Reader Forum

Stevens Favorite Drawings? I have a question regarding the Stevens Favorite 1915 .22 rifle. The extractor plunger works against the breach-block screw to hold the lever up in place when the gun is in battery. As the lever is lowered to open the action, it cams against the breach-block screw to force back the extractor. I cannot get the action to work properly. If the extractor works, the lever keeps falling down when the action is closed.

It would seem to me that there is a certain pair of angles that need to be incorporated on the end of the extractor plunger to make it work properly. Do you have a diagram of those angles? Or can you just tell me how in the heck to make them work right? I’m stumped—and I hate it when this happens. (I’m looking at the diagram on page 2176 of Jack First’s catalog, volume II).

Also, since there are a bunch of these older rifles out there, do you know of anyone who is making replacement parts such as extractors for them? Stu The best sectional diagram of the Stevens action we’ve seen appears in Single Shot Rifles and Actions by Frank de Haas. It should be available from DBI books, a current imprint of Krause Publishing. Replacement parts sources could be provided by Rudi Prusok, who is the archivist for the American Single Shot Rifle Association.

You can contact Rudi at or at Part Sources I’m having difficulties finding parts for a Star, Model 31P in .40 S&Was well as for a Virginian Dragoon, in .44 Rem. Mag. Can you suggest places where these parts might be found? Thank you. Grant A. You should try Jack First and get a copy of Brownells Parts Source List for out-of-production firearms. The Dragoon would be easier to chase down if we knew the importer, but Dixie Gun Works may be able to help you out.

Malfunctioning SAR-3 A client brought in a SAR-3 that jams with the bolt back about every third round. The bolt moves to the rear and is then rotated clockwise (looking toward the muzzle) until the left locking lug is fully exposed above the left receiver rail. The recoil spring then jams the piston/bolt carrier forward into the hammer. Any suggestions? J. R. The problem is due in part to the short bolt head of the SAR-3.

It has a tendency to be pushed up by the hammer, because it receives little or no support from the slide rail. A possible solution would be to tighten the slide rail by squeezing the receiver. The best solution would be to ship the gun to Fairfax Firearm Repairs Fairfield, VT 05455). This shop has had a great deal of experience with this Rumanian rifle, and probably won’t hit the pocketbook too hard for the fix. Browning Auto-5 Cycling I have a Browning A-5 that wouldn’t eject after firing.

I replaced the wear rings and spring, and it now ejects properly, but it doesn’t recock the hammer. The second round won’t fire. I can eject by hand and reload another round out of the magazine and it will shoot, eject, and reload, but won’t fire. Can you help? George First, are the friction rings properly installed for the loads being used? Even though they no longer make the gun, if you are unsure about the friction rings, Browning can provide an Auto-5 owner’s manual describing the correct setup.

Second, is it possible the hammer is not releasing from the safety notch upon recoil? This can be caused by burrs in the safety notches on the hammer or trigger, a weak or broken trigger spring, or a loose mainspring screw. Carry Colt I have a question: I own and love five Colt and clone M1911 .45 ACPs. I’m looking for a lighter, smaller version to carry, and want to stay as close as possible to the original in trigger/sear/ hammer parts and basic strip-down and the simple safety that I’m familiar with.

What are your top three suggestions to buy, new or used? We know Springfield, Inc., makes a polymer-frame model called the XD, but we aren’t certain it is offered in other than DA only.

Kimber might also make a polymer-frame M1911-style, but the Kimber isn’t exactly the same mechanically as the customary Colt or Colt clone, nor are the Para Ordnance M1911-style pistols. (There will be articles on both variations in future issues.) If you want a dead ringer for the M1911, only smaller, we suggest you check out the Officer’s Models. Colt Sharps Takedown I have a problem with a Colt Sharps single-shot rifle action that a customer brought me after having removed the lever pin.

