Reader Forum

Simple Pro-gun Marketing Here’s a thought I’d like to share with American Gunsmith readers. I found that instead of giving old copies of the firearms magazines I read to friends when I’m through with them, I now leave them in various waiting rooms, such as doctor’s offices, auto repair shops, bus stations and the like. People who are stuck waiting for service might be tired of outdated issues of Time, Newsweek and others of that ilk.

I have noted interest in these types of publications whenever I return to those waiting rooms where I left them. Dominick Pisano domscustomrifles.com Great idea, Mr. Pisano! Stevens Model 258A I have a J. Stevens Model 258A 20 gauge bolt action shotgun that a customer brought to me for cleaning. It has been sitting in his basement for about 25 years. It had a little surface rust but it seems to work.

I am trying to disassemble the bolt and there is one pin that holds the striker bushing and I can’t figure out how to remove it. It appears to be in a blind hole. I looked up the part in the Numrich catalog and it appears to be a step pin. I’ve tried looking for a phone number to call Stevens but haven’t had any luck. We don’t believe a call to Savage present manufacturer of Stevens firearms, will be much help. The shotgun is quite old and there’s probably no old-timer at Savage old enough to clue you in about it.

The outfit we previously relied upon for info and parts on elder Steven guns is no longer in business. So far, he hasn’t been replaced. New Haven Model 600AT I have a customer’s shotgun back in my shop again. It was brought in earlier last year to be cleaned and checked for misfiring. After work was completed and the gun test fired everything seemed fine until deer season came along and it misfired again.

Thinking the problem might be defective ammo, the owner tried firing the same rounds again with same misfire effect. Examining the primer showed sufficient indentation by the firing pin. I even loaded the same rounds into another gun and fired with no problem. After disassembling the firearm again I noticed the firing pin had burrs on both sides hitting the locking block. I removed the burrs and reassembled, firing it with two different types of ammo, including what the customer uses. No problems.

Am I right thinking the problem was with the burrs on the firing pin or is there a chance the problem is possibly somewhere else? The ammo the client is using is Remington Core-Lokt Ultra Bonded Sabot Slugs. While doing follow up on the possible problems I had read something to the effect that Remington used a harder primer than other manufacturers used. Is this fact or fiction? Also, is the New Haven 600AT compatible with the Mossberg 500? New Haven Firearms didn’t make shotguns.

They sold shotguns made for them by Mossberg. The 600AT you mention was identical to the Mossberg 500. Bill Reinhart Bill’s Gunsmith The burrs you removed from the firing pin area strong indication the gun has been dry fired all too often. Check for similar burrs around the mouth of the chamber, especially in the area of the extractor cut. Since the locking block is located aft of the bolt face it’s a bit of a mystery to some of us how it managed to raise burrs on the firing pin.

If the pin indents were deep enough to touch off the primer when you fired the gun, but not the deep enough in other hands it could be the operator isn’t bringing the weapon to bear and holding it firmly enough against his shoulder. This is truer when the shotgun is a semi auto and not often true with a pump model unless the action bar isn’t being fully racked through its cycle. The pump malfunction happens more often than not under near panic conditions when a quick second shot is desired.

With a semi auto, the trigger is not allowed to return to its forward position for the same reason. That, when combined with the too loose shoulder contact further results in more recoil being felt by the shooter. And more pain. As for the hard primer supposition, try other brands of saboted hunting loads to see if the misfires continue. If they do, install a fresh firing pin spring but check with Mossberg first to assure a 500 spring will still interchange in your customer’s gun.

The 600AT isn’t exactly what we’d consider a modern production shotgun. Ruger 10/22 I have a Ruger 10/22 that was brought to me because the bolt will not release after it has been locked open. Everything is assembled correctly but it still will not release when the bolt is pulled back and released like it should. To release it, you have to pull back on the bolt handle and then push the locking lever. Mark Wiggins George W. Wright Owner’s Manuals are often critiqued because they provide too little information.

In this case, we believe your customer created his own problem by totally ignoring the manual content for the 10/22. The basic design of the rifle has not changed and includes the built-in bolt lock to prevent the bolt from releasing forward if the rifle is dropped. The lock has an upper and a lower section. Both extend downward from the receiver and are visible within the trigger guard. Here’s what the Ruger 10/22 manual tells the owner to do with very

clear illustrations, including large arrows that indicate directional travel to be applied to the lock. To lock the bolt open, retract it all the way to the rear, hold it there and press the lower section of the lock back. When the bolt is released it will not move forward into battery. To release a locked-open bolt, apply rearward pressure to the bolt, maintain it, push up on the upper section of the lock, release the bolt and it will move into battery.

An afterthought prompts us to wonder whether or not the owner tinkered with the rifle in a misguided attempt at a fix-it-myself solution and lost a small, but vital, component in the process. Perhaps a seemingly insignificant spring without which the bolt lock is rendered useless? Ruger doesn’t allow guns to leave the factory unless all safety systems are in perfect working order. Neither does any other manufacturer. Bottom line, personally check out the lock function.

If the system fails the test, re-examine the lock and each of its related components to determine for sure whether or not all are present and in good working condition. Model 12 And Coltsman I recently purchased a Winchester Model 12 in 16 gauge. It functions properly but I have been unable to disengage the magazine tube threads to disassemble the firearm for cleaning. I removed the lock pin and inserted a punch that is four inches long for greater leverage. The magazine tube still didn’t budge.

I stopped at that, not wanting to deform the hole in the tube. I have been spraying the area with penetrating oil. Any ideas? Also I have a Colt Coltsman in .243 on the Sako L57 action that is very accurate with a number of different loads. It has a hideous looking cast aluminum banded front sight ramp. I would like to change it to either a NECG or a Williams ramp. Could changing the front sight ramp affect the accuracy of the rifle?

The Model 12 is covered admirably in the pages of the NRA Guide to Firearms Assembly, hard cover edition. As you will see, there is considerably more to removing the mag tube from its combination barrel/magazine hookup to the receiver. Also note the mag tube, like the barrel, has interrupted threads that must be disengaged before either can be withdrawn from their shared block.

On the second part of your query, as long as the new ramp is no higher or lower than the exiting "hideous" barrel appendage and mounted true center bore your accuracy should suffer no ill effects. Steyr AUG And MSAR 5.56 What is the real difference in these two firearms? Roger E Mitchell The Steyr AUG was originally designed to satisfy military demands, not those of the US civilian market. Therefore, the patents did not apply in regard to exporting for civilian use.

When they expired, Microtec Small Arms Research acquired rights to manufacture a clone and had its designers reverseengineer the rifle with the intent of adding features they believed would appeal to US shooters. As a result, MSAR STG 5.56 bolts are available for both right and left handed operators, a left side bolt atop release button and forward assist button mounted on the receiver are available on request with an STG order.

Perhaps the most interesting MSAR addition is an optional caliber conversion kit upgrading the rifle from the 5.56 NATO to the more potent 6.8mm Remington. Not so incidentally, while cruising the world.guns.ru/civil/usa web site for even more information on the MSAR and Steyr comparison you request, we came across a doit-yourself modification that claims to silence forevermore complaints about heavy and/or sluggish trigger pulls with both rifles.

It’s called the Trigger Tamer, comes with explicit instructions, transforms a nine pound or heavier pull to a smooth six and costs a few coins under $60.00, plus shipping. If you’re working at gunsmithing, you can purchase a ten pack for considerably less that sixty bucks per. Just thought you other readers would be interested. AG Thomas Kirby