What gunsmithing or repairs have you done today

Slow progress . Waiting on an end mill for matching slide serration’s. Time to start the lightening process .

Did some mone inletting on my 280 ai stock, timney featherweight deluxe. Wuth safety is scheduled to arrive on Wednesday and will need installation, hence more inletting.

Never done any gun-smithing unless changing out grips is considered gun-smithing, but I am going to have my first go at it soon.

My Interarms Virginia Dragoon .44 Magnum apparently has a broken spring for the cylinder lockup bolt. It won't come up and the cylinder spins. I could not find a spring available for the Inter arms but heard that a Colt SAA spring will work. So I am going to try it. The Colt spring looks just like this one that is out of stock for the Interarms:


Looks relatively easy. Just pull the grip, the hammer spring, then remove the grip/trigger guard assembly and the spring will be exposed.

Image from video.

Or is it possible to pull the grip/trigger guard assembly off without removing the hammer spring? The guy in the video removed the hammer spring only because he was doing a complete tear-down for some metal treatment.

Finally, I heard I should use thread locker on the grip/trigger guard when I reassemble it. Is Permatex blue too strong? Or should I get the weaker purple stuff? I suspect just a dab like on the end of a toothpick should suffice for each screw.

Thanks in advance for any advice, tips, etc.

My gun-smithing job (two posts back) is done! Gun case makes nice mat to work on. So, take down was pretty easy but the trigger spring was a bit hard to get out using a paper clip as the guy in the video did. But a finishing nail was thicker and gave the added measure to just get it out. Also the part listed as #42 was not present in the video but goes over the spring. The tough part is I could not get the screw back in. I struggled with it for about 20 minutes before I finally figure that it has a greater arc than the spring that came out of the gun. Then I noticed it was also a hair thicker, which is not necessarily a bad thing. So I beat some of the arc out of the new spring gently with a hammer and finally got it to lay in the slot better and was able to install the screw. Reassembled the gun and the cylinder locks up nice and tight. Cost: $7.99 for the spring ($12.84 after tax and shipping). Labor cost--hey, I had fun for the most part and it was a good experience.

My timney arrived today, spent the last couple hours inletting trigger guard and stock. It's not quite there but pretty close. Will have to finish up tomorrow, getting tired and sore. Doing most of it with hand files and sand paper.

Down to sanding and polishing.

^^Very nice!

a2x4bbl said:

Down to sanding and polishing.

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Had no idea in post #429.
Now I get it!

I finished inletting the trigger area so the barreled action fits into the bishop stock. I left yhe pull weight at factory setting of 3 lb as it feels pretty good for initial sight in, when I get a mount, rings and drilled and tapped. I have an engine to remove and replace this weekend, but hope it will only take a day as I want to go see AL, Troy's dad for a few finishing touches to the stock and bolt, will be installing a commercial bolt shroud, but will likely leave the bolt and shroud assembly apart so I can bend the bolt handle a few degrees to the rear so it fits better in yhe wood.

All done . Waiting on the Holosun from Optics Planet to mill the slide .

aaaaa said:

My gun-smithing job (two posts back) is done! Gun case makes nice mat to work on. So, take down was pretty easy but the trigger spring was a bit hard to get out using a paper clip as the guy in the video did. But a finishing nail was thicker and gave the added measure to just get it out. Also the part listed as #42 was not present in the video but goes over the spring. The tough part is I could not get the screw back in. I struggled with it for about 20 minutes before I finally figure that it has a greater arc than the spring that came out of the gun. Then I noticed it was also a hair thicker, which is not necessarily a bad thing. So I beat some of the arc out of the new spring gently with a hammer and finally got it to lay in the slot better and was able to install the screw. Reassembled the gun and the cylinder locks up nice and tight. Cost: $7.99 for the spring ($12.84 after tax and shipping). Labor cost--hey, I had fun for the most part and it was a good experience.
View attachment 1108279

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That flat trigger spring is prone to break in SAA revolvers as you discovered.

A longer term fix is to replace it with a wire type spring such as this: https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1004170724

I took a model 12 down to 20 inches that someone accidentally ruptured the barrel trying to shoot steel shot through. It’s getting a new bead next.

