Reader Forum

Working .22 Rifles I read RK Campbell’s "Working .22 Rifles" in the June 2016 issue with keen interest as I am an avid restorer of .22 rifles. I have been coaching youth Hunter Skills teams under a program similar to the NRA Hunter Education Challenge but scaled down somewhat. The Upper Savannah Shooters Association is the only shooting club in South Carolina that sponsors this type of learning experience for youth on an extended basis.

It starts with Hunter Education Classes and continues for five months from November to March. Students meet every Sunday to practice wildlife ID, orienteering, rifle, shotgun, and archery skills to carry youth beyond Hunter Education class to become true sportsman and shooters. The program includes .22 rife marksmanship as part of the program. A student of mine brought a Stevens 53D rifle to my class to shoot. It would chamber and fire around but would not eject.

After a thorough cleaning and using a .22 chamber iron to smooth the burr on the chamber, everything worked as it should. After that the rifled could hold its own in terms of accuracy with the CZ trainers and scouts we use. I did not disassemble the bolt because I had no disassembly instruction or diagrams and didn’t want to experiment on a proud child’s rifle owned by his grandfather that replacement parts may not be available for. Unfortunately, the rust and crud in the bolt keeps interfering with the firing pin.

I plan to put the assembled bolt in a sonic cleaner to see if it can be further cleaned but have not done so yet. Do you have any suggestions? Should I dissemble the bolt? If so, where would I find instructions or an exploded diagram to help in disassembly? Is there a similar Stevens model that instructions may be available for? Author RK Campbell responds. I would hope the ultra sonic cleaner will solve the problem.

To dig further, Numrich Gun Parts Corporation (gunpartscorp.com) has a parts diagram available at: goo.gl/31t Cw S. Also try Bob’s Gun Parts and Jack First. While I have not disassembled this bolt, it should be similar to anything else of the same time period. I would thoroughly soak the bolt assembly first. Carefully turn the cocking piece until it comes off. The internal parts will then be released. As you have heard so often before, assemble in the reverse order.

Note, some old rifles have a small pin that must be pressed out, some do not. Sorry to sound like I am going from the seat of my pants, however, The Gun Digest Book of Exploded Gun Drawings, including the online archive, does not cover this rifle. Colt Huntsman I would like to shoot CCI Quiet-22 .22LR ammunition in my .22 Colt Huntsman. What springs will I have to reduce in length in order for the pistol to continue to function as a semi-automatic?. We’re not familiar with the CCI Quiet- 22.

CCI lists the muzzle velocity at 710 feet per second. CCI standard velocity is listed at 1,070 and high velocity at 1,200-1,300. Further, HV ammo is seldom used in bullseye matches and standard velocity rules the firing line. Given the power reduction, you may have to reduce spring tension, however, don’t start chopping off coils as there’s a risk you’ll wind up battering the receiver of the gun. It’s better to replace them with lighter springs of the same weight.

Belknap Model B967-R I have a Belknap Model B967-R .22 semi-auto rifle in for repair with no known history on it. The customer claims it was jamming. I took it apart and cleaned, removing about twenty David Castle Greenwood, SC years of grime. The firearm now shoots the first round and chambers the second round but will not cock to fire. The rifle reloads and cocks properly every time by hand. I have already cleaned and polished everything in the action I can think of.

Frankie Joyner Joyner Sales The rifle was named in honor of Augustus Belknap who helped about two dozen San Antonioians form their own military company after being refused admission to the San Antonio Rifles. The group, Belknap Rifles, won more competitive drills than any other militia company in the United States at the turn of the nineteenth century.

Any hope of securing technical information on the rifle itself would require the assistance of the Texas State Historical Association at the University of Texas in Austin (tshaonline.org, Winchester Model 190 I am looking for a schematic and disassembly instructions for a Winchester Model 190. It is the same as the 290 except for a plain stock. I’ve couldn’t find it in the NRA’s rifle book and have had no luck tracking it down. Jack Roche Sam Calloway The rifle is so simple you don’t really need a schematic.

