Reader Forum

Sticky AA Release Lever I have an American Arms Silver 1 over/under shotgun in 12 gauge with maybe 1,000 rounds fired. The problem is the Greener crossbolt locking system. If I snap the gun shut, the bolt is flush with the receiver and almost impossible to open with the lever. If I close the barrels while holding the release lever open and then release it when action is closed, the crossbolt sticks out a little and the action opens easily. I have flushed the locking mechanism and oiled it.

I see no burrs, but I do see a wear pattern. I’ve never had one of these crossbolt actions, so I have no experience with them. Any idea where I might get takedown instructions? Any thoughts on what to look for? I’ve rebuilt many Savage/ Stevens shotguns, but never one of these. Thank you. Jim Gallo The Greener-type lock extends from the barrels into a recess in the breechface.

The locking bolt is activated by the top lever passing through around hole or rectangular slot in the lock, depending on the shape of the bolt. Interference between any of these parts can cause sluggish to hard opening or imperfect closing of the action. Your shotgun was initially imported in 1987, so we’re not terribly surprised at the appearance of a wear pattern, especially if the locking system wasn’t fitted up properly in the first place.

We have no detailed takedown information on the Silver 1, but we do know that American Arms was purchased by Tri Star Arms in Kansas City, Missouri. Tri Star may be able to assist with at least an owner’s manual and schematic and can probably help you find a source for replacement parts. CZ82 Rechambering? Your article concerning the CZ82 and CZ83 pistols was very helpful. In reading about these two great pistols, a question occurred to me: Is it possible to rechamber the CZ82 to .380 caliber/9mm Kurz?

Since the only difference between the two is the caliber, it would seem that reaming the 9mm Makarov chamber to .380 would not be difficult. Is there something I am not aware of that would make this a problem? Since .380 is more readily available, this would make it a potentially worthwhile undertaking. Jim Slack The problem here is bullet diameter. The Makarov round is a 9×18 with a .365-inch projectile, while the .380 projectile measures .356 inch. You do the math.

What you could do instead of rechambering is to reform 9mm Luger brass by expanding the case mouth, then trimming it to 0.713 inch in length and deburring it. Dan Wesson Trigger Job I just purchased a Dan Wesson Model 15. It’s very accurate in single action, but in double action the trigger pull is heavy and not smooth. I read your article and then removed the sideplate and found the action was dry and a little dirty.

After cleaning and lubrication (without complete disassembly), it improved somewhat, but it still has a heavy pull. I’m thinking of installing a lighter mainspring. Is there a previous article on doing a trigger job? Also what’s the difference between the Model 15 and the 15-2? I would appreciate any help you can give me. Thanks. Ralph Marchese Smoothing the Dan Wesson’s trigger is fairly simple.

Start by removing the sideplate and polishing the inner surfaces of the plate and frame with a medium-grit Cratex wheel chucked in a flexible shaft. Turn the shaft at low speed and avoid the edges of the plate. Then remove the hammer and trigger. Arkansas stones and a ruby slip will polish the base of the bolt and the top of the trigger at their interface. Go easy with the polishing; the engagement angle between the trigger hook and the bolt should not be altered.

A perfectly true, round stone is used to shine up the upper hammer notch. The broad side of a triangular Arkansas stone will do for the lower hammer notch. Again, make no change in the angles. Check under magnification for any rough spots you might have missed around the trigger and hammer bosses in the right side of the frame. If present, use the Cratex wheel to smooth them out. Polish the sides of the hammer that extend below the frame line.

Treat the sides of the trigger that extend above the frame line in the same manner. Finally, stone away any roughness in the cylinder stop slot and the hand slot in the frame. You can check with Brownells on the availability of a drop-in spring kit. There’s no mechanical difference between the Model 15 and 15-2 and though they still stock parts, CZ-USA is no longer manufacturing the Dan Wesson revolver. H&R Model 88 Flaws? I’m working on an H&R Model 88.

The breechface has what at first glance looked like gouges, but I now think they are flaws from manufacturing. I base my assumption on the fact that the case-hardening colors run into these depressions. These depressions are .015 inch at the deepest spot. My question is this: Is this type of manufacturing defect common on these guns? I don’t want to tell the owner the gun is unsafe if this condition is common with all H&R single-shots.

