Reader Forum

Guns in a House Fire I recently acquired a numbers of rifles that had been burned in a house fire. The wood and glass stocks are completely gone, most of the aluminum on the firearms and scopes was melted, and the remaining steel was liberally quenched with afire hose. My intent was to clean up the remains to use as working models of various actions for use as training aids in my hunter education classes. However, the inevitable happened.

With a few new springs the actions work and I now wonder if there is any way the steel can be tested or re-tempered to make the guns safe to fire. One of the rifles, a Model 94 Winchester, has quite a bit of nostalgia value and this is driving the question as well as the concern of having a working barreled action of questionable condition into which someone could possibly insert alive round. We did an article on fire damaged guns in the April 2002 issue.

Hopefully, you have retained your copy since we doubt reprints of issues dated that far back are still available. Suffice it to say that according to your description of the guns’ condition, considerable damage was done by the heat of the fire. This would lead us to conclude that major metal portions as well as internal parts have lost structural integrity.

A thorough clean-up must be the first step accomplished, With that accomplished, all firearm elements must be tested, re-heat treated and then test fired remotely. Lacking a machine rest along string tied to trigger with the gun bound secured to a tire and no one but you within to conduct such a test. Restoration of fire damaged guns depends on the degree of damage and the depth of a customers pockets.

In your case, the obvious incin eration of wood, polymers and metal have presented you with firearms almost always certain to structurally fail disastrously. S&W Ejector I have a S&W Model 19 chambered in .357 Magnum. I removed the ejector out of the cylinder and noticed the star and ratchet pad had slid up the tube about .014". I never seen anything like this before. Is the star and ratchet pad pressed-fit to the tube? I can tap the star and pad back down the tube, but I don’t think it will stay.

Is it possible that I can Loctite it? There is no place to stake it in place. This gun had been shot a lot and it was given to me. Forget the glue and sealant. Locate and purchase anew or perfectly re habilitated extractor star assembly.

Many years ago, while attending one of several Smith and Wesson Armorers School sessions and the lead instructor told all present, "If you forget anything we’ve tried to teach you buy a copy of A S&W Shop Manual by Jerry Kuhnhausen." We did and think you will also find it excellent reading. Jim Mershon Jerry does include some guidance on the filing and fitting of ratchets but this is a testy, difficult operation and definitely not advised for those who haven’t undertaken it on more than one occasion.

If you count yourself among the less experienced, we suggest you call Power Custom to whom filing and fitting extractor star assemblies to S&W revolvers is second nature. Traditions ALS 2100 20 gauge I have a customer with a broken Traditions ALS 2100 twenty-gauge shotgun. I trying to find a parts break-down for that model. Traditions says they can’t read their copy very well and cannot give me the part name or number of the broken part.

I need to replace the bolt carrier on which the bolt rests as it travels back and forth within the receiver. My lengthy description of the part doesn’t seem to help them very much. Has American Gunsmith done any articles on this shotgun to include a schematic or do you know of any source that might have a parts breakdown? John Funk John’s Gun Repair & Sales We’ve never delved into the Traditions line but the S&W 1020 is similar. Contact S&Wand they might be able to turn up a schematic on the 1020.

Replacement of Firing Pin I’m trying to fix a broken firing pin in a J. C. Higgins Mod 31 .22 LR. Is there any information that will make the job easier? Jerry Spadorcio Roy Waldvogel You have three options. One, if you can reassemble it, do so. Have the reunion TIG welded and smooth up the weld joint. Two, tack the broken pieces together with epoxy and use it as a model to turn off of. Turned anew pin from drill rod stock.

Three, call Jack First, Gun Parts Co. or Brownells for a copies of their parts source list and shop for anew replacement. Winchester Model 70 A customer contacted me with a problem. He has a post-1964 Model 70 chambered in .300 Winchester Short Magnum and is having trouble with the bolt. He claims that when you flip the safety off the gun fires without touching the trigger. Was there a recall on this particular model? It has the standard three position safety. I wanted to check before I started repairs.

JR Weaver Mountain Man Gun Works Dismantle the bolt, check all components for wear or work marks and replace as necessary. Inspect, flush out, lightly lubricate and air dry the trigger group. Install anew safety. If this fails to correct the problem, re

turn the rifle to Browning-Winchester for factory service. It is in a dangerous condition. We think someone has been messing around with the firing system who had no business doing so. Trap Gun Work I had a friend who was a gunsmith and trapshooter. He was teaching me but, unfortunately, passed away before I could find out what he did to his shotguns that made them shoot so well. Using his shotguns, I’ve won shoot offs from distance, even beyond the "fence." All I had to do was stack the beads and lead.

His guns were BT- 99s with no removable chokes and a back-bored barrel. What work did he likely do to make shoot accurately at distance and hold the pattern? W. E. Skip Belfeuil A list of what your late friend might have done, including any fixed-choke work, lengthening forcing cones and custom-fitting his gunstocks, would only be guesswork on our part. If you have or can borrow one of his guns, take it to an experienced scattergun gunsmith to examine in detail.

If no such person is known to you, send a letter to Browning-Winchester re questing a quote on having their factory service personnel perform the examination. Webley & Scott .455 Revolver I am working on a Webley & Scott Mk4 in .455, but cannot find any info on detailed disassembly/assembly. I did find an overview and picture in the NRA pistol book, but that was not as detailed as what I am used to from your fine magazine. Can you point me in a direction or tell me how to get the back issues covering that pistol?

I want to do a trigger job to lighten the trigger which is currently at eight pounds. We’ve not covered the Webley recently enough to assure the availability of a reprint. We’ll point you in another direction, The Gun Digest Book of Firearms Assembly/Disassembly Part II – Revolvers, Second Edition. It also contains reassembly tips. As for your desire for a lighter trigger pull, remember this was a British military handgun intended for close-in combat.

Unless you can locate a spring kit — perhaps from Brownells — about all you can do is polish what’s inside as brightly as possible without altering engagement angles. This pretty much limits your polishing job to the sides of the internal components and the inside of the frame. CZ Mod 82 I have picked up a CZ Mod 82 at a very reasonable price, however, the weapon needs a barrel since all of the groves our worn out of it.

If you could inform me on the best way to remove the old barrel since all of the disassemble manuals that I have researched does not explain this step. Also, are the Makarov barrels are interchangeable with this weapon? William David Ah, the lure of a price tag and how easily it extracts dollars from the pockets of too-hasty purchasers. One glance at what appears to be a usedup barrel should tip said buyer that additional expenses lie ahead.

As we recall, somewhat dimly, barrels on the CZ are either pinned or pressed in. We hope for your sake they are pinned. We have no specifications on Makarov interchangeability. For precise answers to those parts of your query, and perhaps anew CZ barrel as well, contact Century Arms at One last thing. You might be very lucky and those grooves are not shot out but merely filled with fouling. A Lewis Lead Remover hand tool, available from Brownells, has long proven to be a resolution to that problem. Jeff B.

Clauss Wischo KG I have a Wischo KG Erlangen from Germany. Where can I get information and parts for it? Rebecca Rice Look in the back pages of a recent Gun Digest for the list of manufacturers. Unless the gun has the name of an importer on it, your only source for parts would be direct from the German manufacturer, if they export them. AG