Stoeger Uberti 1886 Sporting Rifle

SlowJack · July 15, 2020, 12:31:46 AM

I picked up one of these new recently as I have always wanted a 1886 and the price was rally good. I have a bunch of Uberti revolvers and have had good luck with them. Has the 26" barrel, pistol grip stock with checkering, and case colored receiver and fore end cap. Wood finish is not as good as the Deluxe rifles I see pictured. No safety. Has what looks like two tapped holes on the left side of the receiver with plug screws in them.

As I am new to the 1886 I have a few questions. I do not CAS anymore but I still like to shoot when I can. Thinking about a Lyman receiver peep site for it. It is really stiff out of the box. I have slicked up a few 92's but not sure about working on this one. Does anyone make a spring kit for the 1886 like they do the 92's? Or do I just need to cycle it a bunch to loosen it up? Any ammo I should avoid? I'm thinking about using Jacketed ammo for this rifle. Are there any known problems with this rifle I need to address?

Manny thanks for any advice before I head to the range.

Niederlander · July 15, 2020, 08:42:12 PM

I'd say cycle it several hundred times, then disassemble and look for wear marks. You could do some judicious polishing on those spots. If it's anywhere near as good as an original Winchester, you'll really like it. As far as loads, it will handle anything other than the stuff made for Ruger No. 1's and the like. Jacketed is fine. It it's got the crescent butt, that may limit you some if it doesn't fit your shoulder any better than they do mine.

larryo1 · July 15, 2020, 09:21:32 PM

I don't know if this will help you any but here goes: I got 4 of the darn things and the best one is the 45-90 but it is the oldest of the bunch and is as smooth as a baby's butt. The one that I have a bit of trouble with is a 40-82 that I had restored and that action is tite!! But when I jack a shell in it it is really hard to lock up and then ejects very easily. So--to make a long story short,I would think that you should check the locking lugs to see if there are any ruff edges and then hone(gently)them a bit till they smooth up. Then I think that may solve your problem. Of course shooting it will help too. As far as ammo goes, I have used 58 grains of 3031 for many years with a Hornady 300 grain jacketed soft point with no problems and does kill very goodly. I have used Black Powder also but prefer smokeless so anyway this is about all I can say. I got a .33 takedown that had belonged to a Game Warden and it has done its fair share also. Hope this helps.

greyhawk · July 16, 2020, 07:22:38 AM

Quote from: SlowJack on July 15, 2020, 12:31:46 AM
I picked up one of these new recently as I have always wanted a 1886 and the price was rally good. I have a bunch of Uberti revolvers and have had good luck with them. Has the 26" barrel, pistol grip stock with checkering, and case colored receiver and fore end cap. Wood finish is not as good as the Deluxe rifles I see pictured. No safety. Has what looks like two tapped holes on the left side of the receiver with plug screws in them.

As I am new to the 1886 I have a few questions. I do not CAS anymore but I still like to shoot when I can. Thinking about a Lyman receiver peep site for it. It is really stiff out of the box. I have slicked up a few 92's but not sure about working on this one. Does anyone make a spring kit for the 1886 like they do the 92's? Or do I just need to cycle it a bunch to loosen it up? Any ammo I should avoid? I'm thinking about using Jacketed ammo for this rifle. Are there any known problems with this rifle I need to address?

Manny thanks for any advice before I head to the range.

1)If you need help pulling the trigger - the mainspring is overpowered (typical these days)
2) drive it like you stole it - dont pussyfoot around when you work the action with rounds in it
3) make three or four dummy rounds and cycle them through it until you are well and truly tired of that
4) accept the fact that a new made 86 is never gonna cycle like a worn 92
blackpowder is fun in these ................................

I always wanted a "Big" Winchester - had a run of vintage 92's, most of em well worn and slick, then a bloke showed me a Browning 1886 in the early 1990's - I am gonna get one of those!!! - well I got myself organised right at the last of the Browning 71's and settled for seconds - the thing was a tank! stiff like a rusted hinge. After quite a time I discovered there was a machining error underside of the bolt and after I took care of that it got a lot better. Still have it and plenty of gear to run it .

Then I saw an article in a gun rag touting the repro 1876 - man that was a cool looking piece of iron - so I saved up my bottle tops and ordered a brand new Uberti 76 - delivered early 2015 - another tank, out of the box 12pound trigger pull - did some messing round with springs and cured that one and for a big gun it is easy to lever real easy!

Next I see this 1886 Chiappa on the gunshop wall, second hand, a few hundred under new and not a scratch on it - I stayed out of that shop for three whole months so someone else could get it - went back and it was there waiting patiently! the shop owner offered me the box of ammo he sold to the last guy along with the gun 6 emptys 14 still full, said it kicked too hard. So gets it home, another tank - stiff hard to lever - make me a new mainspring for it before I even took it out to shoot - ten blackpowder rounds loaded - dang thing wont feed - jammed up inside - grrrrrr - so we shoot some single loaded - wow lookit that - shoot another five - nice !!!
OK what now ? This thing needs major surgery to fix it but I reckon I can do it - if I take it back and complain he will give me the money back but somebody is out 80 bucks for registration costs - I dont want an 86 bad enough to justify full new price - we gonna miss some fun - I already made that new mainspring for it, I kinda like a challenge so here goes. I had to bore out the rim recess in the cartridge lifter and spent a lot of time on that and working on the lifter hook got me a nice reliable 86 from the deal

So a comparison - the Browning 71 is a little easier to work than the Chiappa 86 - (not much and its had a couple hundred more rounds fired) - but it sounds kinda tinny when the action works (the pressed steel cartridge lifter I think) The Chiappa sounds more solid - and it might soften up a little more yet.

