Shortening a 76 rifle

[Canyon]

Hi Ya'll,Merry Christmas from New Zealand.I've got a 76 in 45-60 coming in February and my importer says Uberti are only sending full length rifles with short rifles a way off yet.I like to put my name on a short rifle with a 22"barrel.A 28" barrel is too heavy to lug around the bush at my age.What I would like to know is how hard would it be to shorten a barrel on one of these?

[Forty Rod]

Got a hacksaw?   

[Hoof Hearted]

Got a hacksaw?   

Should be a piece of cake!
You'll want to cut the bbl just behind the magazine tube dovetail that way it'll be real clean. Crown, cut new dovetails, install back in action, install sight, shortened mag tube and voila! You're done!

Go slow, measure twice and ask questions

Good luck on ya!

[Forty Rod]

When in doubt, DON'T!!!

Call a competent gunsmith instead.

Years ago I had an old gunsmith tell me the most valuable tools were those wielded by an amateur before they brought the gun to him.

[Leverluver]

FYI, the mag tube hanger does not go into a conventional dovetail.  The slot is more like the mounting of a front scope ring where you twist it 90 degrees to get it to lock into the mortice.  It can be duplicated but it will be very interesting and will take an above average skill level in the use of a mill to do so.

[Hoof Hearted]

FYI, the mag tube hanger does not go into a conventional dovetail.  The slot is more like the mounting of a front scope ring where you twist it 90 degrees to get it to lock into the mortice.  It can be duplicated but it will be very interesting and will take an above average skill level in the use of a mill to do so.

It's not too difficult to do the final work on this dovetail by hand.............

Or you could just make it really big like Chaparral does

[Canyon]

I was looking at the dovetail on my Taurus thunderbolt and it is one of those put in and twist types that would be almost impossible to do by hand.So now I know thats what Uberti used too,I may have to use a standard dovetail if I want to shorten the thing.Thanks guys for the info.

[Grizzly Adams]

Hi, Canyon.  The modification is a simple one for a gunsmith experienced in Winchester leverguns.  Or, you can wait a bit for the 22" barrel rifles to make it into the pipeline in NZ.  They are here in the US now - I have one!

[Leverluver]

GA  Yeah, but did they do the forearm correct (~1" shorter)? 

[ART C GUNN]

To really be authentinc with a short rifle you must remember that the barrel taper is different. No matter what the length barrel the breech and muzzle diameter are the same. So a 24 in barrel has the same muzzle diameter as a 28 in . I have a original 24" full mag 76 that hangs beautifully. That would actually be my barrel preference in the 76. With this barrel length the forestock is the original length and not an inch shorter as the shorter versions. Proportionatly it looks good and not back heavy.

[Canyon]

AG,You could be right too.A 24" may look proportionatly better.How many rds does the mag take on a 24"barrel?This is 45-60 of course.

[ART C GUNN]

I really don't know how many rounds the magazine will hold.I never loaded it up. Mine is a 45-75 but that shouldnt make a difference. If I cut downmy Uberti I will make it a 24 incher.

[Abilene]

Canyon,
Cimarron offers the 45-60 1876 in a 22" model.  They have a local gunsmith that shortens some of them to 22".  Of course this probably doesn't help you since I don't think Cimarron exports to New Zealand (??).  But it is certainly doable by a good gunsmith, as mentioned by others.  Best of luck to you.

[ART C GUNN]

Here is a picture of an original 24 in 1876

[Grizzly Adams]

GA  Yeah, but did they do the forearm correct (~1" shorter)? 

No, they did not, and it is really annoying!   Har!

[Joe Lansing]

    I took a pound and a half off of my 28" barrel 45-60 Chaparral by turning the barrel half round (deep enough to remove the magazine groove under the barrel) and cutting it to 24" (to get past to mag. support dovetail). I then installed a half magazine with a button plug.
    The finished rifle looks, feels, and shoots great. I got my inspiration from Teddy Roosevelt's  '76.

[Roosterman]

OH the humanity! What does that 6" of barrel weigh? 8 or ten oz? I wouldn't cut it.

[Joe Lansing]

    Lt's not just 4" of  barrel, but turning 12" to round removes alot of weight. Not to mention 17" of magazine plus the mag. support ring. The magazine capacity is reduced to 5 rounds, but I can live with that.....Teddy Roosevelt did.
    By the way, the weight of the rifle to start with was 10.1 lbs., but now is 8.6 lbs. It was really worth the effort and is not at all out of period and is really user friendly.

[.45colt.]

Joe, if possible could You post pictures of Your '76?? that is My favorite setup and I have three levers with half mag's including a Uberti '73 half round/octagon. When I get My '76 it is the setup I want to make. Thanks. Jim.

[Hobie]

    Lt's not just 4" of  barrel, but turning 12" to round removes alot of weight. Not to mention 17" of magazine plus the mag. support ring. The magazine capacity is reduced to 5 rounds, but I can live with that.....Teddy Roosevelt did.
    By the way, the weight of the rifle to start with was 10.1 lbs., but now is 8.6 lbs. It was really worth the effort and is not at all out of period and is really user friendly.

That sounds just too cool.  I'd like to see pics, too.