Reader Forum

Spring ield 67H I have a Model 67H Springfield 12 gauge pump shotgun and need an instruction manual and parts for it. Any advice where I can go? Also, in the October 2016 Reader Forum about "Accuracy problems" and the Browning A-Bolt chambered in .300 Winchester Magnum, I feel your given advice is good but the problem may also be indicative of a worn barrel. Using a borescope to see what’s inside may also be prudent.

For your shotgun, contact Numrich Gun Parts Corporation (gunpartscorp.com, as they list a schematic, manual, and gun parts for the 67H. A Google search for "Springfield 67H" reveals a number of instruction manuals available for free download. Your advice to consider a worn barrel and inspection via borescope is good, especially given the Magnum chambering. Stevens Visible Loader I’m looking for info on the Stevens Visible Loader. I found a few references online but I suspect you’ll have more details.

Can you point me in the right direction? I am working on two of these that were passed down to my son-in-law when his father passed. One has been refitted with a Winchester M67 barrel and is about seven inches longer than the other. We have distant memories of super senior ‘smiths speaking of the Visible as the "mizzable loader" due to its feed system.

It turned out to be a design than provided great visibility of a cartridge on its way to being chambered while proving a highly unreliable system for getting it there. It was also considered a "grizz" when it came to repair. Regardless, if you browse up "Stevens Visible Loader" you’ll be rewarded with links to parts, disassembly, and reassembly. You’ll also find a number of comments that make interesting reading. J. C.

Higgins .22 I had a customer bring me a .22 singleshot rifle that had been in his father’s basement for about 30 years. He asked me to clean it and check it out to be sure it was safe to shoot. The stampings on the rifle are, "J. C. Higgins, Model 101.24, Sears, Roebuck & Co., 22 Short, Long or Long Rifle." S. Shearman The problem is the bolt won’t open and will only move about 1/32 of an inch.

This is about as simple as a rifle gets and I am at a total loss as to what could possibly be keeping to bolt from opening. Artesia, NM William Reinhart You’ll have to find out who made the rifle for Sears as they didn’t make the guns they sold. There is across reference section living on some back pages of the Numrich Gun Parts Corporation catalog. After you have determined the identity of the manufacturer, contact us and we may be able to help you.

At the moment, we have only a hunch that the bolt could be seriously fouled, or even rusted, shut. Remington Trigger Reuse Any advice on what to do with all the stock recalled Remington triggers I have swapped out? John Diehl Have you swapped out the OEM triggers for aftermarket substitutes or replaced them with properly functioning OEM trigger assemblies? Either way, you now have a surplus of recalled Remington trigger assemblies on hand.

Under normal circumstances, a recall on any firearm or a key element to its proper/safe function includes instructions to return the affected gun and/or component to the factory for corrective action. Following a more strict OEM practice, replacement of an OEM trigger voids any warranty on the firearm immediately. We don’t know which best describes your situation. Our suggestion is to make no mention of aftermarket triggers when you call Remington.

Ask if they offer free corrective servicing of the recalled triggers and return to you after those measures have been taken. It’s along shot they will, but if they do you can make a nice profit on the stash of properly-behaving "Remtriggers" you’ll have on hand. Charles Daly Shotgun I have a Charles Daly Field 20 gauge pump gun made in Turkey (Model KBI-HBG) I bought as new. I took the gun out of the box it came in and wanted to try it out before giving it to my grandson.

The gun wouldn’t chamber a shotshell and wants to stick on top of the chamber. Wiggling it around will allow the shotshell to chamber but attempting to eject it allows it to come out about 1/2" or less without ejecting. Sometimes brass is pulled off the rim. I tried to get in touch with the company but they went out of business in 2010. Can you help identify what’s causing this problem? A gunsmith at Gander Mountain says it’s not worth fixing. Bill’s Gunsmith Louie Danielson Correct.

KBI, former importer of Charles Daly, is no longer in business. We recall they switched their offshore provider from Turkey to Japan previous to the demise, though it might have been the other way around. The chap who used to be our top tech contact for Charles Daly at KBI would know for certain. His name is Jim Heverling and is running his own operation now. You should contact him with any questions and feel free to mention that Chick Blood provided you with his email address at jimhev@ verizon.net.

James Williams AR-15 Magazine Issues I have various AR-15 magazines you can hit with a hammer and may not

seat. Do you have some tips (aside from the trash can) on trimming modifications on either the lips or attaching points that will make these easy to load? The problem isn’t being fully loaded where the top round is hitting the bolt, it’s that there is difficulty seating even with an empty magazine. All the magazines insert and latch easily if there are no rounds in the magazines or if the bolt is locked back. All the magazines require a firm push to latch if even three or four rounds are in them.

The really bad magazine is from Okay Industries but I have another one from the same company that latches with little effort. In addition to them, I have Parsons Precision Products, Adventure Line Mfg. Co., and B. F. I. alloy magazines, and new Magpul plastic magazines. Maybe I’m spoiled as I’m used to M14s which latch with a slight tug to the rear, but these AR-15 magazines just don’t seat without really being slammed. Joe Carlos responds.

So far your diagnostic process is similar to what I would do myself and your conclusions make sense. 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 First, determine if the guns that are having problems with the magazines in question have worked well with other magazines. That’s an easy indicator of problems.

For fixing the problem magazines, you mention the feed lips and that is a possibility. Usually, when feed lips are opened up far enough to impede seating of the magazine with the bolt in the forward position they often cause other malfunctions, such as allowing the bullet end of the round to tip upwards causing failures to chamber. I would investigate this first. To see if the feed lips are stretched too far up, try inserting an empty magazine with the bolt locked back.

If the empty magazine seats properly with the bolt back but fails to do so with the bolt forward, the feed lips are likely out of specification. Of course, it always helps to start with quality. I seldom find bad G. I. magazines. Check the baseplate to see if they’re issue and not a copy. You say the magazines lock into place but require a firm push if there are three or more rounds.

It will always be more difficult to lock a magazine when the bolt is forward given additional spring pressure but it shouldn’t require excessive forcing John Tate of things. Regarding M14s, I would employ a similar rocking forward and back to help lock AR-15s, especially when the bolt is forward and there are rounds charged, and because you’re already used to it. Adventure Line and Magpul are normally reliable and it’s not likely all these are acting abnormally. Try them in a different rifle and see if they work.

If they do lock normally, you likely have a gun problem. Volunteer Commando Mk 45 We have a Manchester Arms/Volunteer Arms Commando Mark 45 in the shop that does not fire every time, leaving only a light strike on the primers. Where we can find anew firing pin and spring? Failing that, how best can these be removed for inspection and identification? We checked Numrich and they weren’t stocking most parts for the Commandos.

Steven Murfin Since nothing turned up in the Standard Catalog of Firearms we entered "Manchester Arms Commando" into a search engine and found information about Commando Arms/Volunteer Enterprises and their firearms at VolunteerCommando.webs.com/ manuals. These guns are "Chicago Typewriter" (Thompson .45 submachine gun) look alikes with a straight magazine instead of the 50-round drum. These are not clones of the original Thompson and are not fully automatic.

If it were, this response to your inquiry would end here. Since that is not the case, these are semi-automatics with a fierce trigger pull. They were initially produced by Commando, previously named Volunteer Arms, as the Mark III. In production from 1969 to 1976, the model was changed to Mark 45 after the Volunteer Arms name ceased to exist. You will very likely have to reach beyond Numrich for replacements. Your best bet is a copy of the Brownells Gun Parts Source List for out-of-production firearms. AG