Reader Forum

Remington 1858 Conversion I have a Navy Arms 1858 Remington Copy, .44-caliber cap-and-ball revolver that I would like to convert to the .45 Colt cartridge, as the bore diameter is .451 inch. However, I don’t know who to contact to order the conversion cylinder. Would you possibly have access to this information? If Navy Arms can’t provide the cylinder, contact R&D Gun Shop Adjusting Savage 110E Trigger The safety on my Savage Model 110E does not work correctly.

It moves freely from the "off" to the "on" positions with the bolt assembly removed from the rifle. With the bolt in the rifle, the safety will not move into the safe position unless all trigger travel screws have been backed out to a point where the safety no longer works. The two trigger adjusting screws, travel and pull, located in the trigger housing directly affect the safety. The pulladjusting screw seems to do nothing but compound the function problems when screwed in to make contact with the trigger.

The engagement screw in the trigger itself only further compounds the problem when adjusted to come in contact with the sear to any degree. Are there any step by step instructions or measurements to follow when making these adjustments? If your rifle was equipped with an Accu Trigger we assume you would have mentioned it specifically. What follows, then, relates to the standard Model 110 trigger mechanism.

With the trigger system removed from the action, adjust the safety for smooth vertical movement without play using the screw located in the center of the safety. Reinstall the trigger assembly, close the bolt, and cock the rifle. Turn the trigger-engagement screw at the front end of the trigger until the sear releases, then back the screw off one-half turn. This should give you a .015 sear engagement.

Cock the action again, place the safety "on," adjust the safety screw (rear-most screw on the bottom of the trigger assembly) to remove any play in the safety. Uncock the action. Adjust for travel with the screw located just forward of the safety screw. Afterwards, there should be a small amount of clearance between the sear and trigger with the trigger depressed.

The weight of pull can be adjusted by turning the screw located aft of the sear, but the front of the trigger spring must be seated properly in its slot at the front of the housing and stressed by its pin at the rear in order to maintain the pull weight. You must be sure no part of the trigger assembly comes in contact with the stock. Improper operation will result. Now for the bad news: Any adjustments made to the trigger assembly by other than factory technicians voids the manufacturers warranty. QFI Gun Parts?

I have an old single-action revolver (.22 caliber) from Quality Firearms, Inc. (Opa-Locka, FL). Apparently, they were only in business for about two years from 1990 to 1992. The problem is the hand and post are warn and will not rotate the cylinder. The cylinder can be rotated manually and the cylinder bolt locks up fine, and it shoots fairly accurately for what it is. I have tried the usual parts sources without luck. I’ve even considered trying to make anew one.

I think I can get the old leaf spring out without damaging it. Any ideas on parts? Do you think another manufacturer’s part might fit this gun, possibly with some minor fitting? Thanks for any help you might be able to give. The brief existence of Quality Firearms is mentioned in The Blue Book of Gun Values, but nothing is said of the manufacturer of the guns the company sold. From the listing of those handguns offered, we assume yours is either a Western Ranger or a Plains Rider model.

Not knowing who made it, we can’t advise on parts interchangeability, but you might want to start your search by calling Bob’s Gun Shop Short-Cycling Winchester Model 100 I have a Winchester Model 100 semiauto .243-caliber carbine in the shop. When the customer brought it in, the story was that it would not feed the second round from the magazine. He provided anew magazine, and that did not correct the problem. A complete cleaning and inspection did not show anything that would cause a short cycle.

He mentioned that anew firing pin was installed after the problem was first noticed (a stainless-steel firing pin was used). I assumed it was a lack of sufficient gas pressure to completely cycle the action and to fully strip anew round from the magazine. So I replaced the gas piston and tested it using factory ammo. After coloring the top of the second round in the magazine with a black marker, it was evident the bolt was not completing the rearward travel needed to strip the second round from the magazine.

This rifle is clear of any gas obstructions via the gas system. Thanks. Though it may look like one due to its gray color, the firing pin Winchester redesigned to correct an old slam-fire problem with the Model 100 was not made of stainless steel. Now on to possible causes for the short cycling, not necessarily in any order related to frequency of occurrence: The gas housing on the bottom of the barrel could be leaking.

It’s silver-soldered on, but correction requires it to be removed, the old solder cleaned off, the housing reinstalled, and silver soldered again to seal any leak. Depositing a small amount of

(continued from previous page) liquid dish detergent on the union between barrel and housing will show the existence of a leak by forming bubbles in the detergent. The gas cap may have been altered or the incorrect one installed for the ammunition being used by the notorious "person or persons unknown." These caps are caliber specific. Consider ordering anew one if any doubt of the suitability of the present cap exists in your mind.

Many gun owners clean their barrels from muzzle to breech’if they clean them at all. This continued practice can result in fouling of the chamber and, eventually, an enlarged chamber. Check for this by inserting alive round in the rifle and then extracting/ejecting it manually. Measure the unfired case circumference, shoulder angle and length. Reinsert the round and fire the rifle. Measure the fired case against the unfired case. The maximum allowable expansion between fired and unfired is seven thousandths.

Near or above that can cause hard extraction and a resulting slowing of the bolt travel to the rear. Polishing and lapping the chamber usually resolves this situation. Hopefully, one or more of these suggestions will cure the ills of your customer’s Model 100. Pocket Pistol Takedown I have acquired an old Model 51 Remington .380 pocket pistol. I have a pretty good library, but nothing on this one. It ended manufacture in 1934. I have not been able to figure out how to remove the slide.

I need to polish the chamber, since it’s a bit sticky. Help, please. Thanks. Remove the magazine, check the chamber, put on eye protection, and pull the slide to the rear until the notch in its left side aligns with the barrel-lock pin in the receiver. Start the pin out from right to left, then pry it all the way out carefully with a screwdriver or the tip of the magazine floorplate. Now pull the slide back far enough to expose the barrel.

While holding the slide to the rear, pull the barrel forward to separate the slide from the receiver. For more on taking down this pistol, pick up a copy of the NRA Guide to Firearms Assembly, combined handgun/shoulder arm edition. Mauser 98 Receivers I need a couple of stripped Mauser 98 receivers. Since Numrich Gun Parts no longer sells receivers, do you have any idea where I can get them? Do you know who bought their stock? I can’t even find any cheap old Mausers to strip. Help would be appreciated.

Mauser receivers are getting scarce, particularly those made by Mauserwerke. They can turn up at gun shows still attached to a whole rifle and are advertised once in awhile in Gun List or Shotgun News. After you check out Jack First Springfield Sporters and Centerfire Systems call Brownells and request a no-charge copy of their parts-source list for outof-production guns. Of course, Mitchell’s Mausers is doing a healthy business selling reconditioned Model 98s, but we seriously doubt they’d part with a receiver.

Marlin 27 & 27S Firing Pins I have a question about the Marlin 27 and 27S in 32-20 centerfire. I received one of each this week for repairs. The 27 is missing the firing pin and the 27S is missing apiece in the front of the firing pin that hangs down and fits into the breech block. My question is this: Does the firing pin keep the bolt locked when the gun is cocked and ready to fire and only after the hammer is all the way forward allow the action to be opened?

I know that’s along question, but I need to make firing pins for each. The Model 27 went out of production in 1916. The 27S did likewise in 1932. We doubt that the firing pin serves to keep the bolt locked, but you could pose your question to the Marlin Historian at ican Gunsmith, address your email ta letter to American Gunsmith Merritt Island, FL 32954.