Reader Forum

Enfield Bolt Heads I’ve read in the Speer Reloading Manual, No. 13 that there are replaceable bolt heads that come in three different lengths to correct improper headspace on British Lee-Enfield rifles. Do you know of any possible sources for these? According to our contacts at Speer, a former Canadian military armorer related the news of the bolt heads. Ordinarily, correcting headspace problems was a major arsenal-only operation.

To make it easier for lower-level post armorers to attempt a resolution, bolt heads numbered 1, 2, and 3 were issued. If none worked, the rifle still had to be returned to the major arsenal where barrels could be set back if complete bolts failed to cure the problem. No one we’ve spoken with can confirm a source for the bolt heads you want. We have heard, however, that they can often be found at gun shows.

We suspect that the closer to the Canadian border the show is held, the better your chances will be for finding these parts. Radom Restoration I would like to know if you have done any issue covering the Radom P-35. I’m trying my first full restoration job. The gun is not worth much, so my friend gave it to me to see if it could be fixed. I’m having trouble with the sear spring. When I slide the mainspring housing back into the frame, the sear spring does not stay seated against the sear and the disconnector.

Can you tell me how to solve this problem? Chris Hunter We haven’t done anything on the Radom, although full takedown instructions appear in the NRA Guide to Firearms Assembly, hard cover edition. The Radom design closely resembles the M1911. What you should do is make certain the base of the sear spring is seated in the grip frame, partially insert the mainspring housing to capture it in position, and then push the housing fully into the frame.

Win Mag-Tube Removal How do you remove the magazine tube from the receiver of the Model 1300 Winchester? Do the upper and lower plastic magazine guides need to be removed in order to accomplish this? If so, how is that done? Burt The magazine tube is press fit in the receiver. Are you familiar with the term "slide hammer?" Ideally, a slide hammer is a lead cylinder with a hole through the center that freely fits the tube but is smaller in diameter than the mag end cap.

The tool can be made of other materials, but lead does the least damage. After you make or borrow the slide hammer, get a spare end cap, swap it for the end cap on the tube, and secure the receiver upside down between protected vise jaws. With the barrel off, use a rubber or leather mallet to drive the tube into the receiver. This will free the throat(s). After retrieving it/them, the tube can be withdrawn.

When replacing the throat(s), slip the slide hammer over the tube’s receiver end, insert the tube in the receiver, position the throat piece(s) and pull the tube forward to capture it/them. Make certain it/they are properly positioned. Using one hand, repeatedly drive the slide hammer back against the substitute end cap to secure the assembly. Take care not to use excessive force with the slide hammer. Doing so will damage the tube’s external threads.

Also, use a block or square of hard wood in the ejection port of the receiver to prevent crushing in the Technical Assistance Hotline To access AGA’s Technical-Assistance Hotline, call between 1 and 3 p.m. ET, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday only. For assistance at all other times, you can send an email to Chick Blood, Technical Editor, at vise. The wood will not interfere with throat removal if it is kept clear of the mag-tube opening in the receiver. After reinstallation, check the function with dummy rounds.

It’s possible there may be interference between the carrier and the throat(s), in which case the preceding process for removal and installation will have to be repeated. Helwan Operation I have an Egyptian Helwan 9mm semi-automatic on the bench. It is new out of the box, and for a mass-produced third-world military/police weapon, is not bad, although it has lots of rough parts and tooling marks on the frame.

My research tells me that, for all intents and purposes, it is a Beretta Model 51, but the finish work is certainly not the same. My job was to smooth it up. The trigger was very stiff and had lots of drag. I polished all of the camming action, sear/hammer lock, trigger bar, hammer, and pins. The pull was much improved and smooth. The problem I have is as follows: I cycle the slide back to cock the gun, then put the safety on.

I can pull the trigger gently and the sear will not disconnect, but when I pull it real hard, the sear will disconnect but the safety will hold the hammer back. I then have to recock the hammer to reconnect the sear. After study, I can’t see how the safety can hold the sear from unlocking. What am I missing? It’s a good shooter, and I want the customer to have a safe weapon. As always, thanks for your help. Al Skuce The Helwan is an exact copy of the Beretta 951.

It was made in Egypt, so Arabic markings and production quality are the only differences.

(continued from previous page) The safety doesn’t act on the sear in the Helwan. It blocks the hammer. When the pistol is fully locked, the trigger bar forces the sear back to disengage the hammer. But if the safety is "on," the hammer will not fall. What you seem to have done with your "hard pull" is create a misfire condition so far as the gun is concerned. It is not a DA pistol. The hammer must be recocked manually and the safety "off" in order to fire. Universal M1?

I’ve read that the Universal "copy" of the M1 carbine is less than desirable, and some claim that it can be dangerous. The AGI video indicates the possibility of soft metal. There seems to be collectors for everything these days, but not for these guns. It seems they have little value. Do you have any comments regarding this carbine? Dave The problem of soft metal may not only exist in Universal-made carbines. One we know of, a former U. S.

Military model of Winchester manufacture, shattered its bolt face upon chambering around during one rapid-fire stage of a sanctioned National Match Course. Universal was one of many commercial M1 Carbine makers, the majority of whom are no longer in business. The same is true of a few of the 10 prime government contractors. By far, the largest number of military carbines (2,626,807) were made by the Inland Manufacturing Division of General Motors.

The smallest number (239) and arguably the most collectible were produced by Commercial Controls Corporation, formerly National Postal Meter. A key to quality, in our opinion, is whether the receiver is cast or machined from a solid block of steel as was the case with the Springfield, Inc. commercial models. For more information, we advise you to purchase a copy of Jerry Kuhnhausen’s The U. S. .30 Caliber Carbines – A Shop Manual (VSP Publishers, Box 887, Mc Call, ID 83638).

Greener Pastures I hope that you or your readers can help me with the origin or history on an old percussion single-shot shotgun I recently restored for a former police chief. It is marked: "FABB R IN TORINO." Attempts to get info through books and the internet have been futile. I also have a well-made, engraved double 12 gauge. It’s labeled "Albert Greener." I can find no information on this and letters to W. W. Greener in England have not been answered. N. L.

Barber We can tell you a Greener-type lock is a form of crossbolt conceived by the legendary W. W. Greener of London (circa 1800s). It’s identified by atop extension protruding from the chamber area into a fitted breechface recess, thereby significantly strengthening the locking mechanisms of break-open-type shoulder arms.

The Greener system remains in use today. (If you do indeed own a true Greener shotgun it may be worth considerable Yankee dollars.) Any information on the other shotgun must be sought from the NRA Museum (Waples Mill Road, Fairfax, VA 22030) with your query accompanied by photos of the gun. Additional information on Greener might be obtained from the same source or The Curator of Arms and Armor, Tower of London, London, England. And by the way, N.

L., we’re sorry we could not answer your question sooner and you had to wait for your question to appear here. But that’s because you didn’t provide a return address with your query. We ask all our readers to provide their names and return contact information when submitting questions or comments for this column. And while we’re on the subject of queries, we ask readers to avoid contacting the Technical Hotline for assistance in identifying a firearm.

You should first consult The Blue Book of Gun Values, Flaydermans, and The Standard Catalog of Firearms (Krause Publications). If you don’t find the information you seek in these sources, we suggest you send a letter with photos of the unidentified firearm to the NRA Museum. The Hotline can help you with many gunsmithing problems, but we are simply not equipped to help in identifying antique and unusual firearms.