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Minor repairs

3597 Views 29 Replies 19 Participants Last post by  rman
Hey don't anybody work on their own gun[?] I am allways afraid I'll mess something up. I might try some minor stuff but that's all. Anybody work on them[?][?][:eek:)][?][?]
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I don't mind doing amature gunsmithing, I won't mess with the hammer and sear group. I'll leave that up to the professionals!
I do a little but I make sure what I can/am going to do before I start. I also make sure I know how something works before doing anything.
quote:Originally posted by Keith Smith

I don't mind doing amature gunsmithing, I won't mess with the hammer and sear group. I'll leave that up to the professionals!
+1 on the hammer/sear interaction... No mans land, in my shop.
We "used" to , had 3 different shops over the past 35 years and spent a few summers at Camp Perry back in the 70s. But since we retired, we only will help in a "pinch" or something that will not effect the warranty or the liability. We specialized in 'refinishing/restorations' years ago and I wish I had a "penny" for every part I buffed, polished, and reassembled over these years. I'd be able to "really retire" comfortably....ha ha
So we will stick to the "tinkering, not the gun plumbing". It's only a 'hobby' these days.
Same here. I can do a fair job (if I say so myself) with Ruger Blackhawks (old and new models) and Vaqueros. Can glass bed rifles. And a few more odds and ends. When I wanted my Mini 14 to have a lighter pull, I sent her off to someone who knows his stuff.
I need a set of gunsmith punches... because when I do pin break down, I go after the firing pin first and use it as my punch...
Last time I took mine apart, I used a finish nail, heated and hardened. Maybe I'll get a set too.
guess this is about the right place to ask this---is the snazzy moderator's logo part an extractor, by any chance??
Naw... It's a "thought" out of the right hemi-sphere of my brain... I just made it up...:D
I agree with what you all say about the hammer/sear area. About the only "amateur" gunsmithing I do is stone off metal burrs from around the areas of movement of the hammer, trigger, and cylinder etc. In the past I have clipped off a few coils of the hammer spring to lighten the trigger a bit, but sort of shy away from that now since it's such a "touchy" area. Now I usually purchase Wolff spring kits. :)
I do almost all my own smithing.
If mine stop working, I take them apart and try to fix them. Guess I kind of go by the philosophy, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it".
I confess I like to do my own stuff as much as possible. That is really only doing minor things, particularly to new Blackhawks. I learned a lot about doing trigger jobs by working on a Redhawk and ruining a bunch of triggers and hammers before I got it right.
Messing with hammer/sear can cause a miss fire if not done right. To me saftey is #1.
Gunsmithing really isn't that difficult. It's a matter of having the proper tools, dexterity, and mechanical ability. Brownell’s or Numrich sells most of the parts. If you lack any of the above, it's best to have a gunsmith do your work.

If anyone needs guidance on Ruger repairs or modifications, I would be glad to post a "how to".
quote:Originally posted by TomC

I confess I like to do my own stuff as much as possible. That is really only doing minor things, particularly to new Blackhawks. I learned a lot about doing trigger jobs by working on a Redhawk and ruining a bunch of triggers and hammers before I got it right.
Thats the reason I don't work on mine unless necessary. I usually tear up more than I fix. Welcome to the Rugerforum. Drop by the new member section and introduce yourself. Glad to have you here.
My best friend and I do some minor stuff, he has the tools and a great shop. I bought some 310 gr WIDE nose flat point gas checks from laser cast that had a metplat so wide they wouldn't go into the magazine on my marlin 444 so we pulled off the forestock and mag. tube, ground some of the frame off and works great now. We took the gun clear down and polished the innards with buffer and rouge. action is real smooth now.
I put a pocket clip on my 3AT Kel-Tec last night, and man was I proud of myself. I didn't mess up anything.
I don't work on revolvers, however, over the years I've assembled a number of firearms from parts. My first venture was putting together a 1911 automatic built on an Essex Arms frame with the balance of the parts being all new Colt. My next effort was assembling a Bushmaster AR-15. I did have Bushmaster screw the barrel to the receiver, but I did the balance of the work. Next I purchased a U.S. M1 .30 carbine receiver from Springfield Armory while at Camp Perry for the National Matches. I purchased the balance of the parts from Fulton Armory and then sent the receiver and the barrel to George Likas, at Riverbank Armory in California to mount the barrel to the receiver. My last adventure was to assemble a Stg58 FN FAL on an Imbel receiver. Here again I had a smith install and head space the barrel, but I did the balance of the work.

I just won't do trigger work or get into the lockwork of a DA revolver. I leave that to the experts. I feel that I do know enough to be cautious against getting into things that are over my head. I'll be quick to tell you, "I don't know!"
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