Picked up my Uberti Hi-Wall yesterday

[Buckshot]

..............I got the pistol grip -set trigger version in 38-55. First impressions of it are that it is an overall very nice looking rifle. The 30" octagon barrel is well polished and blued, as is the cresent buttplate. I didn't know it but the rifle comes with a 6 piece brass cleaning rod in the butt trap. It's nice, but I plan on using others.

The checkering on the forend and pistol grip is perfection. I'm sure it's machine cut by hand, and I looked hard for oopsies and couldn't find any. Forend fit to the barrel is airtight. It matches the sides of the action very well, and on the countured underside the wood stands proud maybe 1/16" which really is no big deal.

The buttstock is fitted to the action very well, with the buttplate fit exceptionally well done. It'd rate overall wood-metal fit as 90% overall. The wodd is a nice piece of walnut with no exceptional grain, but it does have some interest. The wood finish is flawless.

The case color on the action is a bit dull. I suspect they use a cyanide process for it. The triggerguard/lever is much better so far as color goes. However none of it will match the colors, or the brightness of he colors on my IAB Sharps which is very bright, sharp and multihued. My Pedersoli Sharps is much the same as the Uberti Hi-Wall. Rather dull washed out blues. None of the metal showed any casting parting line remnants and was well polished.

The barrel has 6 lands/grooves and slugs .3794" in the grooves and .373" on the lands. I tried a round from a box loaded for my M93 Marlin and it lacks about 3/8" of accepting the round without force. I partially FL size these cases and when I fully chambered one, upon extraction the case showed a bright rub spot about 1/2" ahead of the rim. A Starline 2.125" long case (unfired) drops fully into the chamber of it's own weight.

Apparently you cannot fire the rifle without setting the set trigger. Possibly it's just the way the triggers are currently adjusted. As it is you cannot ease the hammer down as it catches in the half cock notch. With the rebounding fring pin it would be nice to be able to let the hammer down on a loaded chamber. After setting the triggers, the front trigger is very ligth but has a bit, possibly between 1/16th and 1/8" travel before it releases the sear. Not much, but it's there and it shouldn't be. I haven't taken it apart yet.

A friend of one of my shooting buddies had his Uberti Hi-Wall (45-70) at the range Tuesday. Since he's very involved in SASS, his gunsmith is probably a God Father to his kids. He had his smith alter his Uberti to be in the full cocked position when the breech is closed. He also had him do the tigger of his single trigger rifle and it's much better then my current set triggers are. I'll have to dink with eh adjustment screw to see if that will improve things.

The final proof will be in the shooting this coming Tuesday.

.................Buckshot

[NVcurmudgeon]

Sounds like a beautiful rifle, Rick. Uberti seems to do a good job. Waiting for "the rest of the story" in next Tuesday's Burrito report.

[waksupi]

New toys are kewl.
If the forearm is contacting the reciever, give it some relief, maybe paper thin. Otherwise your groups will probably climb on you.
Have fun with it, Rick!

[Buckshot]

................Wish I could figger out Donna's new digital camera :-( Thing has more buttons, rings, sliders, and icons on display then the cockpit of a 747. All I wanna do is shoot a picture, size and download it, sheesh. My old 1 mpx H-P was so simple even a moron like me could work it :-)

I got a bunch of paying machine work outta the way so I started making a .381" bump die. My Lyman 2cav 375449 drops'em at .377". I also want to add a short .373" bore ride nose to'em. Hope I can get it finished up before work tomorrow but I doubt it. I have to grind the spoon, and that'll probably take an hour or so in itself.

...................Buckshot

[Bullshop]

If your bump die works real good you prolly wont get any free time to shoot cuz everybody with one a them guns is gonna want you to make a bump die for them. You could lie about the results and just have fun shootin but that would be a sin. Brother you are just doomed no matter what ya do.
BIC/BS

[garandsrus]

Buckshot,

Are you going to try some of the boolits from the 38-55 group buy you ran a year or so ago? They drop out about > .381 from my mold. I just bought a H&R 38-55 that I want to try them in.

I had used them previously in a Win .375 BB but there is too much sizing getting down to .379 so the crimp grooves pretty much disappear. They should work great in the 38-55 though.

John

[Buckshot]

Buckshot,

Are you going to try some of the boolits from the 38-55 group buy you ran a year or so ago? They drop out about > .381 from my mold. I just bought a H&R 38-55 that I want to try them in.

I had used them previously in a Win .375 BB but there is too much sizing getting down to .379 so the crimp grooves pretty much disappear. They should work great in the 38-55 though.