Based on the assumption that these were there from the time the gun was new, what’s the risk of these eventually cracking or causing the receiver to fail outright? Any advice will be appreciated. Name Withheld Not knowing which H&R entity produced the gun (there have been

several changes in ownership and control of the original company), we can’t tell you if this is a "common manufacturing defect." The latest incarnation of H&R (H&R 1871) will not comment on any firearm they did not manufacture. We can, however, assume that the weapon is a "Handy Rifle" or "Topper" shotgun derivative, and would not be unsafe if there are no cracks in the breech area. By the way, real case-hardened colors don’t "run"—they’re baked in.

Further, case hardening doesn’t penetrate deeply into the metal; it’s used primarily for cosmetic and surface-hardening purposes. We suggest you test fire the gun. Use reduced loads if it’s a rifle or low-brass target loads if it’s a shotgun. Lash the gun to an old tire, tie a 30-foot string to its trigger, clear the area of spectators, and pull the string. If the gun survives several re-chamberings and firings, you can feel pretty good about its safety.

The owner will merely have to be satisfied with lighter loads and low brass. Replacement Gun Stocks Can I fit a 1903-A3 or an 1898 30/40 Krag rifle to a Remington 700 stock? If not, what popular stock can I retrofit to these two military rifles? Thank you for your time. Tom Parker Doesn’t the Krag have a rotary magazine that requires breathing room within the rifle’s long stock? It also, if we recall correctly, carried a barrel much longer than any "popular" rifle we’ve seen lately.

The only stock we can think of that might be suitable for a retrofit would be one taken from a Savage Model 99, but that’s only because it, too, had a rotary magazine. We’re not trying to pile things on here, but there are several other factors you must consider beyond the inner space required in the stock. These include receiver spacing, receiver diameter, recoil-lug placement, trigger location, and the other action dimensions.

Then there’s the possibility of having to rework the barrel channel in the replacement stock. All the above, except for the rotating magazine, would apply to adapting the Model 700 stock to an M1903-A3. In addition, you’d have to consider magazine location. We don’t know if sporterizing is your goal or if you’re simply trying to improve the cosmetics of these rifles. If cosmetics is a priority, we suggest you contact Boyds Gunstock Industries and discuss a higher grade of wood than the present stocks.

They carry plain all the way up to super-fancy woods, and we’re quite certain they’d have the patterns on hand from which to cut stocks for your military rifles. You can have them fully or partially inletted. If you choose fully inletted, you’ll have basically a drop-in installation with only some minor additional fitting. Do a nice job of finishing and you’ll have a couple of handsome old warhorses you can be proud of.

Nagant Revolver Ammo I have a Russian Nagant revolver and was wondering what ammo other than the original this firearm will take, since the original ammo is hard to find and very expensive. Will this firearm take ammo such as .32 SW Short,.32 SW Long, or .32 H&Ror anything else? I’ve been told there is a replacement cylinder that takes. 32 ACP, but that is also expensive ammo. Any help will be appreciated.

Garry Waters You didn’t mention your Nagant’s original caliber, but we assume it’s 7.62 mm Russian with a bullet diameter of .295 inches. All the other ammo you mentioned runs between .311 and .313 inch in diameter. Unless the chamber of your revolver is out of spec, and many were, you’d be getting yourself into some serious pressure problems. You can reform .32-20 Winchester cases, which are similar to the Russian 7.62mm brass, and load them according to data available from bullet and/or powder manufacturers.

Of course, that would require the purchase of reforming dies, bullets, propellant, and primers. And that wouldn’t be cheap, either. SKB Model 600 Takedown I’ve got a 1960s gun that was heavily oiled and put away 40 years ago. Now it’s sticking when fired after it warms up. It appears to just need a good cleaning. I contacted SKB and they said all their 500/600-Series are the "same" and offered a parts diagram but no takedown instructions.

