Buggered Side Plate - Just how do you remove them cleanly?

[Loophole LaRue]

Well, 3 months +, and still no sign of the sideplate....

Things must be s-l-o-w in Italy......

LL

Now 8 months+; Midway says shipment expected in February, but no guarantees.

LL

[Slowhand Bob]

For future projects you might want to get the  http://www.amazon.com/Gunsmithing-Guns-Old-West/dp/0873497694  book.  It will not make you a gun smith but so far it has helped me get into and out of most of my guns for simple parts replacement and cleaning.  Just be sure and read the necessary parts well before proceeding with each step, those tips like drive it out up and in down are sure nice to know ahead of time!  Sometimes trying to work above ones head might be throwing good money after bad, if they send you a piece of brass, perhaps it would be time to seek a pro who has experience with this? 

[Loophole LaRue]

Well, I waited for over 2 years for a replacement side plate from Midway before they sent me a notice that the part was "no longer available".....

I went to Taylor's, and tried again.  And yesterday I got the call - the side plate has arrived!

Now just waiting for delivery from Taylor's - 5 years after this process began.

I'll let you know whether it's actually a finished plate or a raw piece of brass.

LL

[Coffinmaker]

Well, Well, this long dead thread as been resurrected.  Necromancers Unite!!  Or some such nonsense. 

I remember making everybody really happy when I announced the replacement side plates were ..... ah ..... rather unfinished.  Sort of
resembling a slab of brass.  That is still the news.  However ...........

Should you receive a "finished" side plate, chances are, about 99.991%, it won't fit.  The side plates were fit to each individual rifle at the
Uberti factory by Bongo.  That's why they are so tight.  They beat em on with a mallet.  So ...... again, should you actually receive a side plate that resembles finished, It will have to be "fit."

We look soooooo forward to future updates.  Post what you got here.  If it can be fit, I'll tell ya how to do it and what tools you'll need.

Coffinmaker

[Loophole LaRue]

HA!

The Taylors package arrived, and I have a properly shaped, polished and drilled replacement side plate for my Henry!

I'm not in the same place as the gun, so I'll have to wait until next week for a test fit.

My fingers are crossed - but so far so good!!!!

LL

[Coffinmaker]

Based on my experience years past ........... I am most pleased to hear you received what we hope is a worthwhile part.

Now .......... go Home and Fit It 

Coffinmaker

[Pettifogger]

I guess this must be parts receipt week.  I ordered a part for a Uberti Lightning in 2012.  I got a call yesterday that the part had arrived.  I'm not even sure I still have that gun, but I took the part anyway.

[Bunk Stagnerg]

I just pulled both side plates off my steel frame Henry and they  slid off with no problem. The only hitch in the process was getting the right hand spring screw out. I completely sheared the top off of it with a Brownells screwdriver tip and a hand impact driver.
When I finished stripping the gun I put the action down on the bench, used a big flat end punch and hammer on the spring and sheared it off. The screw tip came out of the spring by hand, but  had to use a small punch to knock the piece out of the frame. It looked like Guido the assembly man used lock tite on the screw head.
The gun is now set up to use .45 Cowboy Action cartridges and seems to work well. That cartridge  is a close ballistic match to the .44 Henry Flat rim fire cartridge.
Yr' Obt' Svt'
Bunk

[Coffinmaker]

HEY ......... LOOPHOLE!!!

WELL!!  RESULTS man.  The unwashed masses need RESULTS!!  How did the "fitting" go.  How does it look??  Are you happy??  Do we
need to send condolences??  RESULTS I TELL YA!!  What were the RESULTS??

I just realized I never covered removal/reinstall of Brass Henry Sideplates.  After removing the lever pivot/sideplate screw, the side plates
are driven UPWARD with a solid nylon filled mallet.  Banging equally from an back to keep the the plate from "cocking" in the dovetail.
THEN, on a VERY flat surface, such as flat ground saw table, thick piece of float glass, lapping plate (diamond) or lapping stone, with
320 wet/dry, surface the INSIDE of the plate.  Reduce the high spots at the ends (wear glass handling gloves, suckers are SHARP), THEN
using a WIDE wheeled honing guide for chisels, match the angle of the bevel and lightly surface the bevel, equally on either end, until
you can reinstall the side plate with very light taps.  You may find you also need to surface the frame at the lever screw pivot hole.

This is a pain (there may well be blood too).  But ...... you only have to do it once per rifle.

Coffinmaker

[Loophole LaRue]

Coffinmaker:

Not quite yet.

Step One: Remove the lever screw...NOT.

Despite my Brownell's bits, I promptly buggered the screw slot.

New HARDENED screws arrived yesterday from VTI.

I'll attack it later this week.

LL

[Abilene]

Did you loosen the carrier and lever spring screws before trying to loosen the lever screw?  That removes internal tension from springs on the lever and hence the lever screw.