If this was my rifle I would...

[Mule Ear Mortensen]

So in 2008 I bought an Uberti 1873 short rifle in 45 colt. I loved the gun from the get go and never thought about inspecting it because it always ran and shot so nicely.

Recently when I started reloading I noticed that fired brass comes out slightly, but noticeably, bulged on one side from the reinforced rim area up to about 1/2 to 1/3 of the way to the case mouth. The bulge can be taken out, for the most part, during the re-sizing step of the reloading process.

My question is: What defect in the rifle is responsible for this occurence and is it fixable or is it a dangerous safety consideration? Have any of you experienced similar problems and what did you do to correct it? Also, if it is not a serious concern what effect will this have on the life of my brass?

I'm also toying with the idea of buying aftermarket parts for the rifle and getting the internals slicked up. What are your thoughts on that considering the issue.


Thanks in advance,

Mule Ear Mo

[Paladin UK]

Ho pard,
This is JMOHO...

If the the gun has seemed to be...`OK` until you started reloading I would STOP shooting it!

Firstly it seems the gun has a fault in the chamber

Secondly, ( I`m presuming your a newbie to reloading) your reloads could be too hot, or you might be reloading incorrectly..ie not-over crimping incorrect case length etc. etc. there is a host of nasties just waiting ta strike.

Last of all Uberti might be iffy regarding repair if they found out you were using `Home Brew`


Again, just MOHO, I`m sure a whole lot more knowledgeable pards can chip in with advise for ya 

Paladin (What hopes he`s helped  ) UK

[St. George]

A public poll will solicit all manner of advice - but rather than seek consensus - try to contact Uberti directly - or the dealer who got it from them - and ship it back for a new barrel.

This is a manufacturing defect - it should be rectified at the factory.

That said - the factory really doesn't warranty anything when handloads are involved, and they do state that in their literature.

In the interim - stop shooting the piece.

Good Luck.

Vaya,

Scouts Out!

[Mule Ear Mortensen]

Thanks for the responses!

Now to clarify. The cases I'm talking about, that are bulged, are old once fired factory loaded cases that I have been saving up until now. The distinction shows that this rifle did this since the first factory round it fired and I am just now realizing it as I look at the "fossilized" case history.

In fact this rifle has shot factory loaded case only but I need to change that if I hope to advance in this sport.

I will make the call.

[John Taylor]

After reading the whole story and seeing it was there from the beginning, I would contact the supplier.
Being a gunsmith I have sleeved many chambers to bring a gun back to shooting condition. This is the least expensive way of fixing the problem other than a factory warranty.

[Coffinmaker]

I'm withJohn Taylor.  I build a lot of competition rifles each year and repair a bunch as well.  This rifle has a miss-cut chamber. 
I would suggest you consider returning it, along with sever fired cases as "sample examples" for inspection.  A bad chamber is a bad chamber whether your shooting factory ammunition or not.  At this point in time, there may be some hesitation by Uberti or the importer but there may well not be any hesitation.  You may also get the "Within Spec" answer (I hate that). 
The bottom line is the rifle either needs to be re-barreled or the chamber cut out and sleeved so it is concentric. 
Time and hassle factor are also considerations.  You might want to cut your losses and just have the rifle repaired by a knowledgeable smith and be done with.
Considering the time involved and the hassle of arguing with the manufacturer and importer, I'd personally just have it repaired.
Before you put any money into after-market parts or custom work.

Coffinmaker