Reader Forum

Whitney Barrel Found? I read Dave Yager’s letter in the November 06 Reader Forum, and noted that he is looking for a Whitney Barrel. If he sends me an email, I might be able to help him out. Regarding Dave Yager’s search for an Eli Whitney barrel: The Dixie Gun Works catalog states that they have "the last remaining stock of Whitneyville Armory pistol parts from the old E. Whitney Corporation." This may be a source worth checking. Douglas E. Bates Singers Glen, Virginia Thanks, Dan and Douglas, for the info.

M742 Gas Nozzle Diameters Where can I find the proper gas-nozzle inside diameter for the different Remington Model 742 rifle calibers? Thank you. The 740/742 orifice and nozzle diameters can be determined by number drill size. The first number in the calibers that follow is the orifice drill, while the second is the nozzle drill: .30-’06: #44, #39; .280 Rem: #49, #44; .308 Win: #33, #30; 6mm Rem: #48, #44; .243 Win: #48, #44. .22 Conversion Units I have some questions and comments about .22 conversion units.

The first question concerns an original Colt with the floating chamber. It’s a collector’s piece, and I have not shot it for years. There are no repair parts available, and when the floating chamber burns out there is no reasonable repair. The second question is about the Ceiner conversion. I like it; it is fairly accurate and reliable; but it’s finicky about ammo. It likes Remington Cyclone best, and will not work with any hollowpoint. It uses a proprietary magazine and will not stay open after the last shot.

The third one is a Jarvis conversion. It’s reliable, fairly accurate, and is not as picky about ammo. It doesn’t like CCI Mini-Mags for some reason. Best of all, it uses Colt magazines and stays open after the last shot. None of these, in my opinion, will deliver competitive target accuracy. Their best use is for practicing with a 1911 for developing the muscle memory for IPSC/IDPA-type shooting without the expense of .45 ACP ammo.

If I wanted an accurate .22 for pure target work, I would buy one that would give me that level of accuracy. What’s your take on the subject? The Ceiner requires the use of highvelocity .22 ammo’not the best choice for target use. The Jarvis is probably set up for standard velocity, would short cycle with hotter rounds, and would likely jam or smoke-stack as a result. The best, most accurate .22 conversion for the M1911 was designed and produced by Fred Kart noted manufacturer of match barrels for the .45.

In spite of our protests and pleas, he no longer makes the conversion but may know of someone who has one and is willing to sell it. We assure you the purchase price will not be cheap. A couple of years ago, we reviewed a .22 conversion by Bob Marvel which was very close to the Kart, and shot like it, with .22 LR Standard Velocity. We’ve been unable to reach him to see if it is still available.

However, we have noticed a similar conversion from Bill Wilson that you can check out at We haven’t ordered one for an article and review yet, but Wilson is known for producing "really good stuff." Browning Misfires I have a Browning Model BL-22 lever action. It misfires about once every 15 to 30 rounds. If you cock the hammer after the misfire, it will fire the round.

I thought perhaps the brand of ammunition was the problem (Aguila 20grain subsonic), but I switched to CCI CB Long (subsonic) and the same thing happens. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you. Browning lists two causes for your problem that are not ammo-related: One is a broken firing pin, and the other is a failure of the sear link to make contact with the sear. We suggest you replace the firing pin, and check for a bent cocking lever. If the latter is bent, replace it.

Also check to see if the cocking-lever screw needs to be filed down; it maybe preventing the lever from completely cocking the rifle. Remington 870 Sight Removal Please assist me with a simple problem. On an 870 Express with a vent rib, how do I remove the front sight for replacement? It looks like it just unscrews. Is it Loc-Tited? Use mild heat? Your problem isn’t quite so simple. The bead front sights on the 870 have been press fit to the rib since the 1960s. And "press fit" is an understatement, in our opinion.

It’s more like the blasted things are riveted in place. The key to removal is to support the barrel and rib to prevent crushing. One approach we’ve used is to insert a dowel filling the first 8 inches or so of the barrel, with a small wooden wedge slipped under a rib opening near the sight. Then secure the barrel between protected vise jaws, with one jaw of the vise bearing on the rib and the other on the barrel. The bead to be removed needs to extend clear of the jaws.