Now there’s no way to remove either the lever or the breechblock. It’s as though something is broken or jammed inside where I can’t get at it, or perhaps I’m not aware of some esoteric disassembly procedure that the Colt company shared only with initiated gunsmiths. Can you offer any suggestions? Rudi Our research, though not performed in great depth, turned up nothing on a Colt variation of "Old Reliable." An article on the Sharps appeared in the February 1997 issue, a reprint of

which may still be available. In any case, you can still get into the gun by partially backing out both sideplate screws and tapping their heads to dislodge the opposite sideplate. After that, remove the stock to expose the back end of the action. Still present on the gun should be a lever-spring screw. Backing it off relieves tension on the lever. Red Label Problem I have a Ruger Red Label in my shop. My customer has been having problems with it not firing.

I found that the inertia block and sear-selector assembly was hanging back and not engaging the sears. The spring is not broken. I noticed that the pin on the safety thumb-piece is dragging on the inside of the ears on the sear selector when it is pushed sideways to select a barrel. Is that normal? It seems to me that the dragging would impede the movement of the sear selector, but is that how it is meant to work? I’m not sure what purpose the inertia block serves on this gun.

Can you tell me how this assembly and all of the associated parts are intended to operate? Thank you. Steve Starting with the latter part of your query: The inertial block in O/U single-trigger shotguns is a major safety measure. It eliminates simultaneous discharge of both barrels when recoil causes an inadvertent second pull of the trigger. This unintentional "double tap" has to be either wasted or blocked in some manner.

In one well-known O/U, the trigger is blocked against the second, invol untary pull, then the block is swung out of the way by a spring. The next trigger pull, being a deliberate one, fires the second barrel. Due to its position in the Red Label action, we believe the block reacts with the sears rather than the trigger. In a phone call we made, Ruger would neither confirm nor deny this or your diagnosis. "There are so many possibilities we will not advise corrective measures by phone.

Even here, there are few people qualified to work with the Red Label. The gun should be sent to us in Newport," we were told. You may have to end up doing just that, but first you might want to check out the inertial block for a weak or damaged part in its return system. If you discover something, a replacement might resolve the problem. That is, assuming the part isn’t restricted. Doubling SKS I’m the owner of a Chinese-made SKS rifle with a 16-inch barrel. I bought it used, but have had no problems until now.

I have fired about 200 rounds through it. Recently, it began to double as it approached the last few rounds in the magazine. What can cause this, and is there a cure? I also read that the SKS is prone to slam fire.

I would also like to know what can cause a slam fire and if there is a correction. (I’ve not had this problem yet.) Lloyd Mc Farland Big Bear City, California Doubling with the SKS can be caused by excessive lubrication in the sear grooves or on the triggerguard guide lugs; dirt in the firing mechanism; or a damaged sear, hammer notches, or disconnector. Due to the questionable quality of the metal used by our "friends" on the far side of Taiwan, the latter parts have been known to wear easily.

Before replacing all of them, clean the gun of any excess lubrication. The slam fire can occur as a result of an overlength firing pin and a properly seated primer, or a normally protruding firing pin and a high primer. This is true of any rifle—not just the SKS—and high primers are present more frequently, as you would 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 expect, with reloads. MAS Slamfire I recently purchased a French MAS 45/56 rifle in 7.5×54 mm. I took the rifle to the range to try it out. Concerned about the minimum range the sights allowed, I posted a target at 50 yards. Using a bench rest and directing the muzzle down range, I inserted a single cartridge in the magazine and released the locked back bolt. The rifle fired on bolt closure.

Surprise would be an understatement. I searched for the fired cartridge case—I wanted very much to see that case—but could not find it among the many on the ground. Examining the rifle, I could find no evidence of damage; and as no gas had escaped to the rear, I felt reasonably safe to try again. The same thing happened again—with the exception of finding the fired cartridge case. The case was scarred by the bolt extractor but still usable.

The primer had a very light firing-pin mark surrounded by a circle that appeared slightly deeper. I took the rifle home and disassembled it. I could find nothing wrong. Thinking I might have a worn or broken sear, I released the bolt several times on an empty chamber. The rifle remained cocked on each occasion.

