Reader Forum

Lug Lapping I have an old (2007-8) Weatherby Vanguard, a pre-MOA model. After reading the article "Precision Barrel Fitting, Part Two" in the May 2014 issue I inspected the bolt lugs on this rifle and found some wear indicating the contact points. I have fired several hundred rounds through this rifle and am happy with the accuracy. It shoots MOA or thereabouts with factory ammo and better with handloads despite the wear indicating much less than full contact with the lugs.

I am reluctant to do anything to it because it "ain’t broke" although I did inspect it thoroughly and full contact is not indicated. It sounds like you may have missed some pertinent-to-your-query information that appears in the article. Included area couple or three key paragraphs on performing the operation and a drawing from John Hinnant’s book to serve as a guide for making your own bolt lapping tool.

If that thought doesn’t appeal to you, Brownells offers ready-made bolt lapping tools but none are listed for a Weatherby. Talk with a Brownells Tech to determine if one of the tools they offer can be substituted. If not, you have little choice beyond taking a DIY approach. Martini Cadet Stock I have a Martini Cadet barreled action chambered in .310 Cadet which I want to restock.

I have acquired a stock, however, the stock is not bored for the screw that holds the stock to the action and I have been unable to find any instructions about how to do this particular job so that the action and the stock are together properly. I wonder if you could help me any in either to reference some article or other instructions or to let me know directly. Walter J. The barrel of your Cadet Action should be wearing a stud on its lowermost surface. The stud is the stock screw stud.

It has been internally threaded to accept the stock screw. Coat the lower surface of the stud with an indicator fluid such as Dykem. Locate the position of the stud on the upper surface of the barrel with ared wax marker. Before the indicator fluid has dried completely position the barreled action in the stock as far to the rear as it can go. Place an old sock or similar padding over the red mark. Tap smartly down on the padding three or four times to assure good contact between the stud and the barrel channel.

Tap once or twice more on each side of the red mark but retain the padding over your points of impact. Joe If good contact has been made there will be a distinct stain in the barrel channel remaining after the barreled action is lifted free. This stain indicates the position of the stock screw stud. Locate stain center and drill a very small hole down through the exact center of the barrel channel. Do not enlarge the hole to accept the stock screw at this time. Check out alignment first.

Seat the barreled action in the stock. Insert a toothpick or short length of straight wire into the hole you have drilled. If the toothpick or wire top out in the stud screw hole you’re lined up. Remove the barreled action and enlarge the alignment test hole to accept the stock screw. Once again, rejoin the barreled action and stock. You may have to nudge the action slightly fore or aft to perfect the alignment before installing the stock screw. Remington Nylon 66 I recently picked up a Remington Nylon 66.

It is in good condition except for the stock. Is there away to bring back the luster and remove minor scratches on the plastic stock? Charles The Nylon 66 rifles we’ve seen had a glossy black stock. For minor scratches, there are plastic polishes available at auto parts outlets and sold to clear up headlight lenses. For scratches too deep for these polishes to eliminate we recommend refinishing the entire stock with a gloss black coating.

One we like a great deal and have worked with frequently is Dura Coat duracoat-firearm-finishes.com). Their #41 Gloss Black ought to look great on a 66 and one of their Shake ‘N Spray finishing kits ($29.95) could probably redo half a dozen pretty badly scarred stocks. When you speak with them be sure to mention the one you’re fixing up is plastic.

Dan Wesson I found your article at gunreports. com entitled "The Return of the Dan Wesson Model 15" and read it with interest as I am a great fan of the Dan Wesson revolver and remain hopeful it will return to production. I was confused by something in your explanation of removal for the front sight. "However, if you can eyeball both ends of the pin you can drift it out after you back out the frontsight retaining screw. The smallest Allen wrench on the takedown tool is intended for this purpose.

With the pin and screw both removed, grasp the blade (#5) in your padded pliers and pretend you’re the most gentle dentist in the world." Why bother removing the pin? I have three Dan Wesson Model 15-2s and if I remove the front sight retaining screw, I can always remove the front sight blade with a bit of persuasion. I say a bit of persuasion because I’ve always found that they tend to stick because of gunk build up and maybe a tad of corrosion will hold the blade in place. Am I missing something?

Mark We believe what happened is a simple engineering change made either by CZ or the new Wesson group in Norwich whereby a pin was added

as extra security against the front sight insert shooting loose or being knocked off. A pin was definitely present on the revolver when it was featured in American Gunsmith April 2010. Zabala Shotgun I am a newcomer at this "shootybangy" lark and have just acquired three shotguns. One of them is a Zabala 12 gauge side by side. Actually, I was given this one as only one of the barrels worked and the rear trigger had seized.

The latter problem I have fixed as it was only the safety actuator arm being loose and fouling the trigger mechanism. The former requires an expert. Upon removing the firing pin retaining housing I dropped out the pin and found the detent spring munched up and the firing pin in two pieces. The model number is M 19 P, serial number 203XX if that’s any help. Could I either order or fashion one with spring? What would you estimate the cost to be?

As a newcomer we feel it an obligation to advise you to explore the Internet on any firearm, be it gift or otherwise, of which you have never heard. Though not newcomers, we were forced to do so as we were preparing this response. Firstly, we do not order or manufacture parts for our member/readers. Secondly, the Zabala is of Spanish manufacture, has no US distributor at this time and is not highly thought of concerning quality.

One comment we came across referred to it as "The bottom of the barrel in double barrels." However, Marlin once approached Zabala to produce an L. C. Smith 28 gauge clone for them so we choose not to take the previously quoted opinion very seriously. Unfortunately, Marlin had been acquired by the Freedom Arms Group along with several other American manufacturers. At present, the only way you could inquire of Marlin would be through Freedom Arms. They are located at in New York City.

Their phone is probably listed under Cereberus Capital Management and will be answered accordingly. Gary Remington Model 4 I was recently given a Remington Model 4, a rolling block, solid frame, single shot rifle chambered in .22 caliber. I am of the opinion that she can be rescued and returned to the ranks of the shootables.

However, the old girl has a few problems, like a broken stock (I’m sure I can splice apiece on to fix it), sewer pipe barrel (maybe this can be fixed with a severe scrubbing or relining?), stuck firing pin (what is the protrusion supposed to be?), and worst of all, the hammer won’t wait until I pull the trigger before it falls (perhaps rehoning or reshaping the engagement steps will help?) I am hoping you can point me in the right direction. Who can I contact for a take-down guide, or even an exploded view?

The Numrich website lists parts but no schematic, so I don’t know what, if anything, she is missing. And who can I contact for answers to the above questions? Jim Arguably, such rolling block rifles went along way to keeping Remington Arms alive during hard times in the past. We did an article on the model several years ago but reprints are no longer available.

Your best source now, including a schematic, appears in the The NRA Guide to Firearms Assembly (hard cover edition.) From your description it sound like your rifle is in rather poor condition. Anew barrel may be needed along with several replacement parts such as the hammer, trigger and firing pin.

If the Remington Custom Shop in Ilion, NY is still turning out rolling blocks on special order, securing those parts, and any others discovered to be missing, should not present a major problem and will open the door for a factory response on trigger pin protrusion, which we assume would be 0.060 but that figure should be confirmed.

If Remington can’t fill the need for parts, call Brownells, request a free copy of their parts source list for out-of-production firearms and prepare yourself for a search of the aftermarket. AG