Reader Forum

Winchester Model 73 I have a Winchester Model 73 with a production date around 1908. I’ve replaced the toggle link pins (bent), trigger spring (flattened), and managed to massage some dents out of the magazine tube. I’m now trying to figure out why there is so much fore and aft play in the trigger. Seems there is a lot of play where the trigger meets the sear. Whether or not the gun is cocked or not, this play is always there.

There is proper sear engagement with the hammer and the hammer drops as it should when the trigger is pulled. Chuck Williamson There is no separate sear component in a M1873. Instead, the upper end of the trigger engages a notch in the hammer. Both can become worn. When the wear is extreme, the play you mention is evident. Anew trigger and/or hammer, properly installed, can eliminate this wobble and usually does. You can also check the trigger pin and its hole in the trigger for excessive wear.

In examining the pin, see if it has become bent by rolling it back and forth on a true surface. A 12" x 12" x 1/4" square of plate glass serves extremely well as the surface.

If bent, the ends of the pin will move up and down during the roll test Adhesives Question There are a large number of adhesives available, such as white multipurpose (Elmer’s), epoxies of various consistencies and cure times (Acraglas, Acraglas Gel, Devcon, Marine-Tex, etc.), Urethane glues (Gorilla Glue), cyanoacrylate adhesives (Crazy Glue), hot glues, and

thread locking compounds (Loctite and clones.) How about an article on adhesives covering pros, cons, and what uses each are best for? Generally speaking, use of a wood glue should never be considered for a metal-to-metal union. One set of surfaces is textured while the other is non-absorbent and more likely to be smooth.

Except for mentions within articles for a specific product that has been used, the closest we have come to multiple pages dedicated to a description of adhesives and their applications appeared in our December 1995 issue. It covered all the then-marketed Loctite thread sealants but there are far more Loctite products today. This is also true of the adhesives you mention. Add to them the influx of construction adhesives, some of which presently boast contact adhesive properties.

All adhesives must be evaluated on their task-specific qualities. For example, fairly secure bonding of two smooth surfaces can be accomplished rather nicely with a readily available instant glue. We have yet to come upon a cyanoacrylate adhesive with equal adhesive properties for both smooth and textured surfaces. On another subject, namely wooden stock splits and deep gouges, a product with minimal shrinkage after curing is to be seriously considered.

Among these is Acraglas, which provides still-stronger bonding and filling capabilities when fortified with metal powder or shavings. One of our tech staff, who happens to do more rifle work than others, laces his Acraglas with key shavings when bedding a rifle barrel. The shavings are the residue produced by retail outlets making keys and are available on request for free, unless the store is managed by Ebenezer Scrooge. The same reenforced material goes into the split in a stock first and is allowed to cure.

Afterwards, he adds more layers of Acraglas, dyed to match the stock color and hide the fortified product beneath it. John Understand, with any epoxy product its resistance to heat must be considered. Heat can defeat the bonding ability of any epoxy but some epoxies withstand it better than others. An appropriate epoxy used to attach ribs to shotgun barrels won’t be beaten by the heat generated in a hunt. The same is true of a rib shooting loose during a Trap, Skeet, or Sporting Clays competition.

Loctite Black Max works for replacing front or mid-barrel bead sights. Savage Model 24 I have a Savage Model 24 .22/410 and need to know if it can be drilled and taped for scope mounts or is the barrel too thin? If its too thin, is there a clamp-on scope mount that might work? Darrell We have never seen or heard of a Model 24 with its shotgun barrel mounted over its rifle barrel and never heard of a Savage rifle barrel too thin for scope base mounting. The caliber .22 barrel on your Model 24 should be no exception.

To be absolutely positive, make a breech face to chamber-end cast with Cerrosafe. Position your scope base with its front hole(s) just forward of the breech face of the barrel. Mark the location of the hole(s) on the barrel. Remove the cast. Measure how far the base holes are located forward of the breech face. Call Savage customer service and ask to speak with a tech familiar with the Model 24. With the measurements you have taken, the tech ought to be able to tell you how much "meat" you have to work with.

Suppose it’s 0.250" deep, which it won’t be. In that case, your max drilling depth could safely be set at 0.125 inches and a bottoming tap employed to thread the hole(s). You don’t really need all those threads to hold a .22 barrel in place but remember there’s a shotgun barrel right under it capable of generating considerably more recoil energy. Install the mount screws with blue Loctite 242. Using any other color might bond the mount to the rifle so securely it would require plenty of heat to defeat the bond.

When finished, toss the chamber cast back into the vessel where-in it was melted to await remelting and taking of the next chamber cast. AG