Uberti /Cimarron 1866 Yellowboy 22 LR?

[PAINTBALL GUY 3]

Hello all, So I'm a BIG fan of Lever action and .22 (who isn't) and I just found this baby and fell in love.........


http://www.buffaloarms.com/browse.cfm/4,5873.html



I love the fact that she is top eject, has a loading gate, made of real brass (everything I want in Lever gun) and best of all, .22 LR. Now my question to you guy's is, have any of you had experience with them. I would imagine the action would a bit heard but thats all apeart of the fun.

Thank you.

 

[Shung]

I have.. (and I own 2 other Uberti 1866 and 2 other 1873)

But I never had one with a loading gate. Mine must be loaded from the tubular magasines, so I have no experience with this particular model.

As for the action, it is very smooth, you just have to handle it "manly" .. I mean, don't try to be too gentle on the lever. They are mean to work that way.

here are mines (no 22lr in that picture)



I would buy this rifle if it was available here, but I have not seen it so far.. the lack of loading gate on previous 22lr models was a pain for the eyes !

btw, from the picture, the barrel really doesnt look 24" long.. That seems to be a short rifle version instead-

This is a 24" barrel :

 

[Molasses]

I had a Uberti '66 that had been imported by American Western Arms or some such. Sold it not too many months ago to someone that wanted a .22 to antique to kind of match an original he had on display.
From the serial # and other stuff, I think it was probably mfg. in the '60s. It had the tube loading setup, with a sliding gate covering the port on the side of the tube.

Only real complaint I had was that the hammer was skeletonized down one side, which wouldn't be much cause for complaint except that being top ejecting, empties would sooner or later find their way into the gap alongside the hammer and down inside from there...

 

[PAINTBALL GUY 3]

Well it's good to know there at least smooth. Did yours feed nicly?

 

[Shung]

yeah, never had a problem to feed.

 

[Dazen]

That rifle is going to look good next to my Henry Golden Boy

 

[cpirtle]

Looking at the size of that loading gate I think that is probably just a stock photo of a regular 66, not the .22 - that rifle pictured looks like a 38.

If you read closely they describe the changes to the Henry that added the loading gate but they never specifically say that this gun has a loading gate.

I am not saying that it does not have a loading gate but I would ask them that question specifically before ordering one if it is important to you, the picture just doesn't look like a 22 and, like Shung, I have never seen one that had it.

The only problem I have ever heard with the 66 .22's is with the extractor, but I have not owned one even though I have thought about it many times.

 

[PAINTBALL GUY 3]

I actuly called them on monday and the guy said that this model does have a loading gate. Cool ah!

 

[PAINTBALL GUY 3]

I dont know if I should just let this thread fliter down the pages or not, so I'm upping.

 

[PAINTBALL GUY 3]

So Shung, does your .22 have a skeletonized hammer?

I called Buffalo arms again today and it turns out that the gun doesnt have a loading gate. But it does have a 24" oct Barrel, real brass frame, butt plat as it the photo, top eject and color case hardened hammer and lever. Which is all nice, but without the loading gate I dont know if it would be worth it.

 

[Bill B.]

but without the loading gate I don't know if it would be worth it.

Just think of it as a brass Marlin M39! Seriously I have owned the 66 in 45LC and they are a fine gun. I think you would be very happy with with one in .22 LR. It is going to be heavy for a .22. I would be sure and get the short rifle version rather than the long barrel version if I planned to carry in the woods very much. The rifle versions have pretty good buckhorn type sights on em but the carbine version is a different story. If you have older eyes or wear glasses the carbine sights aren't nearly as precise. Post some pictures of your new toy when you purchase!

 

[PAINTBALL GUY 3]

You know want Bill B, I think I will go with it. Like you said, there very well built rifles and I mean really, she made of solid brass. Thank you Bill.

 

[ArmedBear]

Are there any .22 lever guns with receiver side loading?

39, 9422, Henry, I don't think there are any.

 

[cpirtle]

I would go on a limb and say no, but I could be wrong.

I think there would be concerns that a stiff gate would run the risk of tipping the bullet out of the shell casing or damaging it on the way through the gate. All of this while pushing a series of small bullets down on an ever tightening spring. (the opposite of a tube loader)

Proper function of the gun (at least in a 66/73) relies on the loading gate to have a decent amount of tension.

I think translating all of that to a .22 would be an engineering nightmare.

 

[PAINTBALL GUY 3]

^^^ I never thought of it that way. That really... just suck's.

 

[ArmedBear]

I think there would be concerns that a stiff gate would run the risk of tipping the bullet out of the shell casing or damaging it on the way through the gate.

I think that these would be more than concerns.

Slight misfeeds in .22 semiautos do this all the time, loosening the crimp and tweaking the bullet sideways in the case. The .22LR cartridge is not all that robust; it is made using disposable brass that needs to be thin and soft to set off the priming compound when the hammer just nicks the rim.

Given the force I use to load my .357 Magnum Marlin lever gun from the side, I doubt the .22LR would work well with that design. My crimped .357s and .38s work fine, but the brass is thicker and harder, the crimp is larger in every dimension, and the bullet is pressed in tightly enough to stretch the brass slightly all around, even without a crimp.