Old CW4
BANNED
- Joined
- Sep 8, 2006
- Messages
- 870
1. There is seldom a reason other than something known to be broken to totally disasemble a gun. It is rarely necessary to completely 'strip' a gun merely for cleaning. Toothbrushes, Q tips, pipe cleaners, etc., can be used to get into crooks and crannies when necessary. Compressed air and gun cleaning sprays can also be used although some of the sprays can damage stocks and plastics. Frankly, I usually use carburetor spray cleaner, it's cheaper but don't get it on wood, plastics, or rubber....!
2. If you must, or feel you must, disassemble a gun, obtain the exploded view diagram for it first. You can get diagrams from NRA publications, gun parts catalogs, and most of the time a quick search with Google. A very important reason to have the diagram is the pins used in most guns. There are correct ways to take them out and put them back. In a diagram, pins are shown out and on one side or the other of the frame or major component. If the pin is on the left, that means it should be driven out from the right and put back from the left. Always drive out a pin in the correct direction because some are tapered or have serrations. Driving a pin out the wrong direction, or trying to, can cause some real damage. I know, I've had to repair many for too hasty customers.
3. Again, if you must and when taking a gun apart, have a cardboard box or two handy. Put the box on your bench and work inside it to catch springs. Murphy's law is always in play with gun springs. They will fly off (if they miss hitting you in the eye) and hide in the most hard to get to places in your garage, shop, kitchen, wherever. Over my years as a gunsmith, I've spent many hours crawling around with a flashlight to find errant springs.
4. Screwdrivers. Most gun screws have straight walls in their driving slots and gunsmith screwdrivers are also straight and not tapered as are wood screws and their drivers. Do NOT use a 'wood' screwdriver on guns other than perhaps an occasional stock screw. If you work on guns, spend a few bucks and buy a set of gunsmith screwdrivers. I prefer the type with interchangeable bits and magnetized so they stay in place.
5. Stuck screws. Most handymen/women have a drill press. It can be a best friend when you have a stuck or rusted in screw. Hold the gun or gun part in a vise or clamp it to the drill press table. Then firmly chuck the correct screwdriver bit in the press, lower it down into the screw slot, lean on the press handle, and turn the chuck with your other hand. This works for me just about every time. I've broken some real bears loose this way without damaging screw, gun, or component of a gun. Of course as soon as I determine the screw is stuck or rusted, I apply some penetrating oil and let it sit for a bit. Sometimes a bit of heat application with a propane torch will also help get a screw to cooperate. Just don't overheat.
6. Trying to lighten triggers. My advice---DON'T. Gunsmiths have gauges, special jigs, and money invested in fancy stones to work on sears. Hair triggers are alright for bench rest shooters and real experts, I guess, but they're damned dangerous for everyone else. I made it a policy years ago to NOT take triggers below three pounds for customers and I'll take it down that far only if I know them and how they handle their firearms. Polishing the interior parts other than the sear at all bearing/friction points usually does as much good as a trigger job and makes for a really smooth gun.
That's it for this one but will add another true tale about a stupid gun owner. This guy went out with his young son to hunt rabbits after a fairly heavy snow storm. There were occasional snow drifts and dad, from some unknown and idiotic impulse, says "Son, watch this." He proceeds to stick the barrel of his pump 12 gauge shotgun into a snow drift and fired it. Wow! Split the barrel for about a foot down one side and jammed the bolt big time. He brought the gun to me and I refused to repair it. Told him the receiver had been stressed too much and it wouldn't be safe.
At that time, I did the repair work for a local gun store. The owner, a bit of a weirdo, sold, bought, and traded, and had done some gunsmithing.
I took some repaired guns back to him and there on his wall for sale was that same shotgun. I recognized it from some brass studs the owner had used to decorate the stock. I asked what it was doing on the wall. He told me the owner had brought it in and he'd given him twenty bucks for it on another shotgun.
He said the owner had told him what I'd said about junking the gun but, never the less, he ordered a new barrel from a gun parts catalog and fixed it himself. Told me he would easily make $150 or more on the deal. I told him I thought the gun was unsafe and he just shrugged and smiled.
