Anyone else have an Uberti .22 LR Silver Boy?

[Trey Veston]

Another poster asked about my Uberti in the .22 rifle thread and since I have never seen anyone else here mention having one, thought I'd share my thoughts on mine.

I bought it a couple of years ago off of Bud's Gun Shop for $319 and thought that was a heck of a deal for a scaled down 1866-style rifle in chrome.

I haven't shot it much; just a couple of times to ensure functioning and to sight in a scope I mounted. I ended up hating how the scope looked on it and took it off.

I took it to Southern Idaho to hunt jackrabbits with and unbelievably didn't see a single rabbit, so it has not been properly indoctrinated yet.

Accuracy is OK, with maybe 2.5" at 55yds, but nothing impressive. But, the action is glass smooth and functioning has been 100% with the couple of different types of ammo I've used.

The rifle is 37" overall length and has a shorter length of pull of 14", but it fits me just fine. Weight is just over 6lbs.

Fit and finish is good; at least as good as the Henry .22 I fondled. Hammer is case colored and the wood grain is a bit plain, but OK. Sights are rather crude but work.

My only complaint about the gun is the trigger. It is too light. Seriously. My competition Uberti 1885 Winchester high wall breaks at just over 2lbs and is too light for hunting.

The Silver Boy breaks at between 1.5lbs and 2lbs. It is crisp and predictable, but too light for an inexperienced shooter to be lugging around the woods with the hammer back, especially with no safety.

Other than that, it's a great little .22, if you can find them.

 

[czhen]

Thank you Trey,
It is really a beautiful rifle. A really quiet gem in today market.
czhen.
FL

 

[kidneyboy]

Thats a real beauty!

 

[bfoosh006]

Honestly, I had no idea Uberti made these.

And for a factory rifle, that is a very light trigger pull weight.

I can't help but wonder if a VFG Pellet, Kroil, and JB Bore polish... bore cleaning wouldn't help the precision.

And I'd certainly try other ammo through it.

 

[Sniper66]

Nice looking rifle. Personal taste of course, but the trigger sounds perfect for me. Uberti makes a wide variety of reproduction rifles and pistols and most seem to have a reputation similar to what our OP has reported. I've handled lots of them and like the appearance, but have never bought one.

 

[Tommygunn]

I've never seen one in person, only in brochures. My main curiosity about them was how the action worked; was it close to the Henry/Marlin rifles or the old Winchester 9422? I have a 9422, and am unsure if I'd want the Uberti. My interest in the Henry is less.
I think the Uberti is available in blued frame as well .... but I'm not sure about that.
I have Uberti rifles and revolvers and I think they are good, well made firearms.
The OP should be proud of his new rifle. Chuck Connors and John Wayne are both jealous!!

 

[Picher]

Yes, the trigger is too light for a non-target rifle. However, you mentioned about carrying it in the woods with the hammer back and IMHO, NO external hammer type rifle should be carried with the hammer back unless there's some kind of lock to prevent it being fired accidentally...similar to a Colt 1911.

It shouldn't be difficult for a gunsmith to increase the pull weight of the trigger mechanism by deepening the notch. The factory should do it for free.

 

[Old Stumpy]

I like the looks of them, and that the lever cycles fully like a center-fire lever gun.
But the aluminum receiver puts me off.
If they made it with a solid brass receiver, I might buy one.

 

[Tommygunn]

Yes, the trigger is too light for a non-target rifle. However, you mentioned about carrying it in the woods with the hammer back and IMHO, NO external hammer type rifle should be carried with the hammer back unless there's some kind of lock to prevent it being fired accidentally...similar to a Colt 1911.

It shouldn't be difficult for a gunsmith to increase the pull weight of the trigger mechanism by deepening the notch. The factory should do it for free.

I might note that one trick in using lever-actions in hunting, with the idea of easing the cycling and keeping it quieter, was to cock the hammer on the rifle. Of course, this was done with the breech empty so you would not be carrying a cocked loaded gun in the woods. I know it is not what you're talking about (safety issue) I was just pointing out an old hunter's trick to keep cycling quiet.

 

[Picher]

I might note that one trick in using lever-actions in hunting, with the idea of easing the cycling and keeping it quieter, was to cock the hammer on the rifle. Of course, this was done with the breech empty so you would not be carrying a cocked loaded gun in the woods. I know it is not what you're talking about (safety issue) I was just pointing out an old hunter's trick to keep cycling quiet.

I never hunted with a lever-action much, but don't think much about walking around with the hammer back for another reason, that being having all kinds of tree spills falling into the mechanism, which is always a problem with "open top" rifles. I've had the task of taking customers' guns apart to clean them (perhaps for the first time) and found many to be really nasty inside.

If the point of keeping cycling quiet, it seems that it's much quieter to keep the hammer on full-cock with the action closed and just cocking to fire.