After taping apiece of cardboard atop the rib (to prevent scratching or scuffing), clamp on to the bead at its base with wire-cutting pliers. While squeezing firmly, lever the pliers upward to free the bead. Regardless of how you attack the bead, the supportive measures must be fol-

lowed. Otherwise, prying up on the bead could separate the rib from the barrel. Once the bead is removed, the hole it left behind can be tapped to accept the threads of a replacement sight. Winchester Stock Replacement I have a Buffalo Bill Commemorative with a defective stock that has caused the gun to rust on the upper and lower tang. Numrich Gun Parts Corp. has a commemorative stock to replace a John Wayne commemorative. Will this stock work on the B. B.?

And also how do you get the medallion off the old stock without damage? We’re not sure howa defective stock can cause rifle tangs to rust, but if your commemorative is the same base model as the John Wayne, the stock is likely to be interchangeable. (We believe all Winchester commemoratives were based on the Model 1894 rifle or carbine.) We’re also not sure how the medallion was affixed. Some had studs on the back and were pressed in, while others were epoxied in place.

And, unfortunately, we were unable to reach anyone at U. S. Repeating Arms regarding exactly how the Buffalo Bill medallion was installed. (In view of what’s transpired with Winchester in New Haven, the failure in making contact with an informed, live person is understandable.) If possible, we suggest you remove and repair the original stock, carefully cleaning the rust from the tangs without damaging the underlying finish, and reinstalling the original stock.

Anything else you do will likely lessen any value it may hold. Hamilton Single-Shot I have a .22 single-shot rifle that was my grandfather’s. He used it to finish off the pigs he sold from the farm and had cut the barrel down to 7 inches. I know little to nothing else about it or its manufacturer, and would appreciate any information you can provide including the value of the gun. The following information is stamped on the barrel: The Hamilton Rifle #27, .22 Cal, Patented October 1900 – August 13 1907. MFD by C.

J. Hamilton & Son, Plymouth, Michigan, USA. Thank you Kenneth Bash Indiana, Pennsylvania The rifle was made between 1900 and 1911. The company ceased operations in 1945 after producing a million or so of these single-shots. The rifle, as cut down by your grandfather, is illegal. BATF specifies 16-inch minimum barrel length for a rifle. In its present condition, it’s probably worth no more than a hundred bucks. We recommend you remove the firing pin and retain the rifle as a keepsake.

Restoring Old Muzzleloaders Maybe you can help me. I have two muzzleloading shotguns’a W. & C. Scott & Son and a J. H. Johnson. I need to know the finish on the barrel, trigger guard, etc. The two guns were in a barn for who knows how many years. Both have a coat of rust on them. They will become wall hangers when restored. Thanks. We spent quite awhile scouring The Gun Traders Guide and Flayderman’s Guide to Antique Firearms looking for any mention of your shotguns’ makers and came up empty.

Perhaps the NRA Museum would be able to pin them down, but if the shotguns are as ancient as we think they are, getting specific details on their finish might not be possible. Old-time gunsmiths frequently used home-brewed solutions to blue or brown their metal, and most kept 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 their personal formulas to themselves.

In your case, even if the formula was known, duplicating it would involve deciphering the names of the chemicals employed and trying to find modern equivalents. For example, one formula we came across called for "muriate of mercury [whatever that is] dissolved in alcohol [which kind not specified] plus a pint of water and a little whitening." It was applied, allowed to dry, wiped off, and reapplied over a twoor three-day period to produce "a beautiful brown finish on inferior barrels.

Since you have wisely chosen to use these guns as decoration, we suggest you remove the rust, polish the metal, apply a commercially available browning or cold-bluing solution on the metal components, and rub a good quality wax into the stocks. Then enjoy the gasps of admiration from those viewing your accomplishment. Stevens Model 250 Parts I have a Stevens s/s double-barrel shotgun with serial number 2803 on the left-hand lock assembly.

