Reader Forum

Reader Thanks I just want to thank you for putting out a most informative and educational publication. I’ve been a subscriber for over a quarter century and still learn something new with every issue. Even though I’ll probably never see 95% of the guns that are written about, I still enjoy learning about them. Thank you for your efforts and those of your contributors. Erratum After the article "Fun With Flintlocks" went to press (May 2018) I discovered that I made an error in terminology regarding the sideplate.

In the article, I referred to it several times as the lockplate The lockplate is part of the lock while the sideplate is on the opposite side of the stock and acts as a decorative washer for the screws that secure the lock in place. The correct term for the part I was discussing in both the text and picture captions is sideplate. I apologize for any confusion this may have caused.

Detonics Pistol I started reading the Survivalist series by Jerry Ahern back in the early 1980s and have been enamored with the Detonics compact .45 ever since. I recently acquired one. Having disassembled it I’m now red faced as I can’t properly reassemble it. I am in need of any maintenance and gunsmithing information you can provide as this gun is a keeper. Despite owning and using many 1911-type handguns, the Detonics has me stumped. Thomas R.

Conner Detonics has changed names over the decades, starting as the Detonics Manufacturing Company in the 1 Slide 2 Rear sight 3 Extractor 4 Firing pin spring 5 Firing pin 6 Firing pin stop 7 Magazine catch lock 8 Magazine catch spring 9 Magazine catch 10 Slide stop plunger 11 Plunger spring 12 Safety lock plunger 13 Grip plate 14 Trigger 15 Mainspring cap 16 Mainspring 17 Mainspring housing pin retainer 18 Mainspring housing 19 Mainspring cap pin Conrad Long Fraser, CO mid 1970s the time frame their compact .45 was made and then reforming as New Detonics and Detonics USA.

Since 2007 the current company iteration is Detonics Defense, most recently forming a partnership with STI (famous for competition raceguns) to co-create an entry in the XM17 Modular Handgun System (MHS) competition. Although their 1911-inspired, striker-fired entry was ultimately beat out by SIG’s 320, it did make it into a final round for consideration. Paul Mazan The Detonics Combat Master is considered one of the first compact 1911-pattern pistols to be a production item.

Prior to this, compact 1911s were custom jobs, built by hand and typically by first cutting down a Government model. Sid Woodcock and his friend Chuck Lyford came up with the idea that there might be a market for a pistol like this in production. There were six different models available but they’re all similar. Only finish, type of material, and rear sight differentiate the models. Kingman, AZ The original Detonics is really just a smaller version of the 1911.

Although it was billed as the world’s smallest single-action autoloader 20 Sear spring 21 Magazine 22 Mainspring housing pin 23 Left hand stock 24 Stock screw 25 Stock screw bushing 26 Safety lock 27 Hammer pin 28 Sear pin guide screw 29 Slide stop 30 Frame 31 Recoil spring guide 32 Inner recoil spring 33 Outer recoil spring 34 Recoil spring cap 35 Barrel 36 Barrel link pin 37 Barrel link 38 Disconnector 43 Recoil spring 39 Sear 40 Hammer 41 Hammer strut 42 Hammer strut pin chambered for the .45 ACP, the operating principles of the Detonics is no different than Browning’s best.

See schematic. Loctite For AR-15 Your articles mention using green Loctite when building AR-15s. I see there is a couple different numbers for this. What kind are you using? Bill Smith Author Joe Carlos responds. If you are using a barrel with a custom BAT Machine extension that does not require adding any shim stock, use the quick drying #638 Loctite. However, #638 sets up too quickly when using shim stock wrapped around a standard barrel extension so the slower drying Loctite #620 is better there.

Note, #620 will also work on barrels with BAT extensions, it just dries slower. 1873 Winchester My shop is repairing a 1873 Winchester .22 made in 1884 and it needs a lot of work. We found a parts gun but the price for it was $225.00 plus shipping and tax. My customer isn’t willing to pay for that just to have parts as there was a lot of other

work needed. Do you have any suggestions as to where we can get what we need to make this gun work? If we understand correctly, the owner of this 1873 has decided $225 is too high a price to pay for restoration to a safe shooting condition. From what you say, this particular owner’s gun "needs a lot of work." That translates to plenty of hours of fixing, plus the cost of parts to do the job, plus tax.

Compare the cost of the parts needs with the usual suspects (Jack First, etc.) and estimate your hourly rate required to install them. Add any expense connected with test firing the finished product. Total up the cost. Notify your client of the amount required payable 1/3 up front, 1/3 half complete, and balance due upon delivery. If he still feels $225 is too high, invite the reluctant owner to secure a competitive bid elsewhere that results in a safe, serviceable Model 1873.

Alternately, offer to clean up his 1873 sufficiently to make it a nonshooting wall hanger. Without having seen the gun, we’d guesstimate that cost—assuming no overall rebluing and wood refinishing is necessary—to be about $175. If overall refinishing of metal or wood is required, the cost could easily reach above $500.

Pat Stad AR-15 Bolt Carrier Tilt Regarding anti-tilt pads ("Combating AR-15 Bolt Carrier Tilt", May 2017), when adjusting the screws to uniform the gap at the rear of the bolt carrier group, is it better to try to even the gap around the carrier or adjust it parallel with the bore axis? For example, say your carrier is undersized and adjusting the tilt to get a uniform gap in the back imparts a forward tilt on the carrier.

Would it be more beneficial to monitor the gap up front to keep the carrier parallel with the bore? How would you accurately measure the front gap, especially with the barrel installed? Author Joe Carlos responds. I know of no way to measure the gap around the front of the carrier with the barrel in place so I use feeler gauges at the back to achieve an equal amount of gap between the top and bottom of the tail end of the carrier.

With the pads located at 4:30 and 7:30 o’clock, most of my carriers level out with about 0.035" of the pin head above the surrounding surface. I set it in place with red Loctite and staking the screw heads. It is important not to get hoggish with your adjustment. A carrier tilted up at the back is as bad as one tilted down. I needs to be level and the best way I’ve found is to measure with feeler gauges as described in the article.

Hi-Point Model 995 The front sight on my Model 995 carbine completely broke off where the ring that goes around the barrel is on the weapon. I’ve heard of an epoxy called Black Magic (Sticky- StuffSales.com, that is supposed to be strong enough to drill or machine. Would something like HFT Super Strong Quick Setting Epoxy or J-B Weld work as well, provided it is made to bond to steel? I’ve tried to contact Hi-Point by phone as required for warranty work/repairs to no avail. Their phones are always busy.

This is an old truck gun that just needs to be accurate enough to get the job done. I’d prefer to just fix it myself. The repair seems simple. Remove two set screws, slide the front sight off, epoxy the broken parts together, let harden, remove any excess adhesive, and reinstall. What’s your opinion on this type of repair? Will it work and hold up to the shock from the rounds passing through the barrel?

Jeff Gilkison Noel Adams We believe Black Magic epoxy is sometimes used as the bonding material to afix shotgun ribs to barrels. Unless your 995 9mm carbine can beat a twelve gauge for shock, we have little doubt your front sight will be shot off once it has been properly repaired and re-installed. AG