Reader Forum

Gun Kote Bead Blasting In the August 06 issue of American Gunsmith, I noticed you discouraged blasting with glass beads as a preparation for Gun Kote finishes. Your rationale? I consider aluminum oxide a little too aggressive for blasting aluminum parts, and have been using glass beads for quite some time, albeit with the occassional chip in the finish after hard use.

After the glass-bead blast, I scrub the parts in hot soapy water, then rinse in boiling water, and always handle them with nitrile gloves, so if there is any residue, I’ve gone along way toward removing it. I have used a bake-on coating product from KG Industries, also called Gun Kote. I’m not sure if it’s the same stuff. I don’t recall reading anything advising against glass beads in their instructions. Perhaps I missed it.

Based on your depth of experience, maybe I’ll take it on faith and get some aluminum oxide, and reduce the air pressure or increase the distance to the part. But I’d be interested in your rationale nonetheless. Sam Burford Fremont, California The technique for applying the featured product was related to precision surfaces and the maintenance of very close tolerances. Hence, the advisory to use #2 or finer blasting sand and nothing coarser than 100-grit Alox.

Using mediumor fine-mesh glass beads in surface prep can cause the final finish to chip or peel. This might not present a problem other than cosmetic on a buttplate or triggerguard, but definitely would interfere with holding a critical dimension to the required thousandths. Sako Scope Rings I have a Sako Finnbear Model L61R rifle, serial number 6508. It has tapered, built-in dovetailed bases. I would like to know about the availability and where to buy factory rings for this particular rifle.

I would also like to know when this rifle was made and any other information you think might be useful. I find the content of your articles in AG very interesting and informative. Thank you. Your Finnbear was manufactured in Finland. In 2000, Beretta Holding Co. purchased Sako and presently distributes those products on this side of the pond through Beretta USA. We aren’t positive the Finnbear remains in the lineup, but you can call Beretta as a starting point in your search for information on scope rings.

Star PD Sight Replacement I’m an armorer with the San Carlos Police Department and not a gunsmith. I am a subscriber to American Gunsmith and have been a member for many years. We as police armorers are parts changers and not gunsmiths per se, but I enjoy your publication anyway. I have an officer in my department who carries a Star PD (.45 cal ) auto pistol as an off-duty weapon. He broke off the rear sight blade and purchased another blade from a parts supplier on the internet.

He brought the new rear sight blade and screw to me to install. My question is: How do you remove the rear sight assembly from the slide? Also how do I get the roll pin that holds the screw with the rear sight blade from the assembly? We don’t have any punches that are small enough. The pin appears to be the diameter of a #56 drill (.046 in. ) Is this something I should pursue or should I send the officer to a real gunsmith? Your help and advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Herman Woon San Carlos, California First, a schematic for the Star PD appears in Gun Digest’ s book of exploded handgun drawings. You should have one on hand. The roll pin you mention should be drifted out with the proper-diameter roll-pin punch (Brownells) to avoid damage to the pin. We always suggest drifting a roll pin only enough to release the part it retains and not removing it totally from any supporting structure. This makes reinstallation much easier and, again, lessens the prospect of damaging the pin.

You will also have to back out the rear-sight windage spindle. Don’t attempt to drift the entire assembly to the rear. You’ll wreck the elevation spring located in the slide just under the forward end of the rear sight. Snub-Nose Hi-Power? A client recently brought me a semiauto pistol for a cleaning. The only writing on it is "Fabrique Nationale D’Armes De Guerre Herstal Belgique" and "Browning’s Patent Depose." It has no model number or name.

On the barrel at the ejection port is written "cal 7m/m 65." The serial number is 39448. The front portion of the slide’ about 1 inch, including the frontsight’was taken off by the client. I’m assuming this is the reason I can’t disassemble it. It’s jammed. I can force the front portion with front sight back on the slide, but I still cannot disassemble it. I can move the slide only about 1/4 inch.

I was thinking that the only way I could try would be to push out all the pins including trigger, grip safety, and a couple of others. I also realize this may make matters worse. Sorry for the convoluted description, but I don’t have much to go on. I can’t find anything in any of my books that looks similar. Thank you. We think you have a Browning Hi- Power, Belgian made, and we hope you find a polite way to admonish its owner for cutting off the pistol’s nose.

