Reader Forum

Colt Revolver I have a Colt Police Positive .38 Special Serial # 252XX in my shop that has a cocking issue. When attempting to cock the hammer or fire in double action the hammer will come back about a quarter inch, then stop. The process seems bound up someplace, however, the pawl or hand can’t even come out enough to contact the cylinder. If I swing open the cylinder the firing process in both single and double action works fine. Once I close the cylinder again the pistol can’t be cocked.

It doesn’t appear that the bolt is catching on the cylinder. We recommend the appropriate Shop Manuals written by Jerry Kuhnhausen. Each covers in great detail the problems faced by and corrections for troubles gunsmiths encounter with revolvers, pistols and some rifles. All are available from Brownells. Among the manuals you’ll find there’s one on Colt wheel guns. Just how useful are Jerry’s writings and drawings?

Each time this respondent has attended the Smith & Wesson Armorer’s School—five at last count—the class has collectively been told by the chief instructor as he held up Kuhnhausen’s manual on S&W handguns, "If you think you’ll forget anything we’ve told you, get this book." For your specific revolver, it sounds like it’s experiencing more than one difficulty. We suspect all are internal with the possible exception of cylinder end shake.

Rexio RC Series Handgun Referring to the schematic on page 7 of the November 1999 issue American of Gunsmith, part number 2 is referred to as the barrel. This component appears to be made of two parts. The actual barrel and what we can probably call the monoblock or trunion. How are these parts are connected? I can envision 4 different attachment methods: Shrink fit, press fit, screw threads and some type of adhesive.

I acquired this gun chambered in .22 WMR for use as a project gun and want to replace the six inch barrel with a 10.5 inch barrel. I am capable of doing work of this type once I know how to remove the old barrel without destroying anything. Daniel P. Horn Huron, SD Joseph E. Deering You left out the possibility of the barrel being pinned in. Regardless, when we covered the RC in the ‘99 issue it was being imported by VAM Distribution, Wooster, OH.

It seems that VAM is no more, their remaining inventory was purchased in July 2009 by Century International Arms. The latter is where you can get your question answered but you must speak with Steve Kehaya, Matt Nodine Ithaca X-15 I am working on an Ithaca X-15 clip fed .22. The extractor spring and plunger seem to be stuck and there is no pressure on the extractor. Despite trying penetrating oil I can’t get them out. Prentiss Brown This rifle went out of production in the mid-1960s.

One thing you could try is inserting a small tool in front of the plunger and push it to the rear to remove the extractor. Ease off on the plunger, reposition the tool to behind the plunger and push it out to the front. It sounds like there’s no "spring" left in the extractor spring—at least not enough to apply pressure on the plunger and against the extractor—but there may be enough to allow the spring to become visible after the plunger is removed.

Being very careful—and unless you’ve dug up a replacement spring in the parts aftermarket you’ll have to be—nudge the spring to the front with the same tool you used on the plunger. If you stretch or damage the spring and have no replacement on hand, retain what’s left and send it to Wolff Gunsprings (gunsprings.com) requesting a suitable replacement. Chamber Polishing What is the best way to polish a chamber after reaming?

Zane Andonna Purchase two chamber-specific mops from Brownells along with some fine and super fine polishing compound. J-B Bore Bright can be used instead of the super fine compound. Charge the mop with the fine compound and chuck it in a lathe or, lacking that, a variable speed hand drill. Making sure the drill is level with the bore, insert the charged mop in the chamber and turn on the drill at moderate speed. Move the mop into and almost all the way out of the chamber while turning.

Withdraw the mop and thoroughly clean the chamber with a high quality solvent using clean

patches. Charge the second mop with the super fine compound or J-Band repeat the steps taken with the fine compound. Clean the chamber again, then lightly lubricate it. J. Stevens .22 I have a .22 built by J. Stevens Arms & Tool Company. The top of the receiver is marked "Trade mark FAVORITE, Reg Us Pat Off Xfgn." On the left side of receiver is an "O" with an "I" inside. The serial number is 74X2 marked on the bottom tang/trigger guard. The chamber is eroded and bore is dark. I am thinking of rebarreling.

Is the rifle worth more as original or is it just an old shooter that a rebarrel job would make for fun shooting? As to the worth of the rifle, check the Blue Book of Gun Values. If it’s an original Stevens Favorite it could be worth much more as is, despite the erosion and darkened bore. To a member of The Single Shot Rifle Association, for example, the value of its still-worthy parts should not be ignored by you. Instead of rebarreling we suggest a relining/rechambering job.

True, it would no longer be an original rifle, but you could end up with not only a fun shooter but a fun and accurate shooter. Savage, by the way, produces a fine imitation of the old Stevens. With the exception of a hammer block integrated as a extra safety measure, their M30 is a ringer for the Favorite. 1895 Mauser Guiderails I have a M1895 Mauser rebarreled to .243 Winchester. It’s an excellent shooter but does not feed due to the difference in shoulder diameters of the original 7×57 and the .243.

Is there a guide or formula for redoing the bottom of the receiver? Can it be done with a Dremel tool or is a mill necessary? Wiseguns What you have in mind is considered remanufacturing by ATF since it involves the receiver. Unless you have a manufacturer’s FFL don’t attempt it. We know of an excellent custom gunsmith up in New England who has such a license. His name is Kieth Billado.

Contact him about the rework at Savage Series 67 And Master Index What issue did you cover working Savage Series 67 shotguns and H&R single shots? I have copies of American Gunsmith since 1993 but no master index. Burt Franke We have an index for topics covered since 1993 that is updated every month. Visit americangunsmith. wordpress.com/index Our records indicate no article on this Savage. To receive more input, write to the Savage-Stevens official historian: John Callahan, Westfield, MA 01085.

In the October, 2003, issue we covered the NEF Pardner and were delighted to learn that its disassembly/reassembly mirrored most or all other NEF and H&R single shots. Hopefully, you have a copy of that issue for reprints may no longer be available. The text enters into a fairly lengthy description on hammer spring reinstallation. Briefly, you will require more than one cross pin, slave variety.

One slave captures the lever/lifter/spring/barrel catch stuff which you push out of the way when installing the hammer to a point where it has passed through its slot atop the receiver. After aligning all associated holes, start in another cross pin slave. Spear the hammer spring on it. The short leg of the spring must seat on the integral hammer stud before pushing the slave out with the real cross pin.

The longer leg of the spring must be pushed over, inward and to one side where it can engage the ledge from which it was disengaged during disassembly. For this you’ll find a simple tool we made to come in vary handy. The tool is a small screwdriver with a notch wide enough to capture the spring cut or filed into the driver blade. In finished form it resembles a two-tined dinner fork with very short tines. AG Eugene Miller Aurora, SD