Reader Forum

But, hey, if Chick wanted to buy anew tool I won’t argue with that. I just had to point out what I thought was incorrect info in the article. Andy Wander Upper Black Eddy, PA Right on…almost. After several unsuccessful attempts using the square shanked screwdriver and wrench bit in a freshly injured hand and still fearing serious cosmetic damage to the 90 pound Frankenscrew, Chick took the risk with his brand new 20-200 pound torque wench.

He said what he counted on was the wrench being more than twice as strong as the screw was tight. He also took it easy, listening carefully for any sound of protest from the wrench. By the way, in his subsequent article on the Savage Rascal .22 LR, Chick described his usual, and preferred, way of backing out tough fasteners when he encountered a Loctited-in cocking piece on the Rascal bolt. It involves using a 1/4" five-inch long drive and the Brownells adapter with an Allen Magna-Tip inserted.

Taurus PT38S Grips I have found another place making CNC machined grips while searching for a Tokarev TTC-33 set. Marschal Grips (marschalgrips.com) doesn’t list them directly, however, they are makers of walnut and exotic for numerous pistols. An email to the company revealed they take on custom work. Gregory P. Kidder All useful information welcome here. Thank you Mr. Kidder.

Three Holes In Mauser I can answer the question posed by author Wendell Dwight Deaner about why there were three holes drilled in the rear receiver bridge on the rifle in his "An Old Mauser" article (American Gunsmith, November 2012.) He is correct as to the hole spacing for Weaver mounts and Redfield mounts on FN and other commercial Mauser rifles, however, Redfield makes amount base for military Mausers that have not had the rear bridge ground and still retain the loading strip slots.

This mount reaches over the clip slot hump and the rear hole for it will be in the middle of the two Weaver base screw holes. Emri Stidham Gunsmith, Campbell Hardware Author Wendell Dwight Deaner responds: Thanks for your input on my article and thanks for taking the time to read it. I agree that this explains the threehole issue. I couldn’t believe that a rifle that appeared to have been built by a competent ‘smith would have a hole drilled in the receiver for no reason.

I have not used the one-piece mount on any 98s but have on some 96s. I held up a Weaver #55 mount beside a 96 with a Redfield one-piece mount on the rear of the receiver and, sure enough, it looked as though the spacing would be three equidistant holes if drilled for both mounts. The #46 Weaver mount matches the spacing in the front of the receiver. Where and when this happened remains a mystery to me since the gun could have met up with several gunsmiths in its long history.

I wonder if it was common practice to modify the receiver for both kinds of mounts or did the owner want to switch from one to the other? I always enjoy checking out these old guns as they have a rich personality. 280 Ackley Improved I have a Ruger 77 stainless in .280 Remington I would like to rechamber to 280 Ackley Improved. Do I need to set the barrel back when this is done? If so, how far? Any other tips or info you can give me on this project would be greatly appreciated.

Tom Cureton We have no data on the .280 Ackley Improved in our files, which include Cartridges of The World and a thick—

901 drawings—volume on cartridge conversions from The International Cartridge Archives. Your first step should be to contact SAAMI, which establishes dimensional chamber and pressure standards for all U. S. ammunition/firearm manufacturers saami.org). They can advise on cartridge compatibility and pressure difference between your existing and the desired chamberings.

Finally, if there is any warranty remaining on your Ruger Model 77 it will vanish once the rifle’s been rechambered and if the rifle ever has to be returned to the factory for service it will be returned wearing a .280 Remington barrel. Winchester 1300 I have a Winchester 1300 12 gauge in my shop that goes out of battery when fired. It locks up tight when loading. I have re-examined the shotgun numerous times and can find no abnormal wear or breakage.

My first thought was grime not allowing the bolt to close and rotate but I discarded that idea as it was relatively clean. Mike Dill Pickle’s Pistol Packers What you have is a Model 1300, Series 120, which caused concern among many owners soon after its introduction by US Repeating Arms (R. I. P.). This model featured what the manufacturer advertised as a "Fast Action." Perhaps that was somewhat of an understatement.

The gun could actually eject a spent hull when and if the operator failed to hold the charging handle forward. According to input from a former Winchester Authorized Service Center, there is nothing amiss. Advise the owner to hang on to the handle a little more firmly and don’t allow it to move to the rear. Marlin 70 I will be installing anew barrel in a Marlin 70. The barrel has not had the retaining pin slot cut in it to hold it to the receiver.

How is the best way to do this job without getting the slot too far forward or rearward and also keeping it straight in line with the receiver hole? I will be working with an aluminum receiver. I will also have to align the sight dovetails when installing the barrel. Bucklin, KS We are reasonably certain the receiver isn’t pure aluminum but an alloy of the metal strong enough to serve as a receiver.

Marking the centerline of the receiver and the barrel prior to removal will serve to index the new barrel for dovetail alignment. The best reference for barrel installation/replacement has been written by John Hinnant, The Complete Illustrated Guide to Precision Rifle Barrel Fitting. We recommend you secure a copy before getting too far into the project. Midway USA offers it as does the author at johnsha- S&W Airweight I have a S&W Airweight .38 Special. The side plate /crane retaining screw hole has stripped out.

Do they sell an over sized screw and tap to tap out the old screw hole and install a bigger screw? It has an aluminum frame and I don’t know how else to fix the stripped out screw hole. Mark Alcorn Step One: Call S&W to confirm availability, diameter, metric or otherwise, and TPI of the oversize screw. Step Two: S&W doesn’t sell taps but once you know the diameter and TPI you can get one from Brownells or maybe even your local hardware store. While you’re about it, purchase a die as well. The reason?

It may come in very handy if no oversize is available and you have to recut the threads of a screw a size larger than the factory original to fabricate your own replacement. In doing so, you may have to reform the head or crane contact area of the replacement with a fine file, polish and cold blue the result. You wouldn’t want the finished replacement to gall the crane or fail to blend in nicely with the frame. Bob Hopefully, the side plate hasn’t bent.

Check this out by placing it on a true surface such as a square of plate glass and poking down at different spots around the plate to see if it wobbles. If it does, return the revolver and plate to the factory for a fix. AG