73 winchester question

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piper394

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I'm replacing some missing parts on a '73 for a friend and confess to minimal knowledge of Winchesters. It's a 44-40, and I mistakenly bought a 32 lifter block at a gunshow. The bottom was a bit beat up and I couldn't make out the numbers.
Ok, so I finally got the correct block and the lifter arm I got with the 32 block seems wrong, won't lift high enough and there's no spring tension.
My question is this. Are there different lifter arms for different calibers?
I know there are Winchester experts out there who can help and I would be very grateful .
 
I'm pretty new to the toggle action but what I found on my own 1866 is that the lifter is very sensitive in action to the spring pressure of the lever springs as set by the holding screws for the springs. And although they are called "lever springs" the fingers actually rest against the lifter arm which reflects the force into the lever. So the springs need to be in place and tensioned correctly to operate the lifter correctly. If not set just "so" the lever won't lift at the proper point in the sequence far enough or at the proper time. If you try it with no springs you need to reach in with your finger or some tool and lift against the arm with some "spring" pressure to test the operation.

All the rifles share the same center axes of the magazine and barrel and the blocks all have to lift the cartridges the same amount as a result. This is confirmed by the fact that even on parts lists that give separate numbers for the small and large ammo sizes the lifter is only given one parts listing.
 
Maybe there's a difference in the models then. I took another look at the one I have in relation to the broken one that came with the rifle. The broken one has a full round disc on the pin end and the replacement one has a flat top on the disc and the spring notch is a bit deeper.
 
If in doubt about any of the parts you have on hand, Numrich Gun Parts is a good source for the correct replacement parts for your 1873. Worth a look.
 
There are a # of different lifter rods for the different toggle action models, some are interchangeable from model to model some aren't. If you have a rod meant for a short stroke kit then it will be very different from an original. Usually they can all be made to work after a fashion with some fitting, either building up or filing down the contact point.

The contact point that allows for the adjustments is at the front of the lever where the flat front of it strikes the flat surface on your rod. If the rod comes up too far/high at full lever stroke you have to file some of the flat surface from the rod so that the over-travel is lessened. DO NOT FILE THE LEVER FACE, it is easier/cheaper to re-do/replace the rod than than a lever in case of a screw -up. If the rod doesn't bring the carrier up far enough (as it sound like your situation) you have to add a "filler" of some kind to the rod face. If you are a very accomplished welder with a torch you may be able to braze some material to the rod without melting the face away... but the easiest way I have found is to drill and thread the rod face so it will accept a small grub/set screw. Set the screw to protrude just enough, so when the lever pushes it, that it makes the rod move the required distance. Set the screw so it won't move after its set (finger nail polish works).

A word on the action springs. Usually the springs from an original Winchester work very well even tho they are 100 yrs or so old, however if they sprung there are numerous "jobber" (Whisper, Pioneer gun works, Wolf, all springs I have used) springs available. All of the jobber springs I have used worked very well however DO NOT USE ORIGINAL FACTORY UBERTI SPRINGS, THEY ARE VERY MUCH TOO SEVERE. They will wear the contact lobes off your lever and rod in a very few rounds. The one spring only needs enough pressure to hold the elevator down at the bottom of it's stoke and the other one only needs enough tension to hold the lever "up" in the closed position while carrying the gun. It doesn't need the "snap closed from 1/2 ways closed pressure" that the Italian guns come with.
 
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