on the forend, and that seems to have cured the problem.  It's important to keep the front band tight, however. 

[Injun Ryder]

DJ - Thanks for the response. Kind of what I figured. It is an Uberti.

On Friday, I took it in to the 'smith and he also said the same. He tightened all of the forestock bands as well as the forend band and now we will see if it holds.

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