Author Topic: Help with Winder Musket  (Read 539 times)

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Offline wmo

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Help with Winder Musket
« on: October 26, 2004, 09:24:14 PM »
I have located a very nice Winder Musket, still chambered as marked in .22 short.  It is in excellent external shape and the bore is perfect.  It does have 2 problems (or maybe one problem causing two different things to happen.)

First, the extractor doesn't move at all.  As I understand the history of the rimfire low walls, the extractor not only extracts, it ejects on these guns.

Second, the hammer doesn't cock as the lever is pulled up.  My .22 hornet low wall brings the hammer to full cock on closing the action.  It is the only other example of a Win single shot I have to compare things to.

I don't feel that the price is too bad, but I'd like to know what I'm looking at in the cost of repairs or replacement parts to fix these problems so I can determine whether to by the rifle.

You folks seem to be the most knowledgeable I've seen in cyberspace on these old Winchesters.  

Can anyone help me here?

Thanks,
Marc in the dark

"I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be. "
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Offline marlinman93

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Help with Winder Musket
« Reply #1 on: October 27, 2004, 12:46:33 PM »
The Winders being later built, do not have the cock on opening feature of the earlier Win single shots. At about the time Win went to blued receivers, they dropped that feature, thinking it to be a safety hazard. Even back then they were thinking of lawsuits!
 Yes, the gun should not only extract, but throw the case too. Is the chamber tight? If you open the empty action slowly, you should se a point where the extractor snaps rearward. If this isn't happening, the small coil spring that is pushing the extractor may be broken, or removed.
 Some gun owners didn't like the cases flying back, so they removed the coil spring that operates the extractor. You need to pull the forearm, and see if the retention plate and spring are still there. It's under the barrel on the right lower front of the receiver.
 Hope this helps.
Ballard, the great American Rifles!

Offline wmo

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Help with Winder Musket
« Reply #2 on: October 28, 2004, 07:47:43 PM »
Marlinman,

Thanks so much for the reply.  I was unaware of the cocking issue as you described it.  I really appreciate your help there.

As to the extractor / ejector, the extractor does not move at all even without a round in it.  With the action fully open, it just remains where it was with the action closed.  As I recall seeing years ago in a parts diagram, I thought that the extraction part of it was directly linked to the lever moving down.  But, like I said, that was a long time ago.  I guess I could take apart my hornet and see how it is supposed to move.  I don't know whether the lever may be broken or the extractor itself.

Thanks again for the reply.

Marc
Marc in the dark

"I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be. "
Douglas Adams

Offline marlinman93

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Help with Winder Musket
« Reply #3 on: October 29, 2004, 10:47:10 AM »
My misunderstanding! I thought your ejecctor was drawing the cases back, but not throwing them. Yes, the ejector is directly linked to the lever, through a link and pins. Either the hole in the ejector, or the link may be broken, or one of the pins. There are two types of ejector springs, one round wire, and one coil to operate either early or late style rifles. Your gun should be the coil type mainspring, as I think all Winders are late actions.
 You may want to get a copy of Frank DeHaas' book, Single SHot Rifles and Actions. It has lots of good info and break downs on the Winchester, plus most other single shot rifles.
Ballard, the great American Rifles!