Reader Forum

Also as I was searching my back issues I remembered the "Gun Clinics." I miss those articles, and always looked forward to them while I was on deployment in the Army. Rob Mueller Phoenix, Arizona Unfortunately, since we work three months in advance, there’s no way we can include anything "in the next issue." But we’ll try to help if we can. Do you know whether your 760 is an old or new design? You may have to call Remington with the serial number to answer that question.

There were design changes in the 760 since the original field-service manual was written in 1952. Our manual doesn’t include instructions from the ’52 manual, and only addresses the changes. The good news is that takedown instructions for the earlier design appears in the NRA Guide to Assembly for Shoulder Arms. If your rifle is a newer model, get back to us and we can fill you in on the changes made in the newer version. Reassembling the Original P85 I’ve been a subscriber for more than 15 years.

A recent article about smoothing the action on the Ruger P85 intrigued me enough to try it. Unfortunately, I’m unable to get the gun back together. I tried Gun Digest’s book on assembly/disassembly of automatic pistols (2nd edition), but they cover the second rendition of the P-85 and newer. I have an "original" P-85, and there is no "hollow pivot" in the sear, only the pin that goes from frame to frame, and everything falls apart when that pin is removed.

My difficulty lies in trying to replace everything, specifically the connection to the "disconnector" that enables the slide and barrel to be removed from the frame. Do you have an instruction book that would help me on this, or a DVD that will show me how to replace it? Do I need any special tools? Or can you reference an article in American Gunsmith that I can look at?

The springs are strong enough that my thumbs are complaining, and I seem to need a third hand in there (smaller than mine) to manipulate the connection to the disconnector. Otherwise, I’ve been successful with everything else. Thanks for your assistance. In the early history of the P85, a single accidental discharge on a firing line occurred. Being the responsible manufacturer that he was, William B. Ruger recalled all the pistols.

Extensive testing and attempts to duplicate the existing conditions never produced another accidental discharge, but the pistol was redesigned, reworked, and reintroduced to the market as the P85 Mark II. In that pistol, there was a sear-pivot bearing and the "hollow pivot" to which you refer, through which the sear pin is inserted. Unfortunately, the original P85 wasn’t around long enough to get into any of the usual reference books on the subject.

If it had, the individual taking down the pistol would have been instructed to push out the sear pin with a drift, leave the drift in place, then push out the drift with a slave pin that would maintain the sear assembly as a unit while still allowing its removal from the frame. According to the schematics of the P85 and P85 Mark II we have on file, there is no "disconnector" per se listed.

We assume, then, you are referring to the slide stop, which enables field stripping of the pistol when pulled away (but not detached) from the frame. Later on in J. B. Wood’s instructions, you’re told how to remove the slide stop from the frame by lifting the slide-stop spring free of its groove in the stop stem. As for special tools, there are none. The pistol can be completely disassembled and reassembled with commonly available drift punches and a very small flat-blade screwdriver.

The screwdriver is used for lifting the slidestop spring off the stop during takedown and for moving the spring out of the way temporarily during reinstallation of the slide stop. Unless AGI has added a video on the P85 that we’re not aware of, we suggest you study the photo of the fully assembled sear unit in the Gun Digest book, fabricate a solid slave pin to span it, and reassemble the back end of the frame per the photo. Hopefully, this will solve your problem.

Abused S&W I have a 10-year-old Smith & Wesson Model 629 4-inch that’s had some abuse. I’ve corrected the bent center pin, replaced the stripped treaded parts of the extractor and center pin, and I’ve straightened the yoke barrel. I also installed two .002 yoke-barrel spacers to get the correct barrel-tocylinder spacing and regain the proper headspacing. With the cylinder out of the frame, the action works perfectly.

But with the cylinder installed, the hand either won’t pass the top edge of the extractor ratchet (on any chamber) or something is binding. The cylinder stop works correctly. The problem occurs in both SA and DA. The hammer will not go though the full arc to come to full cock and engage the sear. What am I not seeing? Any advice or help will be appreciated. Don E. Stradley Farmington, Maine "Some abuse" is a gross understatement. First thing, swing out the cylin-

(continued from previous page) der and spin it rapidly with two fingers. If it wobbles, it probably means the center pin or yoke is still bent. Second thing, the hand may be too long or you could be cursed with high ratchets. You can file and stone the hand shorter’in very small increments’constantly checking your progress with reinstallation of the part and cycling of the revolver. High ratchets are another matter. For them you need an action tool that reforms them.

One is available from Gutridge Custom and the article on how it works appeared in our September 02 issue. We’d also recommend you purchase Jerry Kuhnhausen’s shop manuals on S&W revolvers from Brownells. Stevens Favorite Parts I am having considerable difficulty finding a schematic of the original Stevens Favorite (not the more recent Model 71/72). I believe that there was an article on it in American Gunsmith some time back. I have many years of past issues, but have no idea when it might have been published.

Can you help? I’m looking for parts for an incomplete Favorite in 22 caliber. My receiver is an early model, and I understand that the changes in the Model 1915 were in the main spring and extractor. The barrel that I have has a space for an extractor at center bottom (not the type on the original Model 17) and I suspect that it is from a Model 1915 but am not sure what the extractor design was like on the 1915. The barrel is not marked as "Favorite," but I understand that’s not unusual. It fits perfectly.

Is there any chance it’s from another Stevens Model and just happens to fit? I know that the breech block is specific to the caliber, but do you think a Model 1915 .22 breech block and extractor (if I can find one) will fit in the earlier receiver? Any help you can provide will be very much appreciated.

The article to which you refer concerned the Savage Arms resurrection of the Favorite and appeared in the January 01 issue. (It’s no longer available as a back issue.) An excellent sectional drawing of the original with callouts for parts identification along with a full chapter on the rifle appears in Single Shot Rifles and Actions by Frank de Haas. The book, we understand, is still available directly from de Haas Books in Orange City, Iowa. We have no phone for the publisher, but dialing 411 might turn one up.

If not, Brownells might know. They offered the book in their catalog for many years. 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, After receiving the book and reading the aforementioned chapter, it’s possible you may still need parts and/ or further advice on breech block/ extractor interchangeability. If so, contact D.

Wayne Stiles, Editor, Single Shot Rifle Journal (313 S. Main, Berrien Springs, MI 49103). Malfunctioning Hi-Standard Derringer I have a .22 Magnum Hi-Standard Derringer (manufactured in Hartford, Connecticut; serial number 829290) that only fires on the bottom chamber. Looking at the position of the striker with the barrel group opened, I noticed that in the upper section it does not come all the way forward. It’s canted at an upward angle instead of striking forward like the bottom does.

Could the assembly inside be out of alignment? I assume the hammer or striker serves both breeches. Thanks. We believe you have a Model D-101, which is a .22 Magnum version of the D-100. The striker you mention is integrated with hammer assembly. This entire assembly can be removed by following the takedown instructions appearing in the hardbound combination handgun/shoulder arm edition of the NRA Guide to Firearm Assembly.

We suspect a broken or badly damaged component of the hammer assembly could be the cause of your problem. These assemblies are not normally dismantled except for part replacement; and due to the age of the Derringer (circa 1960s), such parts are likely to be hard to find. If you strike out with Gun Parts Corporation and Jack First, try G. W. Elliott, Inc.