at home gunsmithing

[Dr.Rob]

So the othet day I'm rummaging through some gun-related supplies and I come across a pistol I forgot I owned.

Before you freak out the pistol doesn't work, it appears to have a broken firing pin and it was worth $50 new in the 80's.

Anyway, its a junker, an FIE titan .25 I picked up in a property dispute and I was thinking, just for grins about refinishing it. (It was used as some nice old lady's purse pistol for years). The blueing is worn, there is rust in the magazine, it needs a new firing pin and the frame (Aluminum? Zinc?) is turned gray and has no trace of anodizing.

So I figured with some steel wool, a dremel tool (to buff out where she tried to engrave her SSN on the clunker) and some Birchwood casey-bluing solution I could pretty-up the slide. But what about the frame?

Anyone know how to do home anodizing?

Anyone know where to get a firing pin?

And yes, I must have too much time on my hands to even consider this.

 

[John Ross]

Quote: "And yes, I must have too much time on my hands to even consider this."

I cannot recall a comment with which I have agreed more...

JR

 

[Erich]

Is it a Type 1 or a Type 2 firing pin?

http://www.e-gunparts.com/products.asp?chrMasterModel=0680zTITAN E-27&MC=

 

[Keith]

I have an old set of scope mounts for a Titan that I could let you have for about $75...

Hehe!

Keith

 

[4v50 Gary]

Dunno about home annodizing. However, you can bake on a finish with stuph from Brownell's (shake can, spray & bake gun - in neighbor's oven. Pay the neighbor's kid $10 to use the oven while his mom is away).

Try GunPartsCorp. for a new firing pin.

 

[jsalcedo]

Sounds like a fun project.

Be sure to tie the FIE to a tree with a loop around the trigger
when its time to test fire.

 

[45R]

you can always buy a cheapo toaster oven for the spray and bake finish. The .25 would be small enough to fit and you wont have to worry about Martha Stewart coming after you for using her oven.

 

[ElToro]

can you donate it, like a car, to charity and get a write off ?

how about getting rid of it at the next gun "buy back" in trade for $100 grocery coupons.. get some nice steaks and a quality bourbon and enjoy!

 

[Mark Tyson]

I was thinking the same thing as El Toro. Gun "buybacks" will pay outlandish prices for cheap, nonfunctioning guns.

 

[standingbear]

im with eltoro too.are you sure its even safe to fire provided you do manage to replace the firing pin?these things can cost you an eye or worse.if i were you,i wouldnt bother with it-sink money into a 50 dollar accident waiting to happen.how bout a nice hood ornamate?(okay..just kiddin)weld it up permanently and plug the barrel- stick it on some clunker truck or riding mower.seriously,tinkering is one thing but firing it could get you injured.be careful.

 

[4v50 Gary]

45R - cheaper toaster oven. Now that's a bright idea. When you're done, you can try to sell it for what you paid for it.

 

[mjydrafter]

If it were me, I'de look at it as a an extremely expendable way to learn some smithing. I have a good link to home anodizing here.

Anodizing is fairly costly to get into up front. Depending on the alloy it can be easy or difficult.