Hopefully, you can disassemble it eventually by referring to the NRA Guide to Firearm Assembly or Gun Digest’s book dedicated to the disassembly/reassembly of pistols. Failing that, take the grips off the gun and toss it into a deep pan of mineral spirits or white kerosene. Flush the weapon out frequently to

clear it of loosened deposits, blow it dry, and lightly lube it inside and out. Of course, the ultimate solution might be to inform the owner that the pistol has to be returned to Browning for anew slide and whatever other changes are required to make it serviceable again’and all costs are on him. Shotgun Suggestion I’ve been a member for a number of years and really enjoy your monthly publication. I look forward to receiving it and feel I gain a great deal of information from the articles.

I would like to suggest that consideration be given to including articles on shotguns that are used in competition: in particular, the shotguns favored for ATA, NSSA, sporting clays, and Olympic trap and skeet (to name a few, Perazzi, Krieghoff, Browning, Beretta, and SKB). These shotguns are not covered in the "assembly" books published by the NRA or other publications.

I think you would find a great deal of interest among the membership because shooters who use the aforementioned shotguns shoot a lot and their shotguns require many repairs and routine adjustments. Moreover, these shooters are always looking for ways to improve their firearms to avoid missing those targets. A lot of those older guns need their forcing cones elongated, triggers smoothed up, locking mechanisms tuned/adjusted, and so forth. Thanks for a great publication and keep up the good work.

Thanks for a good suggestion, Dan. A series on competition shotguns is in the works even as you read this. It will begin with a Remington Premier Trap model, include at least one Beretta, plus the Kreighoff and Perazzi. One reason the latter two shotguns haven’t appeared sooner is their cost. Both start out with a suggested retail price in excess of $4,500, and can run to $10,000 or more. We’ve always believed that most of our readers tend to shy away from working on competition shotguns with such high price tags.

You’ve changed our minds to a point, but please don’t ask us to tackle a Purdey or Holland & Holland best double. Charter Arms Conversion I had a Charter Arms Pit Bull 9mm Fed. five-shot (serial #1068926) come into my shop. Seeing that 9mm Fed. is a obsolete ammo, can this gun be converted to .38 Special or some other modern ammo? Or is there a moon clip available that uses 9mm Luger? Thank you. Charter made the Pit Bull back in the 1980s to fire the Federal 9mm.

The ammo and subsequently the revolver were discontinued. Yes, Charter can convert it to .38 Special. You can call Charter Arms in Connecticut at Powder Coat Disadvantages Your powder coating article in the March 06 issue neglected to address the disadvantages of powder coating. As a commercial applicator of thinfilm polymer coatings specializing in firearms refinishing, we also have a custom powder-coating business.

Where typical polymer coatings are applied from .0003 to .0007 inch thick, the factory-recommended powder coating thickness is from .003 to .005 inch. This is 4 to 17 times thicker than polymer coatings and is too thick where tight tolerances are required. In addition, power coatings do not have the anti-friction additives found in thin-film Teflon and moly coatings. When cleaning a powder-coated Technical Assistance Hotline To access AGA’s Technical-Assistance Hotline, call between 1 and 3 p.m.

ET, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday once at all dan email to Chick Blood, Technical Editor, at weapon, you have to be very selective as to what cleaner you use. Many solvents will dissolve powder coatings. When preparing parts for powder coating, it is recommended that the parts be heated to 220 degrees for 15 minutes and allowed to cool, prior to application of the powder.

This allows any moisture that may be trapped in cavities or pores to flash off before it is painted so the gas doesn’t blow holes through the coating after the powder melts. As with all coatings, a phosphate conversion prior to application is strongly recommended, as this will enhance corrosion resistance and promote adhesion of the coating.

For reliability, corrosion resistance, and ease of cleaning, I personally recommend thin-film polymer or ceramic coatings, which can be applied to all surfaces, including threads. Ollie Daw Elberta, Alabama Good points, Ollie. Thank you. L. C. Smith Restoration I have an old L. C. Smith double barrel, 12-gauge, hammered shotgun. It is not in good condition. I need an exploded view. Also, I need a right hammer and the retaining screw. Can you help me? There are no drawings on the early L. C.