John

..............John, haven't had time to cast anything since my 2 day Minie' casting marathon a couple months ago :-(. My copy of that GB was dropping about .384" or so. I just cast some up when the moulds arrived so I could report before shipping them out.

..............Dan, I got the spoon ground to form a RN with a .220" meplat Friday afternoon. The swage die is designed for the RCE Walnut Hill swage press so no one is going to be busting my chops about making them. I got the body bored before leaving for work, and have the base turned down ready to thread 7/8-14. I'll do that when I get home before going to bed. Maybe I can get the ejector rod assembly made too but I doubt it.

Due to the 18" twist I figure most of my shooting will be with slugs running around 260 to 280 grs. I bored the die so that from the nose of the slug back .480" it's .473" and then .3807" for the balance. I was shooting for .381" but 3 tenths short isn't going to make or break it since it's a thou over groove anyway. I smeared some lube on a Lyman 375449 (.377") sans GC and used a brass drift and a framing hammer for motive power to upset it in the die, and those are the dimensions I got.

Of course I didn't have the ejector pin in place so the nose has a kind of short .220" extension on it :-). Naturally your sizer die is on hold this weekend because of the above, ha! NOW how do you feel about the bump die?

.....................Buckshot

[Jon K]

Rick,

I was sizing .379-.380 for mine(now Glen's), I couldn't get a .381-.382 to chamber. I tried 225-300 grain boolits, it liked them all. I think the 38-55 is just inherently accurate, smokeless or BP.
How's that DST working? You and Glen can compare single/DST on Tuesday. I am going to watch Glen shoot tomorrow, might even shoot too, I told him if he is not happy with it's peformance, I'll give him his money back.
I have a couple of moulds you may be interested in, I'll be at the range on Tuesday.

Have Fun Shoting,
Jon

[Bullshop]

"How do I feel about the bump die now" Well all I can say to that is I have a Wallnut Hill press too. I think I might feel an order brewing! You make them so nice , and cheep too maybe I should make a real big order of them bump dies then sell them here for a profit. Naw cant do that, wouldnt be nice. BTW have you made travel arangments yet? This fella is wanting his 505 Gibbs back and we need you to get the test shooting done.
BIC/BS

[4060MAY]

Buckshot
My friend's Uberti 38-55, slugs bigger than yours at .381 we were using the Lyman 375167 with fair results but the GB you did with the gas checks cut off and sized to .3815 with an opened up sizer works better. Load is 13gr WC820, no wads WLR primers, 50/50 Alox lube, Lars.

we opened the brass with a reamer, but Starline 38-55 brass has thinner brass and .382 should go in the case.

The trigger can be adjusted to an honest 6oz with no creep.

[Buckshot]

..............4060MAY, I glad to hear you say the trigger is capable of being 'made right'. It obviously has the adjusting screw between the triggers, and it's nice to know it will actually accomplish something :-). One other thing, when correctly adjusted can you drop the hammer with the front trigger, ie: unset?

I have 100 of the Starline 38-55's @ 2.125" and checking them the casemouths are .008". I then checked my current crop of WW brass (used in the 1893 Marlin) and they also mike .008". As I mentioned above, I tried a round loaded for the Marlin with a tapered 225gr Saeco that's .381" on the base band (PB slug) and it chambered fine except for some resistance due to the pressure bulge. A tighter chamber then the Marlins, at least there it is. I didn't upset a slug at the chambermouth area to see what I have to work with.

............Jon K, with a groove of a few tenths over .379" I'd think a .381" slug should be a good compromise, at least for the moment. I know it'll seal, and it fits. I too think the 38-55 is a fine cartridge. Clean and well proportioned. Looks like a downsized 45-90 :-). I have a bunch of the 225gr Saeco's that have been TL'd and they shoot well from the Marlin over 16.0 2400, so for the first time out I'll try loading that. I don't know how much chance I'll have Monday to lube-size the 265gr Lymans, then bump them to .381" and get some loaded.

Next up will be to make a core forming die and then a final form die for making slugs to paper patch. I'll be interested in seeing the moulds Monday. I got your message on the phone and relayed it to Glen. He'd said he'd bought your Hi-Wall.

Glen's funny. Last time he had his 'real' Winchester Hi-Wall out and was testing some BP loads I asked him what loads they were. He flipped open the lid of the 50 round box and looked for a few moments. Then he looked up at me and said, "Ya know, I really don't remember." Ha!

..............Buckshot

[calaloo]

Buckshot. The front trigger will not drop the hammer. You drop the hammer by pushing forward on the rear trigger.