There are ample take down instructions appearing in the second edition of Gun Digest Book of Rimfire Rifles Assembly/Disassembly. If you want audio/visual input, direct your browser to search for "Winchester Model 190 Rifle" and you’ll find videos on You Tube and elsewhere showing disassembly of the 190. Monte Carlo Stock I am looking for a Monte Carlo for a Lee-Enfield No. 1 Mk. IV 303 British rifle. I have seen them at gun shows but nobody seems to know where they came from. The ones I’ve seen

to date were made of walnut and were beautiful. Two suggestions: Boyds Gunstock Industries (boydsgunstocks.com, and Wenig Custom Gunstocks (wenig.com, Be certain to discuss your wood and finish requirements with both. Mauser HSc Super I’m having an issue with a Mauser HSc Super, serial number 025XX. It’s marked ".380 ACP" on the left side of the frame and "9mm Kuntz" with a 38 under the 9mm on the barrel. I picked this handgun up at a sheriff’s auction and the price was worth the chance.

I cleaned it then took it to the range to fire it as a function test. It fired a few rounds but seemed to have some issues with the hammer cocking. Upon further inspection I noticed a broken clip on what I’m assuming is the hammer pivot pin. I can’t find any schematics showing the left side upper. The one schematic I have found seems to show a longer hammer pin.

I suspect this one might be broken as the picture Submit a question or letter to the Reader Forum column by addressing an email to or posting a letter to American Gunsmith, Alexandria, VA 22310. Send subscription questions to shows the little clip with the screw holding it in. Do you know where I might get a proper schematic, and clip and pivot pin if needed?

George Potvin We may be experiencing a terminology misunderstanding but have found no "hammer clip" or screw retaining it on the parts list shown in the Gun Parts catalog. We have noted a center-grooved pin that secures the hammer through matching holes on both sides of the receiver. The schematic we are referring to is of the HSc Super. You will find more information on its disassembly in the Gun Digest Book of Automatic Pistols Assembly/ Disassembly.

We are adding a tip for shooting self-loading pistols: Failure to maintain a firm wrist when firing can cause failures to cock. Winchester Blowing Open My friend and I have nearly-identical Model 1300 Winchester 12 gauge shotguns. When shooting either gun the action "blows open" though there appears to be no wear on the action bar or bolt and the lock up is good. Is this an inherent problem with these guns? I see nothing worn or broken. One gun is a Defender and the other is a Ranger.

Jack Owen This is a common attribute of the "Fast Action" Model 1300. Even with target loads, the forend must be held forward upon firing. Failing to make this a habit with light loads will enable a F. A. 1300 to extract and eject a heavy load. Shotgun Rib Soldering I recently had a Mossberg 500 come into the shop with a loose rib, appearing to be soldered only at the point directly in front of the receiver and not on the factory posts.

I resoldered the rib in the same manner using Brownells Hi-Force 44 Solder with the recommended Comet Flux. The rib continues to break loose when shooting the shotgun after soldering. While I’m positive the solder is not hot enough to properly bond together, I am using a propane torch and am afraid of overheating the barrel despite using some heat stop jammed all around the locking recess to attempt preventing ruining the recess directly.

Robert Driscole How hot can I get the barrel before I ruin the heat treatment? I would like to get the shotgun back to my customer correctly fixed. Am I wrong to be skeptical? Is there another way to bond the rib? Ryan M. Davis Cross Saber Custom Gunsmithing Brownells used to offer an industrial adhesive they branded as "Black Magic" that provided the same tenacious properties of the product employed by a major provider of ribs for attachment, or reattachment, to shotgun barrels.

The equivalent still available today is Loctite 380 Black Max, a fast-curing cyanoacrylate toughened with elastomers. It’s designed for gluing on shotgun sights, sight ramps, and repairs to vent ribs and beads, or installing rifle-type sights on plain barreled shotguns. AG