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Early Universal |
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LDB415 
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Joined: Nov 23 2025 Location: Friendswood Status: Offline Points: 11 |
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 Topic: Early UniversalPosted: Nov 29 2025 at 11:06am |
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I've got a Universal that belonged to my dad. It and his S&W M13-1 are my most prized firearms. I've just unwrapped both. I don't know much about either one other than he had them forever. The Universal is S/N 235xx. I believe that makes it 1963, give or take a year? And they hadn't changed anything from the original design yet?
And another curiosity, I haven't been to the range yet. When you go do you ever get asked what is that gun? I'm thinking younger people may be clueless when they see one? Thanks for indulging a day one novice.
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floydthecat
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Joined: Oct 13 2016 Location: Mississippi Status: Offline Points: 2307 |
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Posted: Nov 29 2025 at 1:13pm |
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Your Universal is one of the good ones. It is 100% parts-compatible with the USGI carbine. They would have already been using their own trigger housing by then, but some in that range could have the USGI housing. You could maybe post a picture of the underside? It might also have a front sight retained with a set screw as opposed to the key and pin system on USGI carbines. Chances are that carbine has some GI parts in it.
I have owned them from 15xxx to 39xxx and never had one that did not have a USGI bolt as well as a few other GI parts in it. Edited by floydthecat - Nov 29 2025 at 1:39pm |
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LDB415
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Posted: Nov 29 2025 at 1:43pm |
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Thank you. That's great. No clue how to include photos but can email them if you are curious enough. :)
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floydthecat
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Posted: Nov 29 2025 at 1:50pm |
You will catch onto it. Don’t need some off-site service. Can upload from your phone or pc. You can email me if you want. PM sent.
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floydthecat
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Posted: Nov 29 2025 at 2:22pm |
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We need a shot of the complete trigger housing. Have you learned how to field-strip it yet?
I have the three pictures you sent but need one of the action out of the stock.
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LDB415
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Posted: Nov 29 2025 at 2:23pm |
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I don't know. But it won't be from lack of trying. :)
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floydthecat
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Posted: Nov 29 2025 at 2:28pm |
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It won’t fly apart or blow up on you.
Loosen the band screw, it does not have to come all way out….just real loose. Depress the nose of the band spring with a tool or something that just fits the slot and slip the band off forward. The hand guard will lift up and out. Lift the barrel from the front and the action should come free. It ain’t gonna bite!
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floydthecat
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Posted: Nov 29 2025 at 3:15pm |
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Universal used 4 different trigger housings (that I know of). A USGI of course but also a very flimsy aluminum one that would crack easily. It was designed exactly like the USGI. Then they made a more robust version yet still replaced a USGI. USGI internals would interchange except for a longer hammer pin. Then they produced the “box” version that was strong, but will not fit into a spec cut USGI stock.
Your version is Universal for sure and best I can tell from your first pictures, is not the “box”. If you have the flimsy version of the USGI clone, I would surely replace it. If you get to a point that you want to go past field-strip…..let’s talk again. Universal often pinned the trigger housing to the receiver with a spring-pin which can be aggravating to remove.
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LDB415
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Posted: Nov 29 2025 at 3:20pm |
Not a clue on that and sadly literally nowhere to do so thanks to 20 years of accumulating and cluttering. Working on that though. And did order the book by Ruth and Duff so I'll soon be learning more.
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LDB415
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Posted: Nov 29 2025 at 3:27pm |
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We'll see how brave I am after the book gets here and I read and study.
 I'll have to at some point as I have a notion to shoot it some. We have a local range that only charges $3/gun for seniors. I figure even my old eyes can manage to hit paper somewhere at 25 yards. Maybe I'll even try 50. 
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New2brass
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Dan Pinto, How Can I help Joined: Nov 29 2015 Location: CCC Status: Offline Points: 5527 |
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Posted: Nov 29 2025 at 3:51pm |
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our video section with how to disassemble and assemble |
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LDB415 wrote: