New steel-framed Uberti Henry...good and bad

[Coffinmaker]

OK, don't quote me or hold me to this, but some years ago, on another forum (for wacky long range shooters) there was an outfit some place, that had developed a laser system to check for barrel straightness.  I don't remember who, where, when, I just remember there was a place that did it.
I believe for a lever gun, you'd have to pull the barrel (no big deal) to put it in their jig.  Then, with a little persuasion (big leather mallet) they could would "tap" the barrel straight.  Just wish I could remember the rest of it.  You know, Like Who??  Oh well.

Coffinmaker

Might could even be done with a laser bore sighter, with the right jigs.

[OD#3]

I've never pulled a Henry barrel, but I would imagine that you'd have to be particularly careful about the magazine tube--perhaps insert a mandrel into the tube to keep it from getting deformed?

[OD#3]

Okay, I took the Henry apart again tonight and scrutinized the bore.  With the naked eye, and looking through the muzzle, I saw a series of concentric rings.  These were not readily apparent when viewed from the breech, but I was having to look through the firing pin extension hole then.  From the muzzle view, these rings stood out.  With my eye centered on the muzzle, these rings appeared to be stretched up and slightly to the left.  This would seem to indicate that from the breech end, the barrel would be bending up and slightly to the right.  

I tried to capture this with the camera.  With the naked eye, no matter how much I moved around, the rings favored high left.  With the camera, it was possible to distort this a bit, but the overall favoring of the rings remained high left.  






Barrel experts, what do you think?  Bent barrel?

[Major 2]

In your OP you stated the gun was new .... any recourse there ? as in have ... UBERTI  chime in   

http://www.uberti.com/warranty

Stoeger Industries
Attn: Service Department
901 Eighth Street
Pocomoke, MD 21851

[OD#3]

I seriously doubt that Uberti would care a whit as long as the shots could be centered by drifting the rear sight. 

[Major 2]

It's an Avenue .... yet untried,  just seems they'd have the testing equipment.
Your call, if it's worth your time.

....good luck

[matt45]

You could drift the front sight the other way to make it look more even.  If it was me, I'm not sure the risks of fooling with the barrel would be worth the cosmetic (as I understand it) upgrade.

[Leverluver]

I had a Uberti 73 from the early 80s that had a pretty severely bent barrel.  The "hump" was dramatically noticeable by the enlarged gap between the barrel and magazine at the half way point and both were near touching at the action and the end of the barrel.  I could make it shoot but was useless for anything longer than 50yds (I shoot long range) even with a short front sight and the rear elevator all the way up.  Eventually I got tired of it and took it to the knee mill, mounted it in V blocks and started cranking.  I figured that I hated it as it was and if worse came to worse, I'd just buy a new barrel.  I'd only go .050" at a time and then back off and check alignment.  I forget how many times it took but it was a lot (30+).  Also surprising how far a barrel will bend and still spring back.  On the last cycle, I could feel something give, backed off and it looked straight; remountd everything and it shot dead on 50 yds with my preferred front sight and a rear ladder sight folded down.  It will also shoot accurately as far as the bullet will carry (more than a couple p-dogs met the demise at 250+yds).  I figured I was just really lucky.

It would be far more complicated with the Henry magazine and that the accuracy fault has a horizontal and vertical component. MIne only had a vertical component.

First option as mentioned is warranty coverage.  (Actually my first would be a recrown, just in case)

Second option is buy a new barrel.

Third is to try straightening the current barrel with the option of a new barrel still available.

 

[Mike]

The way i see it is, if it is a new gun send it back, it is not fit for use.
if it is not the as above

[Coffinmaker]

I'll save a bit of speculation.  I've "been there - done that" with Uberti and their "warranty" so many times over the years, I just quit trying.
If a Uberti manufactured firearm isn't "quite right" but still "works" it is deemed "within specification" and you get it back.  When you deal with the major importers, Taylors, EMF, Cimarron with a problem, they DO NOT ship it back to Uberti for correction.  they send it to their preferred gunsmith.  Unless it's bad enough it can't be fixed (I've seen some), in which case, the importer will replace it.
Your rifle's point of impact can be corrected without running out of rear sight adjustment, therefore, Uberti will tell you, it's within
Spec.  You might try contacting the specific importer to see where they stand.  Never know, might get lucky.

With your photos of the bore, I would expect a slightly different result from you barrel.  I would expect a measure of diagonal deviation as well as lateral.  Were it mine, I would first "zero" the sights.  Then, shoot the rifle with a "Shot Bag" under the barrel and under the butt stock.  Eliminate as much shooter induced wobble as possible.  Sorta like "bench rest."  Use smokeless powder so you don't have to swab out between shots.  Probably take all day to see the full trend.  Couple hours anyway.

Then, before you apply ANY cutting tool to anything, cantata the importer and see what they say.  If you cut, file, hammer on, bugger any part with your own tools, you no longer have a warranty.  I wasn't quick enough when you were talking about pulling the barrel, but, in my experience, I never removed a barrel (syntax here), I ALWAYS removed the action from the barrel.  SOLIDLY clamped the barrel in a padded vice, then used a special frame tool to turn the receiver off the barrel.

Straightning a Henry pattern barrel will be a pure PITA.  Not that it can't be done, but it will require a mandrel in the Magazine and possibly a special jig for a knee mill.  Figuring out how far to go will be almost as much "fun" as actually doing the dastardly deed.  Before proceeding, I would also want access to a Straight Edge at least the length of the barrel and apply it to each of the flats.  then you can measure how far you move the barrel.  Then cross your fingers it doesn't have a "memory" when it heats up.  Also, knock on wood, you don't take it too far in the other direction.

