Possible bent frame on my Henry?

[pvtDaveWirtz]

HELP.......

Lately, I have been having problems with my 1860 Henry brass frame. It takes several pulls of the trigger to detonate the primer and fire the gun. There seems to be an inordinate amount of space between the back of the extractor and the bottom of the case. Also, when it does fire a live round, the cases get stuck. Also, the side plates now slip right off, where once they had to be tapped off with a plastic hammer.

My questions now is:

1) How do I know if I have a bent frame?


2) If it is bent, is there a way of repairing this?

I need to know as soon as possible so I can have it repaired.

Thanks

Dave Wirtz.

[St. George]

It sounds less like a bent frame and more like a stretched one - and 'that' just isn't repairable.

Brass does this sort of thing - even modern brass.

You don't mention how old the weapon is or how many rounds have been put through it - or if it's been shot 'for speed'.

All of these factor in to wear and tear on a fairly 'soft' metal.

Vaya,

Scouts Out!

[pvtDaveWirtz]

I have only had about 200 to 300 rounds of Live ammo through it, and about a 1000 blanks. I bought it NIB about a year and a half ago, but the gun shop had it around for a few years.

[Montana Slim]

Might try posting over in the gunsmithing section....

Sorry to say...but it may not be possible to accurately diagnose via descriptions.
A professional, experienced with the toggle-link replicas, will probably need to look at it first-hand.

Regards,
Slim

[stepnmud]

I'd be looking at the smaller parts, like extractor or bottom leg cartridge shelf on the bolt or firing pin and spring.

[Grizzly Adams]

I'd be looking at the smaller parts, like extractor or bottom leg cartridge shelf on the bolt or firing pin and spring.

+1  What he said.    Given your use and history with the rifle, it is very unlikely that you have stretched the frame.  Look for simple stuff  first.  You say it "seems" to have excess head space.  Have a competent gunsmith actually check the head space and go from there.

[Coffinmaker]

With your ammunition description, I agree with Grizzly.  Highly unlikely you've stretched a frame. 

As a rule of thumb, the first thing I look at with large bore Uberti rifles is the head space.  Most large bore Ubertis have excess head space.  Uberti use to make different length of links to correct head space, but don't any more.  For excess head space there are three answers.  1.  Pull the barrel, recut the shoulder and threads and turn the barrel in one revolution and recut the breach end to correct head space and re cut the chamber.  That's expensive.  2.  Reface the Breach Block and re-cut the extractor.  3.  Longer links.  The only way to get longer links is to have one of the Short Stroke kit manufactures make you a set.  You'll be short stroking the rifle at the same time, unless one of the afore suggested manufactures will make a set of "standard" links. 
You might just as well shor stroke it, makes the rifle a lot more fun to play with.

FIRST ...... find out what the head space actually is.  With a resized EMPTY case chambered, optimum head space between the back of the cartridge and Breach Block is .004 +/- .001  With a factory main spring you can get away with maybe 8 to 9 thou, but over that and your in "miss-fire" land.  If you've had the gun apart allot to clean, the side plates will "surface" to the dovetail in the frame and slide on and off more easily as time go on.  If the side plates start to rattle, there is a problem.  Again, FIRST find out what your head space is.

Coffinmaker

[will52100]

Any word?  A set of automotive feeler gauges will let you know your head space with a fired (EMPTY!) cartrige.

I've got a little over 5000 rounds through mine and no increase of headspace.  Virtualy all were warthog black powder loads.  I have read that some of the earlier Uberti Henries  were prone to head space increase due to poorly fit toggles.  The toggle link should lock up solid without the pin in it and be safe to fire.  The mortise is suposed to take the recoil.  Since they had some problems with that uberti increased the toggle link pin size so that now the pin is taking the load.

As for the space, the first time I handled a henry I worked the bolt and it looked rather week and flimsy.  Just the way it's designed, though if your used to modern heavy caliber firearms it looks pretty small.