Brass hardness / thickness 1866 Uberti

22 Long Rifle ammo is finicky. Tell us all about it here.
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375Short
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Brass hardness / thickness 1866 Uberti

Post by 375Short »

A first for me that the hardness of the brass was important. We have a 1866 made by Uberti in 1989, it failed to eject repeatedly, like 2-3 times per 5 shot string. I dug into some issues that have seemed common like the extractor recess not being deep enough with no improvement. I could see no reason ammo brand would matter on empty cases but picked up a box of Eley target, SK, and Geco and headed to the shooting bench. Eley cases would get a dent during the extraction/ejection process and subsequent get locked under the extractor then fall precisely behind the cartridge lifting block. SK performed better but still suffered some failures to eject then jam things up. GECO has worked without failure for MANY rounds and matches now. Examination of empties clearly indicate Eley cases are like brass foil and very frail, GECO (RWS, Norma) cases are rock hard in comparison with SK (Lapua, older wolf) falling someplace between. In decades of rimfire shooting through many rifles this has not mattered at all but in this case with this rifle it does. Thought I would mention this in case it may help someone else with a rare ejection disorder. I’m sure the 1866 has some minor mechanical issue during the ejection process but in the case of cases it is an easy solution to getting the rifle back into matches and my time back to other issues.
atomicbrh
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Re: Brass hardness / thickness 1866 Uberti

Post by atomicbrh »

Thanks for posting this.
Have you communicated with Uberti about this discovery?
This information seems like it could really help them.
375Short
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Re: Brass hardness / thickness 1866 Uberti

Post by 375Short »

I haven’t passed this information on to Uberti or Cimarron but it is not a bad idea. I have another 1866 made in 2018 (.22lr) and it doesn’t suffer from the same condition. There are some significant differences between these year models, especially in the cartridge block / lifter. The older model has a cartridge stop in the block that is akin to a mini loading gate a simple affair but my newer model doesn’t have this feature and works just fine without. The older model also has significantly more stock drop as well. To my surprise the workmanship is better on the newer model. Inside the receiver of the older model looks like a blind beaver did the work, on a Monday after a weekend of hard drinking, although that may be serious discredit to blind beavers. They both shoot fine and like a friends each has needed the recess for the extractor relieved before they extracted reliably.
375Short
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Re: Brass hardness / thickness 1866 Uberti

Post by 375Short »

I know this is the wrong area for this 1866 specific information but.

Of the 4 1866’s in .22lr that I am familiar with, 3 needed a longer firing pin for reliable ignition, including my 2018 year model. Three of the four also have a different means of which the magazine tube is held in place at the muzzle end. Seems like they build so few of these that some items are choice of the assembler when they land at there bench.
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