Reader Forum

Hard to Find Gun Parts I’m looking for a copy of Hard to Find Gun Parts by Leeroy Wisner. It’s been out of print for some time and I’d like a used copy. I have checked Brownells, Amazon, and e Bay. I’ve even contacted the manufacturer Leeroy Wisner, all to no avail. Contact me if you know where I can find a copy. Gunsmith Wanted I have two Sako L691 actions with 24" barrels in my shop from a friend who wants them cleaned and sold.

The original owner had started making stocks for these, having sent the barreled actions to be blued, then bedded to his stocks. The components for this project were purchased new and started about 10-12 years ago but never finished. I’ve seen three of the stocks the original owner started. While only one was completed and ready to seal coat, he apparently was a talented stockmaker. I’ve seen some beautiful scroll work and checkering work and his was picturesque.

The issues I have at hand are minor surface rust on the actions, along with surface rust and more serious rust with pitting on both barrels after sitting so long. The bores appear clear of rust as they are coated with what appears to be a heavy black lubricant. I don’t have the knowledge nor equipment to prepare these for sale. Whom would you recommend to contact? Author Paul Mazan responds.

All of my contemporaries have since retired so I could no longer recommend a gunsmith that I knew personally and would recommend. I suggest contacting Brownells. When I worked there they did have a list of gunsmiths from different parts of the country and can supply names, locations, and numbers. Check out the listings at AmericanGunsmith.info/school-service as well. Jerry Spadorcio M1 Carbine Article "The M1 Carbine" by Paul Mazan (March 2018) was a nice article on the history but much was left out.

My Carbine has a flat bolt. Originally made in 1943 (I think) but modified post war. Yes, I know, it is a Blue Star import. Should the flat bolt need be replaced with around bolt, is this a simple switch or does the head space need to be determined again? How does one replace the flip safety with a push button safety? What’s the best way to go about removing the adjustable rear sight and replacing it with a flip sight? I would also like to replace the bayonet lug with an earlier one.

This also means removing and replacing the front sight. How does one do that? My intent is to convert my Carbine back to what it was originally, not as modified. I got mine for $250 so many years ago. I should have bought a pallet of them back then. Paul needs to do another article on this fine house gun. G. Thompson Author Paul Mazan responds. Thank you for your kind words. You are correct that my article was more about the history of the M1 Carbine than the gunsmithing details.

RK Campbell did an article covering many of the questions you have in the September 2017 issue. Assuming you do not have that issue, I will try to cover those questions here. It was discovered in WWII that extended use of the Carbine seemed to cause cracking of the right locking lug where it joins the bolt body. This condition became worse with the introduction of the M2 fully automatic version. The round bolt was introduced to beef the part up and reduce the incidence of cracking.

Your flat bolt is much preferred by collectors. As long as it shows no signs of cracking at the locking lug or any other dangerous condition, there is no reason to replace it. It is a simple switch but for safety’s sake checking the headspace is always recommended. I have never installed a push button safety in the Carbine. In the 50s and 60s it was popular to sporterize Carbines.

Sporter-style wood stocks were available but with current collector interest centering on "as issued" examples and the high prices of them today, it is more popular to restore them to full military configuration than to make non-original changes that would lower the value of the gun. My understanding is that very early Inland-made guns did have push button safeties and I have seen the safety buttons available on Gunbroker.com.

There is a video available on You Tube that shows the disassembly of the trigger housing including the removal and installation of the safety at goo.gl/qqep Ve. The instructions there make it a non-difficult job. The disassembly procedure is to first unload and show clear, then remove the barreled action from the stock by depressing the front band spring and sliding the front band forward. The barreled action complete with the trigger housing is then removed by moving the barrel up and away from the stock.

Remove the trigger housing assembly from the receiver by removing the retaining pin at the front of the housing and sliding the assembly forward. Make sure the hammer is in the forward (fired) position and compress the hammer spring by pulling back on the plunger that is inside the spring and against the hammer. Once clear Bill Mende

of the hammer, move it to the side and carefully move it forward, allowing the spring to relax. There are two pins in the side of the housing. Remove the forward pin from left to right and that will allow you to remove the hammer. Then remove the rear pin, releasing the trigger, sear, and spring. Pushing back on the plunger located at the bottom of the trigger housing allows pulling the magazine catch out of the housing.

After releasing tension on the plunger spring, the spring and plunger can be removed as well as the safety removed from the stock. Put in the new safety and reassemble, following the steps backwards. That You Tube video demonstrates how all these steps are done. Removing the rear sight and installing a flip style is no different than many other sights. The sights sit in a dovetail and are removed using a brass punch and driving the old sight off before installing anew sight in the dovetail.

The replacement of the front band is a more difficult task. To remove the band, first remove the front sight. The Army considered this a depot maintenance job because the front sight is crimped over both sides of the pin and the front sight key is staked at the rear. It can be done in the shop. Hold the barrel in a padded vise with the muzzle end sticking out beyond the vise jaws about one inch. Drive the front sight pin out from left to right using a 3/32 drift punch.

The sight is then pulled from the barrel using a special tool. Since this tool is not normally available, improvise with a gear puller by hooking it behind the sight and placing the pilot into the muzzle. Turn the handle to pull the sight off. Things get tricky if neither the military sight tool or a suitable gear puller is available. I have driven the front sight off using a brass punch while the barrel was held solidly in the vise.

That method will raise howls of derision from the purists and I wouldn’t do it on somebody else’s gun, however, sometimes a guy’s gotta do what a guy’s gotta do. AR-15 Technical Support Will the DPMS Oracle Barrel Assembly (Upper Receiver w/5.56 cal, Mfr Part: 60585, Brownells #231-000- 339WB) fit a Colt AR-15 A2 Colt Carbine (serial number LGC 0086XX)? My Colt has the 1/4" pivot pin. Brad Thompson, Brownells Sr. Tech Support Gunsmith, responds. It will be a direct fit if your Colt is the standard 0.250" pivot pin.

During the "ban" period on the commercial side, Colt switched to a 0.315" pivot pin for awhile. I cannot determine your size by serial number, but you can measure to determine. Obviously, it’s a direct fit at 1/4". If it’s the larger size, it can still be made to fit a large pin pivot pin with the use of the 160-000-443 Conversion Kit Pivot Pin Assembly (goo.gl/Xz69Qx). Damaged Grip Panel?

I can’t believe any competent gunsmith would destroy a walnut 1911 grip panel, say nothing of the frame, in the manner displayed in the center picture on the bottom of page 22 ("Pins And Screws", January 2018.) The most basic repair would be to remove the bushing, broken screw, et al. and replace both. This one photo discredits his competency and his entire article in my opinion. This repair job is likened to that of a "shade tree mechanic". Larry Krause Shooter’s Service, Arkansas Author RK Campbell responds.

Thanks for reading American Gunsmith. You seem to have read much more into this image than was stated or implied. As I noted, screws break. It wasn’t as bad a problem to remove the screw as I first thought. This gun arrived with the head of the screw broken, as illustrated, and it is something of a wonder it did not fall away. It broke off and fell into the shooters palm. I fail to see a scarred—much less destroyed—grip panel and a ruined frame is pretty imaginative.

John Tate As I noted in the article, a little finesse goes along way and you cannot damage the surrounding wood or metal. While my caption was simplistic I think you jumped to several wrong conclusions. Please read the feature. The images are intended to help illustrate the text. AG