Easy Henry fixes

[Tuolumne Lawman]

I was just thinking of sharing some easy "fixes" for Henries and 1866s.

Early Uberti Henries had trigger springs that were made out of truck spring (or so it seems).  It makes the trigger pull terrible.

There are two fixes.  One is to remove it (very easy on 1860 and 1866s) with one screw.  Grind both sides down in a taper being wide at the screw end and narrow at the trigger end.  Leave the side straight enough around screw to keep it from moving right and left.  You can "dish both sides, also.

The second fix for the trigger spring is to get a new one from VTI

The third is to take a flat piece of spring, (like from in an 03 Springfield stripper clip) and make your own.  That's what I did.  Light trigger spring.

Second fix:, i Uberti rifles, early 66s and Henries in particular, have such have heavy hammer springs, it makes cocking much stiffer.  1873s have a tensioning screw that can be loosened, but the 1860/66s don't.

There are two fixes.  First, I just unscrewed the screw holding the spring to the inside of the tang some, and that decreased the tension.  The more you unscrew it, the lighter the tension.  Some folks put a leather spacer in there when they loosen it.  That works, but I never found it necessary, I just loosened my screw. It made the resistance one third of what it was when it was tight.

[Four Sixes]

Hi Tuolumne Lawman,

That were great ideas. Could you upload a few pictures so that I could see what you are talking about if possible. Thanks.

BTW...Do you know where I could get information (or steps) on how to dis-assemble the Uberti 1860 Henry for cleaning? I am so afraid of unscrew anything without knowing which part to take off first. Thank you.

Regards,

4-Sixes

[Montana Slim]

Great idea TL, I'll add one of my own:

The factory Uberti mainsprings are rather crudely ground at the factory. Problem is the grinding marks are pretty deep and run ACROSS the length of the spring. This will lead to premature failure of the spring (mine did!). Fortunately, the cure for your OEM installed spring or replacement is simple.

The spring is easily removed. First remove the two buttstock screws, then the mainspring screw. The spring should be cleaned up by sanding along the length of the spring (lengthwise). Just enough to remove the deep grinding marks left by the factory.  Final finsh/polish with 220 grit, or finer if desired. Light sanding scratches are ok, as long as they are along the length of the spring. Cold blue, if desired, and lightly coat the spring with heavy oil or light grease before reassembly.

Montana Slim