Calaloo

[4060MAY]

Buckshot
the trigger adjusting screw can be adjusted till the trigger won't set. I was PMing with John F. about trigger adjusting. using a wire hook and 1 oz sinkers hanging on the hook to test the break pressure, worked pretty neat.
use a small pill bottle and a paperclip, add weight till the trigger breaks.
we tried SR4759 and it works OK, but the next try will be IMR4227 because all the schuetzen guys use it. if you want some of the GB plain base PM me and I'll send some

[John Boy]

Here's the wood I lucked out on: Uberti '85 Hi-Wall Deluxe, 38-55:
http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd220/Meadowmucker/Misc/PDRM2970.jpg
http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd220/Meadowmucker/Misc/ButtstockFigure.jpg

Only issue is it came with a 1" hairline crack on the wrist off the tang along a grain line. Been in touch with Buffalo Arms and Cimarron. Cimarron will order a new stock from Italy ... "equal wood or better"

[Buckshot]

.............My goodness but that's pretty! Mine has some mineral streaking but no marbleing like that.

..............40-60MAY and Calaloo, thank you both for that information. I do appreciate it :-)!

Can't wait till Tuesday. Always scary with a new rifle and it's first range day.

...............Buckshot

[Buckshot]

..............Monday I loaded 50 rounds of ammo for the new Uberti. As mentioned, I'd made a swage die to bump boolits to .373" on the nose and .382" on the body. I thougth I had been successfull, but only partially. Under FULL compression in the die the nose ended up at .375" and the body did got .382". A bit of thumb pressure in chambering and when closing the breech the noses are well engraved.

The boolits I had on hand to swage up were Lyman 375449's. I had cast these up long enough back that I don't remember doing it. I must have been drunk of half asleep as they ALL had SBS, or shrunken boolit syndrome. On one side up through the drive bands was a sunken place. The top nose, and base band did not exhibit this. They miked .377" on the base band. They were all I had for new loads so I used them.

Since they have lube grooves, in order to swage them up they have to be lubed first so they went into a Lyman .377" die. The sunken portion had lube outside the drive bands. Since it's not compressable, when swaged it was still there. The whole point being that these were NOT optimum for any purpose other then fireforming, so that's how I treated the results. The balance will be melted down, and they were an obvious waste of my time in casting them like this.

At the same time I had 50 rounds of 38-55 loaded for use in my 1893 Marlin in unfired short WW brass (2.08" vs the Starline 2.125" used in the swaged boolit loads). THey were loaded with 10.0 Unique under the Lee 250gr slug that had been lubed in a ho-made .381" die. Essentially'as cast' @ a smidge over .380".

First up I fired 5 rounds of the Unique/shortcase/Lee combo at 50 yards. The sights were the blade/buckhorn setup that came with the rifle. Five rounds went into a single quarter sized hole, so that basicly told me the thing will shoot!

The swaged Lyman boolited loads consisted of:

15.0 Surp SR4759
16.0 XMR 5744
20.0 H4198
25.0 Surp IMR 4475 (3031 clone)
30.0 Surp PD4895

They were all 10 round groups fired at 50 yards, and no filler was used. The best load was the Surp 4475 which produced a round group like a halo of about 1.75". Worst group was the H4198 that was maybe 1.5" wide but 6" verticaly strung. The other 3 loads would clump from 4 to 7 rounds into a single hole and then pot the others over, under or around it :-) As I said, theboolits were crap and I was surprised they did as well as they did.

The Lee/Unique loads had been lubed with Javalina and the swaged ones lube with Lar's Carnauba Red. After 80 round (50 with a GC) the bore had no leading. After a bit of brushing with Hoppe's and a couple patches it was clean.

I had also adjusted the set trigger down to a nice pull. And I shot the match with it and the Lee/Unique loads. I'll admit that the set trigger surprised me a couple times so I got a couple 7's. The step adjusted buckhorn made for a course sight adjustment so these are my alibis for shooting an 83 :-)

I LOVE this rifle! Gotta get some mo betta sights on it though.

................Buckshot

[Buckshot]

...............9.3x62AL was sending an order into Brownell's so I had him add a Marbles tang sight to his list of essentials for my new Uberti Hi-Wall. Not only did he get it but he brought it over to the house Wednesday. Whatta guy! He'd ordered the rear sight that includes the staff for longer range also, along wth the screw kit and apurtures.

The day before at the range Larry, one of the Burrito shooters had a SASS buddy of his show up. He has a Uberti Hi-Wall also but in 45-70. He'd sent his to his gunsmith and had the trigger 'done', and also altered the rifle so the hammer goes to full cock on closing. Nice touch. Anyway he had a Armi-sport tang sight from Taylor and Co available that included a bubble level for the rear barrel dovetail and a Winchester type insert front sight. He'd put a Smith Enterprises buckhorn and ladder combo on his rifle.

