Buncha beginner's questions to get us started

[ChuteTheMall]

 Sometimes I'll eject a live round with a nice little firing pin indentation on the primer; sometimes it'll happen 3 or 4 times in a row and this doesn't help my time at all. How do I adjust this? The screw under the lever seems tight.

What sizes of screwdriver bits should I buy before I ruin my screw heads with my multitool?

Besides some gun-scrubber, a bore snake fro the breech, and a little oil on the outside, how much cleaning/field-stripping must I do? I like to keep my guns as filthy as possible as long as they stay reliable.

Whenever I miss, and call my shot, it seems to be too high. Should I just get used to a different sight picture, or should I try to adjust the rear sight?

Is there a faster technique for reloading on the clock, assuming I continue to jack rounds out?
I've been doing it just like at the loading table (hammer down on empty chamber, lever closed, insert one or more rounds thru loading gate, then cock and shoot. Any shortcuts to this on the clock?

[Old Top]

Chute,

You do not say what caliber your 73 is, 45s and 38s are stright walled cases and have more blowback then the bottle necked cartriges.  Wether you are shooting black powder or smokeless would determine how  to clean and often.  Light prmer hits are normally indicative of short stroking the rifle, you are not moveing the lever all the way forward and only half cocking the rifle.  They offer gun screwdriver I would get the smaller kit a get what you need from there.

Hope this helps.

Old Top

[Major 2]

My 73 was doing that, the screw you mention is the main spring tention screw
I asked the same question (Light taps)
Poncho Peacemaker said "turn the screw a tad ( about 1/8 turn clockwise )" it will feel snug but will adjust the main spring.
It was the fix I needed ..simple as that...
He said turn small amounts and test, I moved mine and it worked the first time.

As for Drivers, I bought my set from Cylinder & Slide at the 07 Shot Show,  it's a 10 piece set thats ground to fit every screw on Winchesters & the Uberti.
Show price with another 3 piece set for Colts was $60 for the 2 sets.

Cabela's also has a Gun Smithing Set

For cleaning my 44 Spcl. 73 ..I use Breakfree or Gun Scrubber and the little straw they pack with it.
I libraly flush the inards with these and lube with Gibbs, through every nook and cranny access.
I never have taken mine apart.
Has worked well on my Henry's which are alot more difficult to take down than the 73.

[ChuteTheMall]

Thanks for all the replies!
I tightened the adjusting screw a little, and it helped quite a bit, but maybe I'm still short-stroking it from time to time, so I'll work on that.

I'm shopping around for screwdriver bits, or kits, before I mess everything up.

I'm shooting .38 spl from Georgia Arms ($110 per 500) usually in 158g but sometimes 125g, because I don't yet have the space, time, and start-up money for reloading, but I'm saving brass for that day.

[Camille Eonich]

Some people reload the '73 "over the top".  With the lever fully open and the last case ejected push your reload down on the carrier and then close the lever and shoot.  Some rifles this is easier to do on than others and your load can make a difference as well. 


As with anything else, speed comes with practice.

[ChuteTheMall]

Some people reload the '73 "over the top".  With the lever fully open and the last case ejected push your reload down on the carrier and then close the lever and shoot.  Some rifles this is easier to do on than others and your load can make a difference as well. 


As with anything else, speed comes with practice.

I'm gonna give that a try, it sounds faster if it works!

[Montana Slim]

Light prmer hits are normally indicative of short stroking the rifle, you are not moveing the lever all the way forward and only half cocking the rifle. 
Old Top

Very possible....I'll add that allowing your thumb, clothing or anything else on the hammer can be another cause of a fail-to-fire.

Plenty of mechanical causes too....& I won't tell you what I think of highly modified race-guns.

Slim

[Grizzly Adams]

Sometimes I'll eject a live round with a nice little firing pin indentation on the primer; sometimes it'll happen 3 or 4 times in a row and this doesn't help my time at all. How do I adjust this? The screw under the lever seems tight.

This can be a problem with highly tuned rifles.  Some smiths set there rifles up for Federal primers only, for example, and the rifle may not fire ammo loaded with a harder brand.  If tightening the main spring tension screw does not cure the problem, replace the hammer spring with a heavier one.

What sizes of screwdriver bits should I buy before I ruin my screw heads with my multitool? Here's a nice set of gunsmith bits. http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/pid=417/Product/MAGNA_TIP_SUPER_SETS_trade_

Besides some gun-scrubber, a bore snake fro the breech, and a little oil on the outside, how  cleaning/field-stripping must I do? I like to keep my guns as filthy as possible as long as they stay reliable.   Keep the bore and carrier clean.  Lay the rifle upside down and the patch and any debris will fall out of the action and not in it.  Bore snake also works well for light work.  A full take down once or twice a year works for me.

Whenever I miss, and call my shot, it seems to be too high. Should I just get used to a different sight picture, or should I try to adjust the rear sight?  Lower your rear sight.

Is there a faster technique for reloading on the clock, assuming I continue to jack rounds out?
I've been doing it just like at the loading table (hammer down on empty chamber, lever closed, insert one or more rounds thru loading gate, then cock and shoot. Any shortcuts to this on the clock?  I load over the top as described below.  It works best with 38 spl.  Most 45LC and 44WCF will not do it, unless you prepare special rounds with the bullet loaded deeper.

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

Don't adjust your sights unless you are darn sure that a deliberately fired group is off target.

Most misses when you are shooting a rapid string are due to the stock slipping down on the shoulder or when your head is raised off the stock.  Both errors will cause overshooting. 

It happens with the shottie more often, and is worse if you are wielding a sawdoff.

In ALL cases, CONCENTRATE on the front sight, and shoot nearer the bottom edge of a ground target.