It’s a rabbit-ear gun I bought several years ago and just put in the gun safe and forgot about until now. I am a gunsmith, but have never seen one of these before. I need to find a stock and a complete forearm wood and metal. Talk over your stock needs with Boyds Gunstock Industries and check with The Small Arms Shop regarding the metal. Browning Trigger Job Have you ever written an article on trigger work on a Browning BL-22? I bought a used one a few years ago. It’s

(continued from previous page) in beautiful shape (Grade 1, I think), but the trigger varies from 6-1/2 to 8 pounds! I even left it at a shop with a "certified Browning Repair technician" with instructions to lower the pull to 3-1/2 to 4 pounds. After five weeks, they called and told me to come and get my rifle; they couldn’t or wouldn’t do anything. I guess Mother Browning is worried about liability. Any advice would be helpful. Thanks.

There’s an article on the Browning BL-17, almost a ringer for the BL-22, in the February 06 issue. It doesn’t get into the details of reducing trigger pull, but if you study your rifle with the article at hand a few possibilities will present themselves. The first would be to contact Wolffe Springs to see if they offer a reduced-power trigger/sear spring. You can also polish the interface between the hammer and sear, being extremely careful not to alter the engagement angles.

Next, brightly polish the sides of the firing pin and the slot it rides. (Polishing of the firing pin, its firing-pin spring or guide, and the bolt tunnel in which they ride is known to speed up lock time in many lever actions.) We’re not surprised to hear about the position taken by the Browning technician. If he reduced the trigger pull below factory specifications, Browning would yank his certification.

Years ago, manufacturers were adding $65 to the wholesale cost of a firearm to cover the cost of liability insurance. We can only guess what that cost is today. All manufacturers are worried about liability, and you don’t have to be a manufacturer to be counted among the concerned. If you work on other peoples’ guns, you take almost as high a risk if an injury occurs. The gunsmith is simply farther down on the list to be sued because their pockets aren’t as deep as those of a large corporation. L. C.

Smith Restoration I’m restoring an old L. C. Smith, hammered, double-barreled, 12-gauge. The serial number is 142103. Could you tell me where I could get an exploded view of the gun, and whether it’s possible to get a replacement right hammer? Also, is there a reliable value if the gun is shootable? Thanks. According to the Blue Book of Gun Values, no hammer models were made after 1898 (serial number 58,000, Fulton, NY). Additionally, the book indicates that all hammer models were fitted with Damascus barrels.

Fitting your gun with Briley fulllength tubes in a smaller gauge to allow the safe use of modern loads in Damascus barrels would reduce the collector value of the gun to somewhere between absolute minimum and zero. We haven’t noticed it in their catalog, but Dixie Gun Works may have a replacement hammer. The other possibility is to contact the L. C. Smith Collector’s Association The association would also be the folks to ask regarding value.

No one is presently building reproductions of the hammer models, and we doubt a schematic exists. But, for what it’s worth, there’s a schematic of a hammerless double (sidelock) in Jack First’s catalog, Volume II. Colt Lightning Schematic? I’m looking for a schematic for the Colt Lightning Rifle, in the small frame .22 caliber. All of my books are for the mediumand large-frame rifles. Can you tell me where I can find a parts schematic (assembly/disassembly) for the small frame?

I recently bought a receiver, and I’m trying to get all the parts to assemble the rifle. Thank you for you time. Jack First Inc. shows a schematic of the Colt Lightning .22 pump rifle in Volume II of their catalog of parts. We’re sending you a copy by mail, but we can’t be sure Jack First will have all the parts you need. We’ve been told that the take-down procedure for the small-frame rifle isn’t all that different from that of the large frame Lightnings that show up in older NRA Shoulder Arm assembly guides.

You’ll be interested to know that Taylors & Company will soon be distributing a Colt Lightning reproduction, and we’ll be doing an article on it as soon as we can get our hands on one. Whether it will be a largemediumor small-frame rifle, we can’t say for sure at this time. We also don’t know whether the parts will be interchangeable. Hopefully, the Taylor rifle will be a small frame and interchangeability will present no problem. Otherwise, we wish you luck; the small-frame Lightning hasn’t been made since 1904.