Winchester Golden Boy replica

[Dr. Fresh]

I recently purchased an Italian replica of the 1866 lever gun in .38 Special, and I have a couple of questions:

How can I tell who made it? It was imported by Navy Arms, but beyond that it doesn't say.


What is the proper procedure for cleaning the rifle? Lever-action rifles have a lot of small parts and I don't want to get into trouble.

 

[Shung]

Most probably a Uberti if it's used. Can be a chapparal arms if it seems new. I have 2 of them yellowboys Uberti.. One of the is them is the carbine, in 38sp as well. (the other is a rifle in 44-40)

If you dont reload it with blackpowder, you wont need to clean anything exept the barrel. For that I use a bore snake that I introduce from the chamber..

You might want to grease the mechanism.. To do it, unscrew the screws 101 & 123 and remove both plate 73 and 74 . Keep the carbine straight vertical when you remove those plates, cause the mechanism can fall down if holded horizontally. Even though It's easy to make it back after a bit, but the mechanism is quite complexe, and you might get impressed by 19th century technology at first..

 

[Dr. Fresh]

Er... I meant to say Yellow Boy. I keep getting it mixed up with the Henry rifle.

Thanks for the tips. I plan on running smokeless cartridges through it exclusively, so that shouldn't be an issue. When I remove the plates, I should hold it vertical, with the barrel pointing straight up?

 

[Shung]

No, I mean, vertical, with the hammer looking up and the lever looking down.

If when you remove the plate the rifle lies down on a table, the mechanism parts beind the plates might just fall off their axis... there is nothing to maintain them in place in that way, maybe except friction in between them, and of course the side plates... but when you remove them...

so just to avoid troubles (if all falls down, it's not that terrible, but first time, it's not easy to make all thing together working again), hold the rifle lever and trigger on the table, and the top of the rifle looking up.

after a bit, you'll know it very well, and you will enjoy making them appart to clean them

 

[Dr. Fresh]

Ah, I see. Thanks.

 

[Shung]

when you have removed the plates, take a look at how the mechanism is set up... make a picture of it if you can. It will help you to make it back, if you whish to dissassemble it once.

For fun, you can even action the lever keeping the rifle vertical without the plates. It will show you how the action lever works, and astonish you on how complex the mechanism is, being 150 years old !!!

 

[Dr. Fresh]

Will do. I'll probably do it tomorrow.

The mechanism in these rifles really is amazing. I still can't believe something so complex can be so reliable.

 

[Shung]

once, I though about making plexiglas plates for it.. just to enjoy watchin the mechanism...

is that serious doc' ?