Speedo66 said:

That flat trigger spring is prone to break in SAA revolvers as you discovered.

A longer term fix is to replace it with a wire type spring such as this: https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1004170724

Click to expand...

Thanks, maybe i should order one just to have on hand. I think the spring I bought will endure all the use I will ever give this gun because it is definitely thicker than the spring that came out of the gun. I would guess now, perhaps 25% thicker.

I have this Walther PDP that desires to drop a magazine on the second shot with rapid 2-hand grip firing activity, never with rapid strong right-hand only shooting. Same thing occurs with Walther PPQ M2.0 which I have switched the magazine catch to right side, problem solved. I was shooting the PDP today and it occurred to me rather than switch sides of the magazine catch I would install a stiffer spring mechanism in the catch. Used a small Wolff spring (from their minature kit offering I had in a drawer) that fit internally to the stock spring and just a bit longer, so the springs run concentrically. A marked increase in the snap of the magazine catch when inserting a magazine.

Haven't run it at the range , but will report back. I wish Walther did not forsake the paddle (HK style) magazine release , as grip style does not interfere with such configurations.

I think the only concentric spring situation I can recall that I have is the Sig P250 hammer springs...have an old Browning Auto-5 but is has dual-springs, not concentric.

Took off my C-More RDS and added the original Ruger Rear sight and Fiber Optic Front Sight to my Mark IV 22/45 Lite . I kept the Tandemkross Halo Charging Handle and Allchin Compensator so that I can shoot this gun in Rimfire Pistol Iron RFPI at our next Steel Challenge match. I added a Striplin Thumb Rest as well although it's not in the picture.

I also took my Tandemkross holster and modified it to work with the thumb rest. Just too a little time with my Dremel and cutoff wheel and sanding disk to dress it up. Now I can use the holster with this gun.

While at it I modified my Volquartsen Kydex Holster so that my Black Mamba with Striplin Thumb rest sights all the way down with the C-More Sight on it.

Took my 280 ai to work Saturday and bent the bolt handle a few degrees rearward so it fits my stock better have to flatten the underside some and clean it up from the hammer impacts. Did my first co.plete disassemble of the bolt with the commercial bolt sleeve.

The timney featherweight deluxe I bought on sale is on sale again at midway.

Been working on a barrel fixture for my lathe. Started with a 4" diameter piece of 1045 steel about 7" long. Ive got a 6" deep bore in one end, 1.0625" in diameter, and about 2.5" of it at 1.5" diameter. Just gotta flip it around and finish the bore. Ive got some brass tipped set screws on order. It will have a trio of screws on 4 sides.

I used some of my new used MT drill bits. They worked well. On that end, some of them are a MT#4 and my tailstock is a measly MT#3 taper. Im thinking of chucking them up and using an angle grinder mounted to my tool post to take those #4s down to a #3.

Before and during, still working on it.

What are you using for a heat sink while forging the bolt handle? I can't find one any where. I was thinking about making one from an old bolt shroud. Mine of course will be for small ring actions.

What the hell Am I thinking?!!! A 1/2" diameter 13 threads per inch grade 8 bolt will do the trick for a heat sink or even threaded rod of the same thread pitch. Duh. That is what I use all the time for my jeweling jig.

Mauser fan said:

What are you using for a heat sink while forging the bolt handle? I can't find one any where.

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The bolt threads are Buttress vs conventional V threads. That 1/2" bolt might work, but it will have poor contact with the bolt body unless you torque it down, which stands a good chance of damaging the threads.
Brownells - 080-638-003WB #3 BOLT HEAT SINK $27.49 Per Brownells answer in the Q&As - "This is to be utilized in a '96 and '98 Mauser."

Mauser fan said:

What are you using for a heat sink while forging the bolt handle? I can't find one any where. I was thinking about making one from an old bolt shroud. Mine of course will be for small ring actions.

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Didn't use one it was in a very large vise though and used an acetylene torch heats up quickly.

Here is a picture of my homemade jeweling jig.