Well, more like a week ago, but who's counting.
I'd just finished running the bore-snake through my NEF 20 ga Pardner after a trip to the range, and upon finishing, I closed up the action. And promptly heard a metallic clink sound. Oh man, that's no good. So I opened the action back up, failed to find the source there. Next I thumbed the hammer back, and was promptly rewarded with a small metal pin and part of the "Striker Assembly" (more like a transfer bar, but that's what the HR/NEF manual calls it) falling out. Crap.
I collected the parts after a fun half hour of searching the floor for them, and put them in a nice baggy. I then started up the computer and began looking some help, calling a few people to get their take on the matter as I searched the web. A few phone calls and webpages latter and I'm convinced my NEF is doomed and I either need to take it to a gunsmith or send it back to H&R for repair.
Looking at my shotgun, I can kinda see why. No screws visible, no take down levers for the receiver. Just a hole mess of pins. Then, a glimmer of hope, as one forum mentioned making slave pins to keep the guts of the gun together as you take it apart. A quick trip to the shop and some nails have been pressed into service after a meeting with Mr. Hacksaw and Ms. Grinder.
After about 15 minutes of studying the owners manual exploded diagram, and I get to work with some brass punches. Turns out to be alot easier then I'd been led to believe. Half of my slave pins end up being too long, but not really a big deal. I get the rest of the transfer bar out and look at my problem, the pin needs to be peened again, which Mrs. Hammer is happy to do. Getting everything back into the receiver takes a little longer (okay, maybe those extra slave pins could have come in handy), but its pretty much a snap.
Finally done, I proceed to break open the shotgun, thumb and ease down the hammer, and "shot" snap-caps for the next half hour without a single hitch. Setting the shotgun on its rack, I find that I can't imagine sending off the Pardner to get such a little problem fixed.
So I was wondering if anyone else had any NEF/HR (or any shotgun really) at-home gunsmithing stories to share?
I'd just finished running the bore-snake through my NEF 20 ga Pardner after a trip to the range, and upon finishing, I closed up the action. And promptly heard a metallic clink sound. Oh man, that's no good. So I opened the action back up, failed to find the source there. Next I thumbed the hammer back, and was promptly rewarded with a small metal pin and part of the "Striker Assembly" (more like a transfer bar, but that's what the HR/NEF manual calls it) falling out. Crap.
I collected the parts after a fun half hour of searching the floor for them, and put them in a nice baggy. I then started up the computer and began looking some help, calling a few people to get their take on the matter as I searched the web. A few phone calls and webpages latter and I'm convinced my NEF is doomed and I either need to take it to a gunsmith or send it back to H&R for repair.
Looking at my shotgun, I can kinda see why. No screws visible, no take down levers for the receiver. Just a hole mess of pins. Then, a glimmer of hope, as one forum mentioned making slave pins to keep the guts of the gun together as you take it apart. A quick trip to the shop and some nails have been pressed into service after a meeting with Mr. Hacksaw and Ms. Grinder.
After about 15 minutes of studying the owners manual exploded diagram, and I get to work with some brass punches. Turns out to be alot easier then I'd been led to believe. Half of my slave pins end up being too long, but not really a big deal. I get the rest of the transfer bar out and look at my problem, the pin needs to be peened again, which Mrs. Hammer is happy to do. Getting everything back into the receiver takes a little longer (okay, maybe those extra slave pins could have come in handy), but its pretty much a snap.
Finally done, I proceed to break open the shotgun, thumb and ease down the hammer, and "shot" snap-caps for the next half hour without a single hitch. Setting the shotgun on its rack, I find that I can't imagine sending off the Pardner to get such a little problem fixed.
So I was wondering if anyone else had any NEF/HR (or any shotgun really) at-home gunsmithing stories to share?
It was worth the 40 bucks, though, cause I shoot left handed and crossbolt safeties suck enough, let alone those that work from the wrong side..