I’m hesitant to tear into the gun for fear I won’t be able to get it back together correctly. Any suggestions? Thanks. John Herslow We can only lead you to takedown instructions for the SKB 900-Series, which appears in Gun Digest’s assembly/disassembly book for shotguns. We were unable to locate a phone number for Guns Unlimited, the last listed importer of the SKB, or any reference to the 600. So, unfortunately, we can’t tell you if the 600 and 900 are sufficiently alike.

If dirt is the only problem, however, you don’t have to go beyond field stripping and removal of the wood. Subsequent to those measures, you’ll be able to flush out any accumulated fouling with a squeeze bulb and either kerosene or mineral spirits. Once the solvent comes out clean, dry the cleaned-out interior with compressed air and lightly lubricate the trigger mechanism. Sluggish SP 101 Cylinder Do you have any plans to feature Ruger revolvers like the SP101 for takedown, repair, or modification?

I have a revolver with a cylinder that does not spin as freely as I think it should, and no instructions on how to disassemble it. Bill Dondanville

(continued from previous page) One of the first revolvers we wrote about was the SP101, but that was way back in 1992. Unfortunately, reprints are no longer available. We don’t know how freely you think the cylinder should rotate, but we do know of another source for disassembly and repair information. That would be Jerry Kuhnhausen’s book Ruger Double- Action Revolvers: A Shop Manual (stocked by Brownells). Once you have the book in hand you’ll have no difficulty taking the 101 down to bare bones.

Before doing anything to those bones, however, give them a thorough cleaning and polishing. The problem might be nothing more serious than an accumulation of dirt and grime. Savage Model 110 Mods I just acquired a Savage Model 110 from my brother. He brought it to me when he couldn’t get the bolt back in—apparently he had moved the cocking piece pin out of battery—and after I fixed it he mentioned that he was looking to sell it.

Although it was missing the front sight and has a small ding in the wood to the right of the bolt, it appears to be in good shape. Initially, I thought it was an E Model (so many sub models) because of the "E" stamped TDC in front of the barrel lock nut. But that same barrel lock nut is depicted in Gun Digest’s exploded long-gun drawings as a Cor CL Model. Should I ask, what is the difference between the Jand K Series? Is it the box and blind magazine? apart, clean it, and check it over.

And then I am considering doing a Cerama- Coat finish on it like I’ve done to a few other guns, along with some stock work ideas I’ve seen in American Gunsmith. I would then finish the project with a sling and a nice scope. The mechanism appears simple enough, but I would like to make sure there wouldn’t be anything to watch out for when disassembling or reassembling, as you frequently point out in your publication. I was looking through the issues I have, and haven’t found anything on this model.

Is there an article or any advice you can offer? For instance, I wouldn’t need a special tool or jig to get the bolt back together, would I? I’m also wondering if the trigger group would give me any trouble. Thank you in advance for your time and consideration. Charles May The instructions for disassembly are shown in Gun Digest’s book on the subject for centerfire rifles. Or, if you have the June 01 issue of American Gunsmith, they also appear there. No special tools are required.

In anticipation of a follow-up query 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 on your project: No, the patented Accu Trigger cannot be fitted to your Model 110 without modifications to the receiver which must be done by the factory. Spring Temper and Heat I work in a small two-man shop.

We put a polymer finish on a lot of the guns we work on. All the parts that we finish are stripped down completely before finishing. Occasionally, we get apart that cannot be completely torn down, like the trigger group of the Remington Wingmaster shotgun. (The hammer pin is braded and the trigger pin is staked.) My question is: Are the curing temperatures for the polymer finishes (300 degrees for one hour) high enough to damage the temper of any springs that cannot be removed?

Wally Erspamer We believe that takedown instructions for the Wingmaster can be found either on the internet or in one or more of the disassembly books such as those published by Gun Digest and the NRA. The hammer pin you mentioned must have its "braded" end ground off in order to remove it and thus it will have to be replaced with anew pin. The trigger pin is not staked in, but is wider at one end than at the other. All the springs are removable.

In fact, if they are not taken out, the hammer must remain in the mechanism and the hammer itself is case hardened, which may suffer more at 300 degrees than the springs. Unfortunately, the best answer we can give you is that some gun springs can take 300 degrees Fwithout losing their temper and some gun springs can’t. It all depends on the metallurgy. Whenever possible, a call to the manufacturer would be a good idea.