He said it was 'trade Goods' but I'm danged if I know of anything I have to trade him out of it. Hopefully he'll let me trade some greenbacks :-) He'd told me to take it home, so Wednesday when Al showed up with the Marbles rear sight I installed that along with the bubble level and the insert front sight.

Naturally I thought I was all out of boolits for the 38-55, but scrounging around I'd forgotten 30 rounds of the 250gr Lee over 10.0grs of Unique I'd had loaded for the Marlin. Tuesday I'll be able to kind of get the sights dialed in. I'm sure looking forward to having REAL sights on this rifle now.

...............Buckshot

[dubber123]

Buckshot, I'm sure the sights will be a big shooting aid to you. I have long wanted a good set for my Sharps replica, but I bought the rifle used for 600$ and a good set of sights will cost that much! My cheap side has a problem with this. Good sights aren't getting any cheaper though. Good luck at the sight in.

[Nueces]

I ponied up for the same dual-staff Marbles rear for my Pedersoli Sharps and installed a Skinner (skinnersights.com) front post to replace the bead front along with that miserable buckhorn rear. Old groups were all over because I couldn't see the sights. First group with the new sights was a three-holer right at 1 1/8" at 100 meters. LaserCast 400 over 28/5744. I'm nearing 60 and was wearing a cheap pair of 1.00 diopter reading glasses. Boy, am I tickled.

Dubber, I recommend this Marbles sight. It looks period enough and works very well. The shorter of the two staffs is perfect for hunting and field work, leaving the taller one for long-range. The windage adjustment is another blessing. The rear mounting hole is a short slot, which I find mildly objectionable when inspecting the thing closely. These little hickeys have faded away for me since the bloomin' thing SHOOTS.

I also bought my rifle used and delayed getting decent sights because of cost, as you report. I had no luck finding original sights with the correct hole spacing and this Marbles one was my best option, without going to the ladder sights. As I said, I'm tickled with it. The Brownell's dealer discount on this one is pretty deep, so get your gun guy to order it for you.

Mark

[ktw]

I haven't had mine out since my last report, but I have changed out the front site since then to a lyman globe with inserts. I had to reduce the height of the lyman dovetail a bit to get it to fit.

While I was at it I also mounted the same site setup (marbles tang/lyman globe) on a Winchester (USRAC/Miroku) 1885 Low Wall in 22lr for more iron site practice.

-ktw

[Buckshot]

................The binding ring (for the threaded elevation rod) on the Marbles is so thin I couldn't get it tight so I decided I needed a wave washer in there between it and the body. The only instructions are about swapping elevation bodies. They say to take out the hexhead setscrew (and mind the spring loaded ball bearing in the base) lift off the one and replace with the other. I had to go further then that, so here we go with no destructions.

So I did that and succeded in dropping the setscrew on the floor of the shop. Didn't even bother looking for it as it's a whole 'nuther dimension down there and things just disappear. Luckily the thread is common. Forget now, but IIRC it's 6-32. Anyway I got it off the base. On the bottom outside OD of the body is another hexhead setscrew.

It is VERY short. Like 2.5 threads. Remove setscrew over a paper napkin or piece of cloth and set aside. Turn the hole down to face the paper or cloth and turn the threaded elevation rod. You will have several ball bearings fall out of the hole (the reason for the paper or cloth is to keep them from also disappearing). Once all the balls are out you can grasp the pin that sticks out the bottom of the body and pull it straight out. This piece is slotted and is what keeps the threaded staft from rotating with the body when you raise or lower the eyepiece.

Look inside from the bottom holding the body verticle. Screw the threaded elevation staff all the down into the body (since it's upside down, you'll be screwing it UP). Now visible through the bottom of the threaded staff you'll see the pin that rides in the piece just previously removed. Line this pin up with the hole the tiny setscrew goes in. BTW, the setscrews only reason for being is to plug this hole.

You can use a small jewelers screwdriver to get behind one end of the pin and push it over so it starts through the setscrew hole. I then took a paperclip, strightened one end and bent a 90* angle on the end to form a leg a bit shy of 1/8" long. Manuever this around and behind the little crosspin and use it to push the pin out enough to get ahold of it through the setscrew hole.

At this point you can now unscrew the threaded elevation rod out and put a lock or wave washer on under the binding nut. Re-assembly is the exact opposite. The parts are tiny. If lost, the ball bearings would be the ouchie part for easy replacement. For the cross pin you could use a bit of larger paperclip or maybe a piece of a larger safety pin. The setscrews are common 6-32 NF, but try not to loose any, just for GP's.

..................Buckshot