The circle mark around the firing pin appeared to match the size of the firing-pin hole in the bolt face, but the light firing-pin mark on the fired case’s primer did not suggest the hammer had followed the bolt into the battery position. I therefore do not believe the fault rests with the sear or hammer. These same cartridges, made by Manacles De Arms Limeira, were fired the same day in a MAS 36/51 bolt-action rifle. They proved accurate, and the fired cases showed no sign of excessive pressure.

Not being a gunsmith, the only thing I could think of was ahead

(continued from previous page) space problem. During cleaning, I discovered the bolt had a different serial number than the rest of the rifle. The rifle has obviously been reconditioned, and I suppose an error could have occurred. I am hoping your staff of experienced sages can either confirm my suspicion or enlighten me as to the real cause of this phenomenon. On a related matter: Do you have a list of competent gunsmiths that I could consult in my area (St. Louis, Missouri)?

Thank you for your kind attention to my problem. Gregory G. The firing-pin system of the 45/56 is free floating. Due to the high position of primer pockets on non-military ammunition, slam fires can and do occur. The problem can be resolved in some cases by adjusting firing-pin protrusion to .045 inch minimum and .055 max. If you’re having problems after the adjustment and a switch to military ammo, we suggest you contact He’s had a ton of experience with the MAS, among others. As far as a St.

Louis gunsmith is concerned, we suggest you call Brownells and see if they have a referral for you. Comanche Revolver I have a .357-caliber Comanche 111 revolver that the customer wants to have Parkerized. I’ve done several pistols in the past, but I can’t figure out how to remove the cylinder from the yoke. Chris Conlon KRC The current importer faxed usa schematic of the revolver. It appears to be an S&W clone, with a few differences.

To remove the cylinder and yoke completely, back out the screw on the front right side of the frame. Swing out the cylinder, move it and the crane out toward the muzzle. Now use two pairs of pliers with padded jaws. Grip the ejector rod with one pair and the ejector knob with the other. Loosen by turning counterclockwise. Finish unscrewing the ejector rod and pull it from the cylinder. Depress the plunger at the end of the crane, then drift out its cross pin, and remove the crane from the front end of the cylinder.

We recommend you order in a complete set (five volumes) of Gun Digests’ series on disassembly/reassembly of firearms. There’s one each for rimfire rifles, centerfire rifles, shotguns, revolvers, and semi-autos. Remington Action I have a Remington Model 31 in my shop for repair. When cycling the action, the action-bar lock is not releasing from the slide after firing.

In other words, when I cycle the action (without ammo) the gun goes into battery just fine, but when I dry fire it I have to depress the action-bar lock to recycle the action. The same results occur when the gun is loaded and test fired; the action-bar lock has to be depressed to cycle the next round. Isn’t the trigger supposed to cam the action-bar lock to allow recycling the action without depressing the action-bar lock? What are your suggestions for repair?

For whatever it’s worth, the serial # is in the 550,000 range, meaning the gun was manufactured between 1941 and 1949, prior to replacement by the 870. I know that changes were made to the action-bar lock in this last production series of the Model 31, but I don’t know what they were. Your thoughts would be appreciated. Jim Diagnosing problems with a 60-yearold gun can be pure guesswork without examining the gun.

In concert with our contacts at Remington, however, we suspect a weak or otherwise damaged action-bar lock spring. It may be very difficult to find one, but we suggest you start your search by calling Pennsylvania Gun Parts at Win Barrel Removal I would like to know how to remove the barrel on the Winchester Model 190 .22-caliber rifle. Thank you for your assistance. Winfield As you may know, this rifle has been out of production since 1980.

The barrel screws into the receiver and the detail-stripped receiver must be supported with a hardwood block to prevent deformation under the pressure to be exerted. The barrel is secured in a barrel vise and the receiver unscrewed from the barrel. Brownells offers a receiver wrench available with jaw blanks you can form to fit your receiver. Wrench jaws can also be fabricated from wood, brass, or lead. Whatever you use, support of the receiver is a high-priority concern in barrel removal.