1866 versus 1873 - Page 2

Jbar4Ranch · December 14, 2013, 03:11 PM

Doc Hoy, you might kick yourself after you hear this...

... I picked the rifle up from my FFL holder today and am very pleased. In addition to the Grabber style front sight bead and reinforced ladle tab that were evident in the auction pics, it has also had the original lever springs lightened and polished, and a short stroke kit installed. There was an extra threaded hole in the lower tang that had me baffled, because it's obviously some user modification as it goes through the Uberti/Italy stamping, so I removed the butt stock to maybe get an idea and found it has also been fitted with a PGW coil mainspring conversion. Still no explanation for the extra hole though. The internals are very clean and the action has very little wear.

So, $625, shipped, $25 txfer fee and it's already all tricked out with lightened & polished springs, leather lever wrap, Grabber front sight ($30), PGW short stroke, gen 3 I think ($160 for the parts kit), and a PGW coil mainspring conversion ($150 for the parts kit).

Doc Hoy · December 15, 2013, 04:12 AM

I do envy you picking up the rifle for that price.

I think probly the reason why he was not willing to talk much about the rifle when I was in there for the last time is because he knew it was already sold to you.

The other thing is that I am not enough of a shooter to truly appreciate the modifications. It is good that the rifle went to someone who would appreciate it for what it is.

Merry Christmas.

B.L.E. · December 15, 2013, 10:03 PM

Quote:

Fortunately, Starline makes and sells new 38-40 brass.

The .38-40 case is so close dimensionally to the .44-40 that you can convert a .44-40 case into a .38-40 case by forcing it into a .38-40 resizing die.

MJN77 · December 15, 2013, 10:32 PM

I have also reloaded .38-40 cases as .44-40s. Works just fine.

B.L.E. · December 15, 2013, 11:14 PM

The only problem is the cases still have their original headstamps, only a problem if you have guns in both calibers.

Unless of course, you get the special deluxe headstamp changing dies.

Jbar4Ranch · December 16, 2013, 09:20 PM

Doc Hoy, the short stroke kits give the rifle a better feel, but I'm not a fast enough CAS shooter that it would be likely to make a difference in my standings, and certainly not fast enough where the extra few thousandths of a second faster lock times of the coil spring conversion would! The coil spring conversion is definitely more uniform over the cocking stroke, but nothing I would ever spend the money on, although it's pretty cool this rifle already has it installed.

December 14, 2013, 03:11 PM	#26
Jbar4Ranch Senior Member Join Date: May 19, 1999 Location: Near Helena, Montana Posts: 1,719	Doc Hoy, you might kick yourself after you hear this... ... I picked the rifle up from my FFL holder today and am very pleased. In addition to the Grabber style front sight bead and reinforced ladle tab that were evident in the auction pics, it has also had the original lever springs lightened and polished, and a short stroke kit installed. There was an extra threaded hole in the lower tang that had me baffled, because it's obviously some user modification as it goes through the Uberti/Italy stamping, so I removed the butt stock to maybe get an idea and found it has also been fitted with a PGW coil mainspring conversion. Still no explanation for the extra hole though. The internals are very clean and the action has very little wear. So, $625, shipped, $25 txfer fee and it's already all tricked out with lightened & polished springs, leather lever wrap, Grabber front sight ($30), PGW short stroke, gen 3 I think ($160 for the parts kit), and a PGW coil mainspring conversion ($150 for the parts kit). __________________ Sometimes the squeaky wheel gets replaced... SASS 47015

December 15, 2013, 04:12 AM	#27
Doc Hoy Senior Member Join Date: October 24, 2008 Location: Naples, Fl Posts: 5,440	Congrats jBar I do envy you picking up the rifle for that price. I think probly the reason why he was not willing to talk much about the rifle when I was in there for the last time is because he knew it was already sold to you. The other thing is that I am not enough of a shooter to truly appreciate the modifications. It is good that the rifle went to someone who would appreciate it for what it is. Merry Christmas. __________________ Seek truth. Relax. Take a breath.

December 15, 2013, 11:14 PM	#30
B.L.E. Senior Member Join Date: December 20, 2008 Location: Somewhere on the Southern shore of Lake Travis, TX Posts: 2,603	The only problem is the cases still have their original headstamps, only a problem if you have guns in both calibers. Unless of course, you get the special deluxe headstamp changing dies. __________________ Hanlon's Razor "Do not invoke conspiracy as explanation when ignorance and incompetence will suffice, as conspiracy implies intelligence and organization."

December 16, 2013, 09:20 PM	#31
Jbar4Ranch Senior Member Join Date: May 19, 1999 Location: Near Helena, Montana Posts: 1,719	Doc Hoy, the short stroke kits give the rifle a better feel, but I'm not a fast enough CAS shooter that it would be likely to make a difference in my standings, and certainly not fast enough where the extra few thousandths of a second faster lock times of the coil spring conversion would! The coil spring conversion is definitely more uniform over the cocking stroke, but nothing I would ever spend the money on, although it's pretty cool this rifle already has it installed. __________________ Sometimes the squeaky wheel gets replaced... SASS 47015

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December 15, 2013, 10:32 PM	#29
MJN77 Senior Member Join Date: April 27, 2009 Location: on a hill in West Virginia Posts: 789	I have also reloaded .38-40 cases as .44-40s. Works just fine.