The biggest glitch in these big guns guns is overstrength mainsprings - both the Uberti and the Chiappa were ridiculous heavy trigger pull - I believe I worked the (coil) mainspring in the Browning too but have had it a long time, really not sure but seem to remember bits flying around the gunroom in effort to reassemble it.

The biggest remaining glitch (71 and 86) is caused by the strength of the magazine cutoff spring pushing (sideways) back against the bolt as it closes the last bit - a 92 is different here and better I reckon - can see no way to fix that other than maybe skeletonising that cutoff spring - I would want a spare on hand before I tried it but I believe it would improve the smoothness - maybe also a weaker ejector spring would help - but I think thats less important and we want those big heavy shells to clear the action properly.

Something else I spotted (have read about this but never looked before) the 71 has a very distinct slope to the front of the cutout in the bolt where the locking lugs engage so when its locked up there is only a small area of metal to metal contact between bolt and locking lugs right at the top of the cutout slot - its actually a weaker design than the 86 where the locking lugs and bolt cutout are parallel (except for a small section at the bottom of the slot) and give full engagement. I thought this curious as the 71 was touted stronger than an 86 - it makes a different feel when they cycle.

SlowJack · July 16, 2020, 09:11:31 AM

Thank you for the information. I have hour glassed the main spring on SAA clones to lighten the action and if no kits are available was thinking of buying a couple of spares to thin for this rifle. Thought's on that? Trigger seems ok but the lever is stiff without cartridges in it I do load BP cartridge as well as smokeless. And have .45-70 dies but my bullets are all are heavy lead SPG lubed for Goex BP cartridge. I'll make up some dummy rounds. Stock has shotgun butt plate and the rifle is full length octagon barrel. Searched the web and just not finding much on the Uberti 1886. Finally took some pictures that were able to load with the 400kb limit.

Abilene · July 16, 2020, 10:46:13 AM

I was unaware Uberti produced an '86. Pedersoli makes some things for Uberti and vice versa - perhaps this is one of those?

SlowJack · July 16, 2020, 04:46:56 PM

They have been on Uberti's site and I believe Cimarron and maybe Taylor's have had them. I was surprised that Stoeger was the importer on the one I received. It is not on Stoeger's site.

Abilene · July 16, 2020, 10:54:12 PM

Don't know about Taylors but Cimarron does not carry an Uberti '86. They carry '86 by Chiappa and Pedersoli.

SlowJack · July 16, 2020, 11:04:19 PM

Finally dug out my .45-70 stuff and made up 5 dummy rounds. Loaded all 5 in the tube and only took about 5-6 five round mag tubes (actually less as I kept going) and man what a difference. All cycled with out any problems and can run all 5 in a row easy now from my shoulder. Can't wait to get it to the range to see how it shoots with the stock sights. Still leaning toward a receiver mounted peep sight. Thanks for the help.

greyhawk · July 16, 2020, 11:35:13 PM

Quote from: Abilene on July 16, 2020, 10:54:12 PM
Don't know about Taylors but Cimarron does not carry an Uberti '86. They carry '86 by Chiappa and Pedersoli.

I believe Pedersoli makes the Uberti 86
If so its a kind of hybrid 71/86 (as they advertise) has the angled locking bolts from the 71 and the carrier hook arrangement like an original 86

The Chiappa is said to be (Mechanically) a carbon copy of the original Winchester 1886 - mine has straight locking bolts.

greyhawk · July 16, 2020, 11:39:18 PM

Quote from: SlowJack on July 16, 2020, 09:11:31 AM
Thank you for the information. I have hour glassed the main spring on SAA clones to lighten the action and if no kits are available was thinking of buying a couple of spares to thin for this rifle. Thought's on that? Trigger seems ok but the lever is stiff without cartridges in it I do load BP cartridge as well as smokeless. And have .45-70 dies but my bullets are all are heavy lead SPG lubed for Goex BP cartridge. I'll make up some dummy rounds. Stock has shotgun butt plate and the rifle is full length octagon barrel. Searched the web and just not finding much on the Uberti 1886. Finally took some pictures that were able to load with the 400kb limit.

Jack if you are happy doing springs and can get a spare I would try lightening that magazine cutoff - also the ejector spring, needs a weaker spring same length rather than cutting the original - my Chiappa hurls emptys right over my head - they land about six feet behind me - could do with less !

SlowJack · July 17, 2020, 09:21:10 PM

Sorry about the misinformation on Cimarron. This rifle is really doing well so far and until I have a problem and I can locate a source for parts I will not do modifications. Uberti does not list parts for it yet. Not sure how much of it Uberti may have used from Pedersoli. Running the dummy rounds through it really turned this into a nice rifle. Thanks again. I'll try to get to the range in a few weeks and report back.