1866 Uberti

[mazo kid]

I have wanted a lever gun in 38 or 38/357 for a long time. I got the Uberti Yellow Boy for a good price at an auction. When I went to function test it, the ammo chambered very hard! Ejected just fine. This was my reloaded ammo with commercial cast TCFP Boolits. Next I tried commercial copper jacketed RNFP ammo. They chambered a little easier, but not much. Are these guns that finicky, or do I have a problem child? I have read other accounts where owners love their '66s, just wondering what I need to feed mine.

[Walks]

I've had one 25yrs+. Never had a chambering problem of any kind. Must have shot 20,000 rds myself. It's also my loaner at Cowboy Matches. Never heard a complaint from any other YELLOWBOY owners/users.
Is it a new gun? Or used. It could be you just need a good chamber cleaning. Try that, or a TAPER CRIMP DIE. Maybe your bullet profile is too long for the chamber/leade.
If new or abused it might need a chamber polishing.
Could be anything.
Hope my idea's help.

[454PB]

My 66 is in 44/40, and I've had no problems like yours. Perhaps some micrometer measuring of the ammo will provide answers, but sounds like a chamber problem if factory loads are causing problems too.

[John Boy]

Are these guns that finicky, or do I have a problem child?

Only one way to find out ... measure the case and coat it with Prussian Blue or a Sharpie Permanent Marker including the bullet. Chamber it and determine where the scratch marks are on the case. Marks on the bullet = chamber is too short. Marks on the the case = the chamber has to be polished

[country gent]

Ink up a round with a black magic marker. carefully chamber it and extract it. Look for the bright marks where its dragging or tight. Might be a tight chamber or might be a length issue. Where do they get tight, full stroke when chambering or just the last portion of the stroke. It may be a chamber a little on the short side, a tight chamber or neck, a issue with overall length or a issue with seating depth.

If this is with 357 ammo theres another place to look on a used gun also. You may have a rifle that fired a lot of 38 spls in a 357 chamber and have a build up in the chamber causing this tight chambering now. I would start with the marker and see what it shows, then a good chamber cleaning and then try again

[pietro]

.

Your rifle might have a minimum-sized chamber from a chambering reamer that was near the end of it's service life, but still cutting chambers within specs.

I would obtain a Flex-Hone chamber-polishing tool from Brownell's ($40 - https://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-t...m-prod651.aspx ), which cured two undersized chambers in my Ruger revolver's issue cylinder.




I just followed the directions, chucking it in a power drill (the hone is mounted on a long shank, to reach rifle chambers after removing the bolt), loading it with a honing oil from a local auto supply store (MUCH less expensive than Brownell's Honing Oil), and running it in/out & up/down in the chamber a little bit before checking the progress with a cartridge every now & then, until the cartridge(s) dropped freely in/out of the chamber.


.

[upnorthwis]

I own one in .38 Spl and didn't think they were made in .357 mag. Mine had one problem after several thousand rounds. The cams were not hardened and failed. They replaced the parts for free though.

[mazo kid]

Thanks for the comments and suggestions. Yes, the gun was used, and the ammo was "proved" in my Lyman multi-cartridge testing block. From reading I have done, it seems like the chambers were a little "loose" in those guns, so I was puzzled with the hard chambering. My next step will be to check/polish the chamber. And, this gun is 38 Spl. chambered only. It is first year production, 1968, serial number 5XX, so at least I don't have to worry about the tab on the rear of the ladle breaking!
Auction photo http://1858remington.com/discuss/ind...ch=11900;image

[square butte]

I don't believe the uberti 1866 was ever chambered 38/357. 38 special yes - 357 no ( Apologies - Looks like we were posting about the same time and i see your is marked 38 special )

[bob208]

I have had this problem with some guns. I did some head scratching and checking . I was using a wheel gun when I had a tight one going inone hole I tried it in another. then I started looking and measuring. found the cases that were tight in the chamber were also short. they were not fully crimped. so now I trim all brass even .38spl.

[mazo kid]

I did check the chamber and found a slight patch of surface rust. Luckily no pitting! I spent a few minutes polishing it up with 0000 steel wrapped around a bore brush. I had checked the bore when I got the Carbine and it was clean and bright, so never thought about the chamber. Thanks again for the suggestions.

[53slf]

Long time lurker here. I also had a first year Uberti 66 ser. 3XX. I found the chamber very tight for my reloads. Used a taper crimp die and it solved the problem.
Also be advised that there are no parts available for these. They are very different dimensionally from current models. Aftermarket upgrades will not fit; short stroke kits, springs, etc. That said, they are still great rifles! I loved mine but sold it to a buddy who was starting out in CAS. He has to sell it back to me if he ever doesn't need it in the future.

[AntiqueSledMan]

Hey Mazo,

I have a Stoeger/Uberti Low Wall in 30-30,
the chamber is very tight on that one also.

AntiqueSledMan

[mazo kid]

I did some more polishing of the chamber and the ammo will drop in freely now. However, my truncated cone boolits still chamber with a bit of pressure needed to seat them in the chamber. Upnorthwis suggested that his rifle chambers round nose boolits easily, so that will be next on my agenda.

[dikman]

Mazo, I posted about my problems with a .38 Uberti Yellowboy, but I think the post may have gone. Mine was a recent model, but I had a lot of trouble with cases jamming and being difficult to extract (in fact it broke the lower cartridge guide lug off the bolt). I removed the barrel and a club member who does gunsmithing work did some measuring on the chamber, he found it was a couple of thou. narrower at the beginning of the chamber than at the end. He didn't have a .38 reamer, but skimmed it in the lathe to make it parallel, which seems to work ok.
So yeah, it appears that it's quite possible to have chamber problems with these guns (which surprised me).
I also spent a lot of time polishing the internals and thinning down the springs and it's a lot smoother than when I bought it.