Bullet stuck...So close yet so far

[Peter Leigh]

Will do......

[Dark Skies]

Get hold of some 8 m.m. (5/16") steel rod, it won't damage the barrel. Strip the bolt out and hammer the bullet out. Use the heaviest hammer or mallet you can get, this is all about a big mass moving a small mass.

I'd go this route as it's the easiest and least time consuming. I would take up some of the slack with a few windings of electrical tape either end of the rod so it wasn't directly running steel on steel though.

[bradaz11]

yup, '73s are very straightfoward to strip down, and you'll need to every so often anyway to clean the lifter properly. do you have gunsmith screwdrivers? you only need 3 or 4 sizes. sideplate off, springs off, links out, pivot pin out, lever off, carrier lever out, carrier out, knock out front link pin, and then pull out the wedge. firing pin should pull out now. remove stock, and lower assy with trigger and hammer in. you might have to undo the dust cover, and the bolt should now pull out,
for good measure, undo front mag tube screw and get the spring and follower out, and give that a clean in the tube and spring a bit of oil so it doesn't rust
magna tip sizes required - 360-5 / 360-6 / 240-4 / 180-3 / 180-5

first time it seems a bit daunting, but after you've done it once or twice, you can have it fully stripped in 5 mins.

[channel12]

So I'm guessing it's not a Marlin where you can easily remove the bolt ?

[Peter Leigh]

yup, '73s are very straightfoward to strip down,

I fell at hurdle one.....getting the first screw out of the sideplate...would not budge even with correct gunsmith screwdriver so gave up on that one for now. (any tips for that?) Think Uberti over torque

[dromia]

Yep Uberti are legendary for employing a gorilla to nip up their screws.

[bradaz11]

soft screws done up tight. recipe for success

do you have some sort of penertrating fluid, that you can spray and leave on? other option is put a bit in a ratchet if you can, or spanner on the screwdriver - just be real careful!

[Alpha1]

Spray it with WB40 leave it for an hour. Use a screw driver or a bit that is a really good fit use a small pair of Stilsons on the screw driver or a set of mole grips mole grips might be the better option.
Or pour a load of oil into the bore then use a short piece of rod not wood about 8" long and a mash hammer. If it moves carry on until you have about 1" of rod protruding then switch to a longer rod and knock it out. I have had success in the past with Adams method using a screw. I have also found that if the bore is well oiled once the slug starts moving it comes out fairly rapidly. I have Winchesters they are easy to strip down. I can have them in bits in no time at all.

[bradaz11]

http://marauder.homestead.com/files/Winchester_73.html

this should help too. well worth learning, especially if the lifter eats a case.

[redcat]

Piece of 8mm brass rod and a hammer. You're just gong to knock it back down the 18 inches or so that it's already come up so should not be a great deal of resistance.

Redcat