A Winchester 1890 problem...

canoeguy · Dec 6, 2009

I am looking at a fairly nice 1890 Winchester pump, .22 short only caliber, looking to buy it, and it has a problem. When you fire a cartridge it will only extract the empty case about halfway, leaving about half the case still in the chamber. If you chamber and eject an unfired cartridge, it works properly, extracting and ejecting live rounds energetically. Only fired cases fail to extract fully.

I am wondering if this is an easy fix, and would any gunsmith be able to repair it? The rifle looks nice, I'd like to buy it but I definitely want one I can shoot, one that is 100% mechanically.

Any ideas?

Thanks,

Canoeguy

Philbert-D · Dec 6, 2009

If the casings are coming out of the chamber i would say it is an extractor problem if they don't make it out of the chamber all the way it may be a rough chamber and the cases are sticking when fired and expanded. Just a guess without examining the gun.What are they asking for the m90? BTW canoeguy the check for the slings is on the way.

canoeguy · Dec 6, 2009

They are asking $350, and disclosed the problem with extraction. It is in a shop, the shop owner let me step out back and shoot it into his dirt pile he has for testing guns. The bore does look rough, maybe pitted, I think I'll go by with a bore brush and give it a thourough scrubbing, see if that helps.

2152hq · Dec 6, 2009

+1 on the rough chamber from older ammo, some of it may have been BP powder 22short ammo and the bore and chamber suffer from it.

Also check the edge of the chamber for a small burr caused by the firing pin hitting the barrel/chamber edge during dry firing. That burr can be very small yet acts as a hook to dig into fired cases upon extraction as they are expanded.
Unfired cases may freely pass a very small chamber burr from dry fireing un-noticed. A really bad battering will effect even trying to chamber the round.

Could be a combination of the two or even more .

Add a slightly worn extractor hook and/or spring into the mix that slides off the resisting fired case and there are more than enough reasons for the problem to exist.

If you still have any of the fired cases, they can tell you alot about a potential problem. A long scar on the length of the case usually indicates a burr at the chambers rear edge. May even be one up inside the chamber from some one probing in there with a pick or other sharp instrument to remove old corrosion, lead, ect.
A rough oversized chamber from pitting where the case is expanding into it and then is extracted can usually be seen in the brass as a bright spot(s) not unlike the look on resized centerfire brass cases when reloaded.

With all that said,, sometimes the old ones need nothing more than a real good cleaning that no one has bothered to do in the last 75 years.

canoeguy · Dec 13, 2009

Took another look at that Winchester 1890 rifle today, seller let me clean the bore thoroughly, brushed it 50 times with a fresh .22 brush and Hoppes. The outcome was a worn, pitted bore. Tried some .22 CB shorts, the stuff with no powder, rifle worked perfectly with that stuff. Tried some regular .22 shorts, still no extraction. I'm thinking it must be pitting in the chamber, fired, expanded cases get stuck on the pitting, CB short cases probably don't expand when fired, so they don't get stuck.

The rifle looks really nice, in all original, unmolested condition, probably rate 85-90% condition wise. Serial number puts it at 1910 production.

What do you guys think, buy it and shoot it with CB shorts? The alternative would be to have the bore sleeved, and there goes any collectors value.

biglar · Dec 13, 2009

Work on the price and shoot CB. I have two 1890`s in .22 long and shoot them every few years with a box of ammo.

I put between 500 and 1000 rounds a month in my Colt .22 conversions and other rifles. If you are thinking you will want to shoot this gun a lot, look for one in .22LR, they are out there.

A Winchester 1890 problem...

canoeguy

US Veteran

Philbert-D

Member

canoeguy

US Veteran

2152hq

Member

canoeguy

US Veteran

biglar

Member

Similar threads

Latest posts