Unfortunately, I'm somewhat anal.  No, actually I'm a lot anal.  In most instances, with the problem you have, since the rifle will group well and the POI is corrected by drifting the real sight, I'd tell most of my old customers to leave it alone.  That rear sight, hanging off to one side of the barrel would drive me up the wall.  I'd just have to find a way to fix it. Or sell off the gun and get another one with my fingers crossed.

Good grief.  I started just to tell ya, yelling at Uberti be like banging yer head on the door frame.  Just hope you like reading 

Coffinmaker

[Fox Creek Kid]

I was told years ago by an "insider" that when an Italian gun imported into the USA had problems that could only be fixed in Italy that it was stored here in the USA and the importer was given a "credit" for it as obviously it would be cost prohibitive to ship back to Italy. In short, customer given new gun and old gun kept by importer. I do know that one importer had a room practically filled with the ASM Schofield revolvers after they came out in 1995 as it had a lot of issues. I won't name the importer but will say they are in Texas and named after a river.   

[Mike]

I would agree the gun would get triped for parts. To get it back to Uberti would need a permit to import and cost.
I belive the pictures of tne barrel should get you a new gun. Just sight drift would not.

[Blair]

FCK,

One of my primary functions as the gunsmith for Euroarms of America (EoA) during the late 1970's to the mid 1980's was to put as many returned arms back into service as I could.
It was amazing at the number of arms that were retuned still loaded and/or un cleaned.
All of this I had to take care of first and then try to fix.
I had no place to test shoot these now working arms for accuracy, so most were sold to the re enactor types, who only wanted them to blow smoke to play their game. I made sure persons buying these understood this.
My best.
Blair

[OD#3]

You guys have been kind enough to reply with suggestions and advice, and I thank you very much!  I suffer from the same anal streak that affects Coffinmaker; I can't stand that rear sight hanging off to the left like that.  BUT...if I were to advise anyone else, it would be to leave well enough alone.  As long as one can center the shots within the driftable windage adjustment of rear sight, there isn't anything to "fix".  I do want to explore something Coffinmaker said though:

With your photos of the bore, I would expect a slightly different result from you barrel.  I would expect a measure of diagonal deviation as well as lateral.

I thought about this, but my theory is that the only noticeable deviation would be lateral.  Deep hole drilling often results in the hole not being perfectly centered, so many barrel makers position the barrel during the final profiling so that any deviation is vertical.  Getting a rifle's elevation dialed in is just part of the regulation of one's sights for different ranges, so a slight vertical deviation from center wouldn't be a problem and just wouldn't be noticed at the range.  It is only when the deviation is lateral as well that one would notice that something wasn't quite right.  So yes, the deviation on my rifle is probably diagonal, but I'm only noticing the lateral part of the deviation on the range.

I share Coffinmaker's pessimism about Uberti's identifying this as anything less than within specifications, nor do I think Stoeger would consider trading this one out (kind of hate to do that anyway, 'cause I love everything else about this rifle).  I don't know what I'm going to do, but I'll keep you all in the loop if I decide to pull the barrel and attempt any straightening.   

[Coffinmaker]

FCK,
I have heard the same story Myself about the "unfixable's"  Not only a room full of ASM Schofields, But a room full of ASM Conversions as well.
Certain importers really took a "bath" on ASM guns.  Navy, Cimarron, EMF, all took a huge bath with the ASM conversions.  My question today is ......... after ASM went bust, what happened to all the "return" guns??  Veritable treasure trove.  Swap enough parts and components and you'd be bound to come up with some nice functional guns.  I once used 11 ASM Conversions to make 5 Nice running guns.  Just a ....... thought.

OD#3
Thought about just filing off the offending "leg" of the sight??  Make it not so noticeable??  Or, ship the rifle to me and I'll take care of that and determine if it is ascetically acceptable to be seen publicly.  Shouldn't take more "N" 4 - 5 years to resolve the appearance acceptability
issue 

Coiffinmaker

[OD#3]

I need to do some more long range work with it.  If I can absolutely center the shots, I think I'll do just that---file the "offending" leg off of the rear sight.  Thanks for that suggestion; I don't know why I didn't think of that.

[Fox Creek Kid]

...My question today is ......... after ASM went bust, what happened to all the "return" guns??...

Abilene would know. 

[Major 2]

one could file the front sight or silver solder an off set to the front sight

I had Sharps carbine with dime silver soldered to the Front blade and dressed down ..,  made the blade stepped to the left the thickness of the dime ... centered the rear sight.

[treebeard]

After reading thru  this thread I the thought came to me that the problem of these barrels with the newer production.
Seems  that the older reports  do not indicate a problem.

[Coffinmaker]

Treebeard,

Nah.  "Thursday" guns have been sneaking out of the factories for years.  Just happens, most folks either correct the issue or ignore it without making a fuss.  The Henry is a bit more problematic, as the front sight is "fixed" on the barrel.  With a reproduction (or even original) '66 or '73, you not only have the adjustment of the rear sight, but also the front sight can be drifted in the dovetail to center the point of impact.

MAJOR TWO!!!
Allright Bub.  Enough of that swell idea stuff.  All the time I spent as a Gunsmith, and never came up with that solution.  My first reaction was to simply dovetail a driftable front sight into the offending barrel.  Of course, I never had to resolve the issue on a Henry.  Super simple to remove the front sight, Sister a slab of something to it and "dress" it to the opposite side.  KOOL!!
Thinking about it from that end of the barrel (thinking is PAINFUL), it wouldn't be all that difficult to remove the Henry blade and dovetail a
new driftable front sight as well.

Coffinmaker

Coffinmaker