I have a 1951 winchester 30-30. After i load a few rounds the loading gate, for the lack of the proper word, flips up a few millimeters above the reciever. This makes the next rounds very hard to load because it is hard to push the loading gate down. Actually, i have to chamber a round in order for the gate to lay down to it's original position. The front, muzzle end of the loading gate has a burr on it, i am assuming from this flipping up condition. Any ideas what is going on? Sorry if this is a poor description but mabey a question back will help us both. Thank's Greg p

When you load the first cartridge don't push it all the way in, leave it's "butt end" sticking slightly out of the loading port. Now take the second cartridge and use it to push in the first cartridge, and leave the "butt end" of the second cartridge stickng out of the port. Continue on with the remaining cartridges in the same manner, this way the loading port never closes completely until the last cartridge is loaded.

I think that what sometimes happens when you load them one at a time like you do is after about 3-4 are loaded the spring in the tubular magazine gets enough tension on it that it pushes the rim of the last loaded cartridge slightly under the gate on the loading port making it impossible to depress it to load another shell, thats why it pops up slightly, the cartridge rim pushes it up.

[ 10-25-2003, 13:20: Message edited by: Talking Head ]

Thank's for the reply. This is my first lever gun,as you may tell.I will give this a try. What you said sounds logical to me, i hope it works.

Greg P,

When the bolt is in the closed position and the lever is up against the frame, the carrier should be at it's lowest position to allow the loading gate to open properly.

Sometimes when the lever is in the closed position, there is excess verticle play present in the carrier which allows the carrier to flip up into the path of the loading gate causing loading problems.

This is a "carrier timing" problem and is common with older guns. It is caused by wear at the bottom of the slot in the carrier, where the lever rides and holds the carrier in the down position when the bolt is in the closed position. There is no need to replace the carrier as this is an easy repair using a TIG welder and file.

Good luck,

Malm

G. Malmborg, when the lever is in the closed position and i have not loaded any rounds, everything looks great. The problem arises when i load 3 or 4 rounds. I think the previous suggestion on how to load each round may be the ticket. Although that would not explain the small burr on the front of the reciever where the loading gate pushes in as each round is loaded.

Whatever works. Good luck.