Okay, I said, pay me for these guns I just brought back. He did and then I said, fix your own damned guns from now on or find another smith. I'm also going to type up a memo about this and put it in my files just in case someone gets mangled or killed firing that shotgun! I had no more dealings with the guy. I never heard of any shotgun blowups after that but who knows?
2. If you must, or feel you must, disassemble a gun, obtain the exploded view diagram for it first. You can get diagrams from NRA publications, gun parts catalogs, and most of the time a quick search with Google. A very important reason to have the diagram is the pins used in most guns. There are correct ways to take them out and put them back. In a diagram, pins are shown out and on one side or the other of the frame or major component. If the pin is on the left, that means it should be driven out from the right and put back from the left. Always drive out a pin in the correct direction because some are tapered or have serrations. Driving a pin out the wrong direction, or trying to, can cause some real damage. I know, I've had to repair many for too hasty customers.
3. Again, if you must and when taking a gun apart, have a cardboard box or two handy. Put the box on your bench and work inside it to catch springs. Murphy's law is always in play with gun springs. They will fly off (if they miss hitting you in the eye) and hide in the most hard to get to places in your garage, shop, kitchen, wherever. Over my years as a gunsmith, I've spent many hours crawling around with a flashlight to find errant springs.
4. Screwdrivers. Most gun screws have straight walls in their driving slots and gunsmith screwdrivers are also straight and not tapered as are wood screws and their drivers. Do NOT use a 'wood' screwdriver on guns other than perhaps an occasional stock screw. If you work on guns, spend a few bucks and buy a set of gunsmith screwdrivers. I prefer the type with interchangeable bits and magnetized so they stay in place.
5. Stuck screws. Most handymen/women have a drill press. It can be a best friend when you have a stuck or rusted in screw. Hold the gun or gun part in a vise or clamp it to the drill press table. Then firmly chuck the correct screwdriver bit in the press, lower it down into the screw slot, lean on the press handle, and turn the chuck with your other hand. This works for me just about every time. I've broken some real bears loose this way without damaging screw, gun, or component of a gun. Of course as soon as I determine the screw is stuck or rusted, I apply some penetrating oil and let it sit for a bit. Sometimes a bit of heat application with a propane torch will also help get a screw to cooperate. Just don't overheat.
6. Trying to lighten triggers. My advice---DON'T. Gunsmiths have gauges, special jigs, and money invested in fancy stones to work on sears. Hair triggers are alright for bench rest shooters and real experts, I guess, but they're damned dangerous for everyone else. I made it a policy years ago to NOT take triggers below three pounds for customers and I'll take it down that far only if I know them and how they handle their firearms. Polishing the interior parts other than the sear at all bearing/friction points usually does as much good as a trigger job and makes for a really smooth gun.
That's it for this one but will add another true tale about a stupid gun owner. This guy went out with his young son to hunt rabbits after a fairly heavy snow storm. There were occasional snow drifts and dad, from some unknown and idiotic impulse, says "Son, watch this." He proceeds to stick the barrel of his pump 12 gauge shotgun into a snow drift and fired it. Wow! Split the barrel for about a foot down one side and jammed the bolt big time. He brought the gun to me and I refused to repair it. Told him the receiver had been stressed too much and it wouldn't be safe.
At that time, I did the repair work for a local gun store. The owner, a bit of a weirdo, sold, bought, and traded, and had done some gunsmithing.
I took some repaired guns back to him and there on his wall for sale was that same shotgun. I recognized it from some brass studs the owner had used to decorate the stock. I asked what it was doing on the wall. He told me the owner had brought it in and he'd given him twenty bucks for it on another shotgun.
He said the owner had told him what I'd said about junking the gun but, never the less, he ordered a new barrel from a gun parts catalog and fixed it himself. Told me he would easily make $150 or more on the deal. I told him I thought the gun was unsafe and he just shrugged and smiled.
Okay, I said, pay me for these guns I just brought back. He did and then I said, fix your own damned guns from now on or find another smith. I'm also going to type up a memo about this and put it in my files just in case someone gets mangled or killed firing that shotgun! I had no more dealings with the guy. I never heard of any shotgun blowups after that but who knows?
ROTFL