Comparing the Original 1876 with the Uberti 1876 - PICS

[Grizzly Adams]

The following is a photo essay comparing the Uberti 1876 with an original Winchester 1876.  It was originally three threads with I have merged into one.

It also provides some suggestions for tuning up and smoothing up the Uberti.  Much of this also will apply to the Chaparral 1876, with the exception of the firing pin arrangement.

[Grizzly Adams]

Well, I have had this awhile, and it seems to function as advertised, so I thought it was time to see what makes it tick. 
Also a chance to tune up things that may need it.



This is a 22 inch barrel Uberti 1876 in 45-60 caliber.  Serial number is CN0XXX. 
So it is a three digit serial "Centennial" model.  As I understand it, this is one of the first 10 units
with 22 inch barrels received by Cimarron Arms.

Below is my original 1876 in 45-75.  Short rifle with 22 inch barrel and shotgun butt.



Off with the side plates!   Wow, Uberti is still torquing down those screws!  

A little Kroil and we have them off!  The side plates on the original fell off. 

Here are the right side plates, side by side.



Looks like Uberti made a slight change in the "ladle."  Actually, I think it is a bit heavier?  Note machining on both.

Out with the links!  The original links are much easier to get out than the Uberti links
..... of course they are about 126 years old now!  

Here they are side by side.  The black ones are the Uberti links.  Cool, huh?




Laid one on the other, they are real close!  One big difference I can see is that the Uberti link pins
in the frame of the rifle are thicker than the original rifle.  Note the larger holes in the Uberti links. 
(The same is also true of the Uberti 1873 and the Winnie 1873.) 

The original links seem to have closer tolerance at the joint, but both seem equally robust.

Now the tuff part - Getting those timing spring screws loose!

..........this is not going well!

Finally!   I had to use a clamp to compress the springs enough to get the screw loose. 

Lucky, no buggered up screws! It really is not that the screws are overtightened,
it is the fact that they are under a load from the heavy springs.

Don't believe I need to take the original down in further to make the necessary comparisons,
so I will leave the springs in the old girl.

Here is a shot of the interior of the original showing the springs, bolt and firing pin. 
Note the firing pin retractor in the back of the bolt.  That little lever retracts the original's one piece firing pin. 


If you look at the pics of the links, you will see the small pin on the left link that engages the retractor. 
Note that the Uberti link does not have that pin.

Here is another interior shot of the original.  Note machine work.




For comparison, this is the same shot of the interior of the Uberti.  Note machine work.




NOW, this is interesting!  Uberti is still using the two piece firing pin, but has strengthened the design
by adapting the Winchester design - .....well, sorta!

Here is the bolt and firing pin assembly.  Note the small "key"?  kinda like the original cut in half.

This little item is new, and replaces the tiny pin you will see in the Uberti 1873 with the two piece firing pin. 
This is much stronger and also a nod to the original design.



Here is a shot showing the machined recess that the key fit in -


The retraction of the two piece pin is by the coil spring shown.  The key is no longer a part of the retraction,
but serves to capture and retain the striker end on the assembly.  Actually, pretty neat idea.

That's all for now.  Hope this has been of interest!

I will post more as I get further into this project!

[john boy]

Winchester Lever Action Repeating Firearms : The Models of 1866, 1873 & 1876 by Arthur Pirkle ... excellent reference book with a multitude of details on the '76 and it's evolution from the '66.  Amazon.com has new and used copies

[Hoof Hearted]

Grizz

Very cool and very informative!

[Grizzly Adams]

Winchester Lever Action Repeating Firearms : The Models of 1866, 1873 & 1876 by Arthur Pirkle ... excellent reference book with a multitude of details on the '76 and it's evolution from the '66.  Amazon.com has new and used copies

+1

[Leverluver]

Mine is all apart in prep for CCH.  I thought the "guts" were very well made and finished; much better than my Uberti 73.  A couple of surprises though.  First, the barrel is fully grooved on the bottom for reception of the mag tube.  I don't know whether that is original or not but it will be interesting (but not impossible) to duplicate on a replacement barrel.  Second, I was surprised that the barrel tenon was SAE threads.  I just presumed that they would be metric, although I'm happy it isn't.  Last, is the rounded dove tail for the mag tube ring.  That will also be veeeeery interesting to duplicate.   

[Grizzly Adams]

Mine is all apart in prep for CCH.  I thought the "guts" were very well made and finished; much better than my Uberti 73.  A couple of surprises though.  First, the barrel is fully grooved on the bottom for reception of the mag tube.  I don't know whether that is original or not but it will be interesting (but not impossible) to duplicate on a replacement barrel.  Second, I was surprised that the barrel tenon was SAE threads.  I just presumed that they would be metric, although I'm happy it isn't. Last, is the rounded dove tail for the mag tube ring.  That will also be veeeeery interesting to duplicate.   

Yep!  It is not really a dovetail.  Same kind of deal on all the old Winnies.  The mag tube ring, or "bearing" actually twists in and out of the cut.  I believe I have heard it called a rotary dovetail.

[quigleysharps4570]

Thanks for taking the time to show all that Grizz. 

[Deadeye Don]

Question is now.    Can he put it back to together again?   

[Grizzly Adams]

Question is now.    Can he put it back to together again?   

LOL! 

[ART C GUNN]

Great photos............thanks

Now I need some help withmy Uberti. I want to put a sling swivel eye in my forend cap. I cant loosen the cap screws and I can't for the life of me remove the mag tube in order to remove the cap. I know that screw gorrilla is working overtime out here at the factory. Any suggestions?

[Deadeye Don]

Great photos............thanks

Now I need some help withmy Uberti. I want to put a sling swivel eye in my forend cap. I cant loosen the cap screws and I can't for the life of me remove the mag tube in order to remove the cap. I know that screw gorrilla is working overtime out here at the factory. Any suggestions?

I have not been successful in removing mine either.  I have tried the usual smacking it with a plastic mallet and squirting wd40 on it.  I got my 66 and 73 end caps off, but this 76 is a bear.

[Leverluver]

The worst screws on mine were the hammer screw and the nose cap screws; same ones that were the worst on my 73.  Just get the rifle on a flat solid surface and with a screw driver perfectly matched to the slot, put your chin solidly down on the butt end of the screw driver.  Holding down force with your chin, apply pulsing torque to the driver.  Eventually they popped loose.  The chin also keeps the driver from jumping up out of the slot and buggering it up. 

You have to drive out the pin in the mag tube ring/hanger in order to remove the mag tube.  I don't know whether it makes any difference but I drove it out following general convention of driving out from left to right, viewing from the rear.  That little groove in the tube that the pin goes in is the only thing that keeps the mag tube in place.  It is not screwed to the receiver like in an 86. 

[Deadeye Don]

The worst screws on mine were the hammer screw and the nose cap screws; same ones that were the worst on my 73.  Just get the rifle on a flat solid surface and with a screw driver perfectly matched to the slot, put your chin solidly down on the butt end of the screw driver.  Holding down force with your chin, apply pulsing torque to the driver.  Eventually they popped loose.  The chin also keeps the driver from jumping up out of the slot and buggering it up. 

You have to drive out the pin in the mag tube ring/hanger in order to remove the mag tube.  I don't know whether it makes any difference but I drove it out following general convention of driving out from left to right, viewing from the rear.  That little groove in the tube that the pin goes in is the only thing that keeps the mag tube in place.  It is not screwed to the receiver like in an 86. 

I am not sure my chin is that strong. 

[ART C GUNN]

I did drive out the mag tube pin in the hanger.  it seems the tube is binding either against the wood or nosecap hanger. Will have to play some more with it.  By the way...all of my original 76's do have the mag tube groove running full length of the barrel.

Eventually I want to cut down the barrel on my Uberti to 24". I have a original made in that lenght and it carries real nice.

[Leverluver]

I had loosened the nose cap before I drove out the pin.  After both, the mag tube slid out easliy so iimagine the the nose cap does keep the tube in some sort of bind against the dovetail block that the nose cap screws screw into.  BTW, the dovetail block that holds the nose cap was very loose in mine.  Once the nose cap was off, the block fell right out of the dovetail.  It might be something to be checked and corrected before recoil batters the dovetail or overstresses that small pin holding in the mag tube.

I haven't decided whether I'm going to go with making the factory barrel into a 24" HRHO button mag version or put on a 22" (full mag)  round barrel.  Might do both and see which I like better.  The groove in the bottom of the original does make the button mag option a little more interesting.  The barrel will be pretty thin before the groove is fully removed on the portion extending past the button mag.   

[ART C GUNN]

Why not just leave it as a full mag.and make it a half octagon........turn down the factory barrel.. cheaper that way

[Leverluver]

Just turning the barrel to half round does not remove all that much weight.  I ran the numbers and the result is ~ 3oz.  The goal of the project is to reduce the weight and move the center of gravity to the rear.  I already have enough guns that need a tripod or wheels.  I plan to carry this one.  As far as the magazine, the last I heard Crazy horse was dead  .  Except for fightin injuns, I can't think of any reason or need to stuff another pound of cartridges in the magazine and make it even heavier.  If I can't kill what I am to kill with 4 to 5 rounds, I need to hang it on the wall and get a rocking chair  .  So 22"RBFM or 24"HRHO button mag.   

[Grizzly Adams]

Just turning the barrel to half round does not remove all that much weight.  I ran the numbers and the result is ~ 3oz.  The goal of the project is to reduce the weight and move the center of gravity to the rear.  I already have enough guns that need a tripod or wheels.  I plan to carry this one.  As far as the magazine, the last I heard Crazy horse was dead  .  Except for fightin injuns, I can't think of any reason or need to stuff another pound of cartridges in the magazine and make it even heavier.  If I can't kill what I am to kill with 4 to 5 rounds, I need to hang it on the wall and get a rocking chair  .  So 22"RBFM or 24"HRHO button mag.   

LOL

I sure like the 22 inch round barrel on the 1876.  I wish Uberti and Chaparral would consider building one with the short barrel and finished in bright blue - or, and a shotgun butt would be nice too!  I frankly get tired seeing all the CCH receives on the 1873s and now the 1876s.  That's one thing I really like about  that NWMP SRC.

[john boy]

Grizzly - You the Man!  This is Excellent! Thank You.
Not many of us have the original  and the comparisons are most educational

Might want to move this post up as a Sticky so it doesn't get lost as the forum grows