Tighten up the bolt/reciever area

[Cemetery]

Howdy,

I have a '73 44.40 that was made in 1893, and there is quite a bit of play with regards to the bolt.  Probably 3x to 4x as much as a new Uberit model.  I have another 73 made in 1904, with the same amount of play of a new Uberti

Is there a way to tighten up the area around the bolt to eliminate this play?

Or is somebody making repro's of bolts?

Reason I ask is that sometimes I have difficulty feeding a round into the chamber.  I used Starline when rollin' my own, and for awhile I thought the extractor was too small for some of the brass, and was gonna have a new one fitted, but then I noticed all the play.

[Grizzly Adams]

Sounds like the frame is worn where the bolt passes through, and/or the firing pin channel.  If so, a new bolt and firing pin will not help.  Remove the bolt and firing pin and check the firing pin channel to determine if it is elongated or egg shaped.  It really doesn't take much to throw off the tolerances, when combined with all the other wear on related parts.  A good gunsmith MIGHT be able to weld up and recut those areas, but it is a very difficult restoration process, and if not done correctly.....well, you don't want to go there.

One thing that MIGHT help is to install a much light hammer spring.  Sometimes that reduction will provide some improved function.   

Good luck.

[Pettifogger]

The first thing you need to do is determine whether the hole in the frame is worn or if it is the bolt that is worn and where it is worn.  (Or are both worn?)

[Cemetery]

The first thing you need to do is determine whether the hole in the frame is worn or if it is the bolt that is worn and where it is worn.  (Or are both worn?)

hmmm......how would I be able to determine this?  What should I look at on the bolt?  When I got this rifle it was all caked with grease and dust all inside, I stripped it and gave it a good cleaning.

What the problem is, sometimes when I'm cycling a round into the chamber, the bullet gets hung up on either the top part of the chamber (like some .38spl 1892s do), or on the lower part of the chamber, and when this happens, it can be quite difficult to clear.  Would a worn bolt cause this?  It's happening when only such a small part is clearing the frame?  I've been wondering if it's the extractor being too small for the Starline brass.