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To tighten the takedown junction, I have turned the three screws as far as they will go. The rifle still has a bit of play in that area. I was contemplating backing out the screws and making a thin shim of brass to fill the gap: the entire area–between the barrel and receiver, as well as, between the forearm and receiver.
Do you foresee problems?
Have you folks seen or done this? Would you leave the shim to float, or would you recommend a way to secure it semi-permanently?
The rifle is a beautiful 1895 .38-55, Oct, coupled triggers, crescent butt–I’d hate to “Bubba” it into ugly disrepair.
If we were not going to shoot it often and hunt with it, I’d leave it alone.
I have seen shims used and even I have seen them brazed and soldered to build it up.
Bob
WACA Life Member--- NRA Life Member---- Cody Firearms member since 1991 Researching the Winchester 1873's
Email: [email protected]
Online
My concern with shimming the junction between the receiver face and the barrel assembly is that it will increase the head space… maybe too much. I see no benefit or reason to shim the forend stock.
Bert
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
Hi,
If this is a high condition ’94, why would you need to adjust the takedown feature? Is this a refinish?
Walter
I didn’t make it clear. Not shimming the fore-stock, just making one shim to fill the gap. It would be one piece with a hole for the barrel threads and another hole for the magazine threads to pass through.
And I was wondering about an increase in head space. The gap doesn’t need but a bit more tension than the screw-dimples provide. I would back out the screws, flatten the dimples, and use a shim that would be no thicker than is necessary to snug the junction. Might be best to use a piece so thin that I could still tighten the gap with the three screws.
I have yet to purchase a Winchester that my family will not shoot and hunt with, so no, it is not a high condition rifle–but it is in dandy shape, beautiful. We have a tang sight on it–my older eyes need that. I haven’t had success finding an accurate shooting load for it, and that loose junction might be part of the problem. Our other, tight, takedowns have been fairly easy so far to load for accuracy.
I’ve likely ruined my chance at going to Heaven–As a test, I used white plumbers’ tape to tighten the threads enough to stabilize the junction, and it shot better than before. I’m waiting on a new batch of bullets to try in it. If a shim is safe to use, I was planning to have it ready when the new batch of bullets arrived.
I might try replacing the screws with new ones, which would have less wear on them, before going the shim route. Might do the trick and the replacement screws are are readily available at
or on ePay though those might be just as worn.
"This is the West, sir. When the legend becomes fact, print the legend."
Replacing the screws will not gain you anything since they don’t wear out. The only thing that can happen to them is you can round out the slots. The screws just bulge the metal out. What is causing the problem is the threads are wearing. Generally if it hasn’t been tightened before it should tighten up by using the screws but if its been tightened previously then the dimples will wear quickly if the takedown is used often since you have a small surface area contacting the frame. I have also seen guns that they have removed the screws and used a punch to dimple the metal farther.
Wincacher, I notice you refer to ePay at times. ePay and Ebay are 2 different companies. ePay does not sell items, they are a electronic payment company.
Bob
WACA Life Member--- NRA Life Member---- Cody Firearms member since 1991 Researching the Winchester 1873's
Email: [email protected]
If dimpling without the screws, is there a limit to the depth? Since the metal is thin there, is there a danger of turning the dimple into a hole–breaking through the surface?
yes it will make a hole if your not careful.
Bob
WACA Life Member--- NRA Life Member---- Cody Firearms member since 1991 Researching the Winchester 1873's
Email: [email protected]
Bob, you say, “What is causing the problem is the threads are wearing.” Are you referring to the threads on the screws, or do you mean the barrel threads? (I’m thinking you mean the barrel threads. And then what can be done to remedy that?)
Would a size six shot (for shotguns) dropped into the dimple-holes, followed by the screws cause the bulges to become holes? Size seven–eight? Drop a pellet into each dimple-hole, and as the screws are tightened, the pellet flattens–adding a bit of length to each screw for a slightly more pronounced bulge.
The problem is the threads of the barrel and/or receiver. There is no good fix for worn parts except replacing the barrel. If it were mine and I wasn’t planning on taking it apart to often I would try wrapping some solder around the barrel and put it together. It will do the same as putting a shim in. It my take a few tries to find the right amount and thickness of solder so it would squeeze and tighten at the right time. I would not be harming the gun at all and it could be removed in a minute.
Lead shot is too soft to do any thing. You would need a small steel ball bearing.
Bob
WACA Life Member--- NRA Life Member---- Cody Firearms member since 1991 Researching the Winchester 1873's
Email: [email protected]
More than likely a combination of loose barrel shank threads and wear on the mating surfaces (frame/takedown lug). There are ways to fix it, that are better than shimming or putting shot in the adjusting screw holes.
Really it depends on how much play there is, I gone so far as to make a new oversize TD lug for really bad ones.
Bought the slimmest solder wire the store had. (Should have taken the time to hit the hardware store; they might have had a finer wire.) Before I left the store, I was thinking the solder was a bit too fat.
Backed out the dimple screws and flattened the bulges.
The solder was too fat. Cleaned the barrel threads while the solder iron was heating. As a test, I filled five successive tread-valleys on the underside of the barrel. Smoothed them, and with the tip of the iron melted the solder and then gently filed it to still have V’s for the receiver threads to enter.
Trial and error for a bit–the barrel and receiver would tighten to about a quarter inch from success–wouldn’t mate all the way. Finally only three valleys were filled, and the barrel and receiver were in line. I was considering matching the three on the top of the barrel in case the process needed to be balanced. But the fit is nice, tight, and even now. The faces of the two takedown sections are snug–no need for the dimpling screws to be used.
I’ll check the real hardware store for thinner solder wire. As it is with melting it, the solder might let go when I open the gap.
The dentist uses a thin tape to test a persons bite. Tastes and feels like aluminum, but all the times he has used it on me (Don’t believe I can count that high.) I’ve never checked to see what it looks like. It feels as if it would have the strength and a good thinness to use on this rifle’s threads. I’d ask my dentist for a sample, but he is a three-hour drive away from here. Might do well to check hobby and electronic shops to see what they have in wire and tape.
My trigger finger is itching pretty badly now. Need to shoot that .38-55!
Thank you fellows for your ideas and your help on this.
Also, in attempting to name the parts of the rifle correctly, and in reading your responses, I have a poor vocabulary regarding the proper names for portions and parts of an 1894 takedown. Is there a schematic or diagram that can be referenced for these takedown rifles?
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