Smith or Hunter Arms exposedhammer shotguns. The L. C. Smith hammer guns used Damascus barrels until 1919, when Royal Steel barrels replaced them. If your gun has Damascus barrels, modern high-brass loads could easily unwind them. We suggest you send a photo of the gun plus information on any markings it

(continued from previous page) bears to the NRA Museum (Waples Mill Rd., Fairfax, VA 22030). Include a self-addressed, stamped return envelope. If the reply comes back indicating that your gun does have Damascus barrels, there’s a chance it still may be possible to restore it to usable condition by installing Briley fulllength tubes.

This would require a reduction in gauge (for example, your 12 gauge would have to become a 28, 20, 16, or even 410), but you wouldn’t have to worry about the barrels breaking open on you. You didn’t mention whether your Smith was a percussion gun. If so, that could complicate matters further on the Briley conversion. Colt Challenger Assembly I received a Colt Challenger in pieces from a friend. With some help, I finally got the firearm back together. But for some reason there is no tension on the trigger.

The hammer is cocked but the pistol will not fire. I thought at first I had the trigger spring on the wrong pin, but it only seems to fit in one place. I do not have any disassembly/assembly instructions. As you can see I am not a gunsmith, just someone who enjoys firearms and once in awhile tries to help a friend. But now, I’m the one in need of help. John Smith Phoenix, Arizona Your Challenger is a post-war version of the Colt Woodsman Target Model.

The Challenger was discontinued in 1955, but if you purchase a copy of Gun Digest’ s book of disassembly/ reassembly instruction for auto pistols (Krause Publications; you’ll find applicable instructions along with similar information on 72 popular pistols and 250 of their variations. Building a Takedown Rifle I am looking for information on how to build a takedown rifle. I would like to use a 1903 Springfield rifle with a wood stock, but I’m not sure how the barrel, action, and stock fit together.

Pictures of takedown rifles that I have seen have a plate between the two stock halves that locks together with what looks like aside-by-side shotgun latch. Any information you can provide would be appreciated. Thanks. We’ve heard that a few ’03 Springfields were transformed into takedown models back in 1920 or 1930.

As we understand it, the necessary work was performed by Griffin & Howe, Inc., formerly custom gunsmiths/gunmakers to the well-to-do at the original Abercrombie and Fitch on Madison Avenue in New York City. G&His presently located in Bernardsville, New Jersey. We haven’t spoken with anyone there regarding how the task was accomplished.

Perhaps, as was done with some Mauser rifles similarly converted, the receiver was internally machined to accept a lugged barrel and the barrel reworked from the shoulder rearward to provide such a lug. It could thereby be turned in or out quite easily to separate the barrel from the action. You might want to discuss your project with the G&H people or you could call the Custom Gunmakers Guild for a referral to one of their master metalsmiths.

In our opinion, however, it would be more economical and equally satisfactory in terms of appearance and accuracy to sporterize the Springfield ’03 by ridding it of its military wood and pillar bedding the barreled action in a high-quality one-piece stock. Once that’s been accomplished, all you would have to do is remove the stock to have a "takedown" less than half the size of the original. Mossberg Parts I’m looking for that needle in the hay stack.

I’ve been looking for a lever (part #1351) for a Mossberg 402 .22 caliber. Awhile back, I talked to a gentleman named Lee from Texas, but I’ve forgotten his telephone number and address. Then, last year at the SHOT Show, I talked to a rep from Mossberg and she said that Lee has got a lever for the 42 and was going to make some, but again I don’t have anyway to contact him. Would you happen to know how to get in touch with someone named Lee who specializes in Mossberg parts?

I’ve been a member of AGA since 1995, and have all the publications from 1991 on. Sometimes they have gotten me out of the fire. Thank you again for a great publication. Joe Pioche, Nevada We don’t know who Lee is, but we’re surprised the factory rep didn’t tell you to call Vic Havlin at the Mossberg Collector’s Association. If anyone has the part, he does, or he knows where you can get it. Oh, and don’t forget to take notes during your conversation.