Reader Forum

Winchester Model 97 I need to change out a worn barrel extension in a Winchester Model 97. How tight should the barrel-to-extension fit be? How is the fit deemed correct? I was told by a gunsmith that works on Model 12s that this is accomplished by torque, with the final barrel-to-ring torque set at 65 ft-lbs, ignoring the original sight bead position, drilling for anew bead, then adjusting headspace if needed.

Another person told me it was accomplished by indexing the front site to a certain position by adding threads to the barrel or facing off a small amount of shoulder after the last thread with a lathe, then tightening the barrel the last few degrees (10,12,15 degrees) until the sight bead clocks to vertical. A third person told me you can get shims to do the same thing. This part of the "fit up" process always seems to be missing from anything I have read or discovered to date about Model 97 or 12 work.

Any guidance regarding reference material, tooling, or details about this procedure will be truly appreciated. Paul Becher Slick Guns Ironworks The closest to being right is the first gunsmith but something hit us right between the eyes about your barrel to bring us to a screeching halt. You mention the extension being worn out. We know of no means to correct that particular problem beyond anew barrel.

We’ve heard of extensions in the condition we suspect yours to be in separating from the barrel and/or creating havoc within the receiver. We wouldn’t depend on Winchester, presently Browning-Winchester, to be the replacement barrel provider. Not for a Model 97. The aftermarket, including present importers or manufacturers of Model 97 clones, should prove to be productive. Remington SP-10 Can you direct me to information (manuals, schematics, etc.) about Remington’s now-obsolete SP-10 10gauge?

I can’t find anything in any of J. B. Wood’s Gun Digest manuals, nor in the various NRA Guide to Firearms Assembly books. This model apparently differed sufficiently enough from its predecessor (the Ithaca Mag-10) to warrant separate take-down instructions, paraphrasing J. B. Wood in his book, but none seem available. From the blogs I’ve read, I gather that the disassembly, particularly regarding the piston assembly, can be very tricky. John R.

Cooney, MD In the February 2002 issue we published an article on the SP-10 Magnum that should serve to answer your needs. Unfortunately, reprints are no longer available. We will publish your letter trusting that one of your fellow members has an intact copy of that issue and will contact you via email to arrange forwarding of the article there-in to you. AR-15 Barrel Removal I have recently built several AR-15 rifles and have been reading the American Gunsmith articles by Joe Carlos on the subject.

In his articles Carlos mentions using Loctite Green 620 on barrel extensions that produced increased accuracy. I tried this procedure and found a noticeable increase in accuracy, but don’t know the method for removing the barrel once green Loctite is utilized. The specifications state it takes an application of 250 degrees of heat to remove. Is it safe to apply that much heat to the receiver area to remove a barrel that has been installed this way? My receiver is 7075-T6 aluminum forging.

Author Joe Carlos responds. To remove a barrel whose extension had been Loctited in place with Green 620, heat the receiver threads with a blow torch, hold the barrel near its midpoint and tap the receiver with a wooden or plastic mallet, section of regular 2×4, or something similarly soft to drive it off. The whole process only takes about five minutes and the heat applied doesn’t seem to harm the receiver at all. I have done hundreds of them this way.

Some of the Loctite will need to be cleaned out of the receiver before installing anew barrel. I use an old hunting knife but steel wool or fine emery cloth also helps. That will take another five to ten minutes. I’m glad to hear that the Loctite improved your accuracy! Perazzi Model 500 Shotgun Any information on the Perazzi Model 500 Shotgun would be appreciated. Verlin L. Weaver Jr. Mountain Man Gun Works Sorry this took so long but it usually does with offshore-produced items.

Their manufacturers frequently insist the only way queries such as yours can be answered is via an on-site visit by one of us to their factory for personal instruction. Though there are those among us who’d welcome a junket to Italy, United Kingdom, Spain, Turkey, or Serbia… well, unlike Congress, we have no taxpayers to soak for the trips. We didn’t want to drop that bit of news in your lap and leave you with no hope.

A few years back, we saw a video on Perazzi and the 500 was included in the content but we’ve had no luck finding a source for that production so far. To be absolutely sure you find what you’re looking for and not what we think you’re looking for, please contact the Rutgers Book Center in Highland Park, NJ (Phone: Shawn Shupp Fax: Note, the book center is not connected with the university. Baikal 81M I have been told that any of the collapsible and folding stocks that fit a

Mossberg 500 will also fit the Baikal 81M with a some small modifications. Do you have a feel for what these "small modifications" might actually entail? We would hesitate to hand out the specifics without first contacting European American Armory, which is exactly what you should do Just tell them you need some shotgun stock information. Of course, also knowing the dimensions of the Mossberg stock is equally important.

Hopkins & Allen I have a Hopkins & Allen Arms Company single barrel 12 gauge shotgun without exposed hammers in my shop from a customer that apparently has a broken trigger mechanism. Is there a reference or schematic that I can research? The parts are held in by pins but I’m not sure whether they can come out to either side or just one way. Naturally there is some rust and accumulation of extra residue in the receiver.

Jimmy Thompson Hopkins & Allen went bankrupt in 1916 and the shotgun was probably made prior to that. We have never done an article on these shotguns though the company did produce many singles and doubles for private branding. They were then considered to be good quality. John Street No schematic can be found that we’re aware of. If you measure both ends of the mentioned pins, one end will be smaller than its opposite if they are tapered and can be drifted out from the smaller end.

If even on both ends, following the norm of "lefty loosey, righty tighty" should serve. Once you have the pins out you can go after the internal rust and residue in the receiver with good quality solvent and a bronze wire brush. We’d be very hesitant to fire modern high brass (hunting) loads in the gun. Mild target loads would be a safer starting point. Metal fatigue can happen with guns approaching 100 years old and the result of this can range from dangerous to death.

Bullet Tumble I have a Colt Coltsman rifle chambered in .243 and it won’t hit a twofoot target at 50 yards. At 25 yards holes on the target print sideways, indicating tumbling. I have cleaned the bore with four different cleaners and made sure the bore is completely unfouled but it did not help. What do you think the problem is? What can I do to correct it? Tom Masters The Coltsman went out of production in 1966.

If the one you’re dealing with has had considerable use in its roughly five decade lifetime or if it has not been properly cared for, the barrel may be shot out. Push a soft lead slug through from breech to muzzle. Make a magnified examination of it for signs of lands and grooves. Measure the outside diameter of the exited slug against the intended bore diameter of a .243 rifle, as referenced by SAAMI specifications. Do the same with the recommended bullet diameter of an unfired .243 cartridge.

We’re betting neither measurement will match the specified requirement. We’ll further make another bet that there is also muzzle damage. Any combination of the above can be corrected by rebarreling the rifle, which may well be the only way to get the rifle back on target. We’re assuming you’re shooting with iron sights but if not, are the scope base and rings firmly attached? Color Case Work Do you know where I can get quality color case work done? I have a custom Rolling Block that needs the same.

Dominick Pisano If your objective is to ship out the job and get it back perfect, try Doug Turnbull Restorations in Bloomfield New York Doug is a member of the American Custom Gunmakers Guild and the American Pistolsmiths Guild. If want to pick a brain, hit the books. We have never heard of or met a craftsperson in case coloring or case hardening worthy of a rave referral whose lips were sealed regarding their proprietary secrets. AG