45-70 loading issues

[Porthos23]

Hi all. Been lurking around the board for a while, waiting until I picked up my new RG. Out of the box, could not get a round past the loading gate with the action closed.. figured out the gate was bumping up against the lever tab. A few minutes shortening the gate, and problem solved. Now, however, I have noticed that after loading a round in the mag, it doesn't stay in the tube, and indexes against the lever and cutout in the loading gate:

Picture 4.jpg

I expect that the carrier should be holding the round(s) in the tube, but it doesn't, and if there is another mechanism, I don't know what it is. Anyone else run into this issue, or am I just lucky? It feeds and cycles just fine, I guess if I wanted to live with the chewed up brass, I could, but would rather not. I would also like to take this thing out to shoot, and not wait for the warranty repair if I could fix it myself. Anybody else have the same problem?

[Tuco Ramirez]

When I picked mine up a couple of weeks ago it took two men and small boy to get the shells into the tube, to the point of denting the cases when I forced them into the tube. I could see where the gate was coming into contact with the carrier and stopping the gate from opening all the way or enough to accept the shell. It was also making contact with the lever but my main problem was the carrier. I rounded the bottom of the gate edge as well as inlet the carrier just a bit where it made contact. This fixed my problem. My grandmother could load it up now if she were not in Florida pouring concrete this month….lol. I also reduced the gate spring pressure as well. Shorting the gate would produce the same result in allowing the gate to open further but IMO it will also allow the shell to come further back until it makes contact with the gate. I may be in left field without a glove but I believe the carrier pushes the shell into the gate to hold it in place.
I will assume the tearing up of the cases is where it comes into contact with the gate. If that is the case I would round off any shape edges on the front of the gate but be sure that is causing the problem first. Once you remove metal putting it back is not so easy if even possible.

[Ranch Dog]

Yep, exactly how it should look. Rough edges should be polished and I offer the same note that Tuco offered, "...it is hard to put it back".

RG4570_loading_gate.jpg

[Ranch Dog]

Here is a good animation of how the "336" action works: Levergun Animation

In the case of the RG4570, the cartridge must sit up against the gate as there is absolutely no other way to fit such a large cartridge in the 336 frame. Thus, the differences in the lever between the RG3030 and RG4570 with the RG4570 being so thin on the working end.

[Porthos23]

I guess that clears that up.. I looked all over the net for a picture of the gate on a loaded rifle, and never found anything. Most everything else on the rifle looks good, just a little light polishing here and there, probably more to suit my desire to tinker than actual necessity. I will say that the gate definately got the bulk of the work. It has been smoothed, straightened, relieved, and cussed at more than once in an effort to not only get it to let rounds pass, but just fit in the frame properly at all. It still isn't square to the frame opening, but I'll have to live with that, I guess.


Thanks for the pics, makes me feel a lot better.

[Tuco Ramirez]

If you are like me you will tear it apart several more times for sure. When the cussing starts its time to set it down and come back later. Everytime I continued after the cussing began the wallet had to come out because I lost the battle. I see what you are talking about with it not being square to the gate opening. You may be able to remove some off the top of the gate arm to get it to come up. There is a slot machined inside the receiver for the gate arm for lack of a better term sits in. But I would be very careful how much you remove from the gate arm. The million dollar question is how does it shoot?

[Tuco Ramirez]

Here is a good animation of how the "336" action works: Levergun Animation

In the case of the RG4570, the cartridge must sit up against the gate as there is absolutely no other way to fit such a large cartridge in the 336 frame. Thus, the differences in the lever between the RG3030 and RG4570 with the RG4570 being so thin on the working end.

That is one handy dandy link.... I will be saving that. Thanks RD