The Gunsmith Thread

[ZoomieFrom1994]

Fiber optic front sight’s “light pipe” went “PAAAFFFLLLIIINNGGG!” during yesterday’s practice session:



Arggghhh!!!

And I didn’t think to stick any replacements in my range bag (and a cigarette lighter)



I was about done practicing anyway.

EDIT: supposedly, those fiber optic light pipes can be bought by like the foot from hobby stores. Maybe they are used for lights on model railroad train layouts or RC planes. I bought my replacements from Ernie Langdon’s website. Turns out they came in Wilson Combat packaging. Cha ching$$$

 

[ZoomieFrom1994]

Mo’better’er:



I can see my front sight now.

 

[THParent]

Last night after my regular job, I went to the gun store to knock out a few repairs. I went to visit my son recently, so things have been a bit backed up.

My first one was removing a guy's bipod from his M-LOK handguard. Normally, that's not an issue which requires a gunsmith. This guy however, had used the wrong tool ( a hex key in a Torx socket) and just boogered up the screw so much, there was no getting it out of there. Instead of just quitting right there and bringing it to me however, you know what he did? He went to the second screw located just an inch or so away and proceeded to completely mangle that one as well. I drilled both and removed them with a screw extractor, for $55.00.
If he had stopped at the one, it would have been $30.00, but doing both gets you an added $25.00 D.A. tax. Here's your sign.

The next one requires photos. This guy thought he would D.I.Y. his own suppressor-ready muzzle device removal.
The work ticket read: "he tried everything including heating it with a torch, but this thing won't budge. It's really on there!"

Yeah, I'll say. I immediately notice that the flats on the hexagonal base are untouched by a tool of any kind. Nice job with the locking pliers, buddy! I wonder how much that muzzle device cost, initially. You know, the one that you just mangled beyond repair. $80? $100?

The reason he couldn't get it off was because it was attached with Rocksett™, which is a ceramic cement used to keep threaded devices like these from getting loose, no matter how much heat they are subjected to. The ONLY way to get these off is to soak overnight in water or immerse in boiling water for about 30 minutes. You see - as good as Rocksett™ is - it is not impervious to the universal solvent.

I chose the soaking-overnight method, because this moron can wait.

 

[ZoomieFrom1994]

Thanks for the gouge on the Rockset.

Years ago, when I was dabbling in 3-gun / muti-gun competitions, I had bought a Rock River Arms 20”“coyote” upper. It came with the usual run of the mill A2 type flash hider. (This was when I shot just iron sights, so having the extra barrel length gave me a longer sight radius.)

I had a heck of a time trying to get that flash hider off.

But at least I had the good sense to NOT use anything with teeth (no channel lock pliers, no pipe wrenches, no vise grips).

I took it over to a buddy’s house.

He put the upper receiver in a jig. Clamped that in a vise. Then he used this wrench:



And that old flash hider was off in about 5 seconds.

I was impressed.

We put a Miculek compensator on with a crush washer.

 

[DeltaPoint]

Ruger M14 platform chambered in 7.62x39, I absolutely loved this firearm. 7.62 really packs a punch.

 

[THParent]

That's a Mini-Thirty, soldier.

Without the .308 chambering, a shorter barrel, and a completely different gas block, but kinda like a step-brother of the M14. I'll give you that.
I have one, and they are pretty great.

 

[ZoomieFrom1994]

I have a DPMS Sportical in 7.62X39, an AR-15 basically, just no forward assist. I bought it back some time between say 2007 and 2010. It was actually in the gun library at the local Cabela’s.

Now, granted, I am assuming that a Mini-Thirty has a totally different bolt and/or bolt carrier group than an AR.

Supposedly, one of the perks of shooting 7.62X39 back then was how cheap and available the imported or Russian steel cased ammo was.

Come to come to find out, that DPMS Sportical puked on steel cased stuff. It ran 100% with brass cased ammo. I bought a Lewis Machine and Tool “lobster tail” or “lobster claw” bolt for it. That helped reliability with the steel stuff, but still not quite 100%. Some LGS in St. Louis had gobs of Winchester factory ammo in 7.62X39, so I stocked up. Then I saved the brass.

Since I used to shoot these USPSA and IDPA competitions, the rules were set up to honor “power factor” . PF is bullet weight in grains times velocity in feet per second. It gives you a six digit number, but everybody drops off the three digits on the right.

If my memory is correct, a typical 7.62X39 round would be 123 grains zipping out at about 2,300 fps. So a 282 PF. For those competitions, there was major PF which started at 165. Then there was minor PF which started at 125 on up to 164.99.

Oh…about twice, plus, the “wallup” of your usual 9mm handgun round. For me, el cheapo Winchester White Box (WWB) 115 grain 9mm ammo might PF at about 135.

Again, if my memory is correct some of these 3 gun competitions used to recognize PF for rifle too. The bigger matches out west would utilize these “flasher targets” made by MGM:



You aim for and hit the white hexagon steel target on the bottom. Then the whole thing rocks back and forth so you see the orange and white “placards” flash you.

Guys would be shooting 16 inch barrel’ed AR ‘s in .233 with 55 grain bullets. 300 or 400 yards out or even more, those little bullets didn’t carry enough energy to get the orange and white “placards” to rock back and forth. The range officers wouldn’t call them out as “HIT!” 55 X 3,200 = 176 for PF.

Competitors were forced to go to 18 inch and 20 inch barrels and use 69gr or 77gr bullets to get the targets to flash.

The other advantage with the 69 and 77 grain projectiles was they were better at “bucking” the (cross) wind(s) as compared to the 55’s.

Unfortunately for the 7.62X39, to hit stuff at say 300 or 400 yards, well, the trajectory is like a rainbow.

 

[ZoomieFrom1994]

Speaking of AR bolts and BCG ‘s , this came across my FB:



It seems to be a solution in search of a problem.

Are there tons and tons of BCG’s afflicted with gas keys coming loose?

About the only other thing I can think of is that the BCG is also made from titanium or maybe some “high zoot” al-you-many-em.

 

[THParent]

That's a bolt carrier for a piston-driven system. If you look closely there's no tube, because that's a solid impact point (for the piston), not a gas key.
You'll find these on 9mm AR-15 rifles/pistols as well.

Gas keys (for direct impingement systems) do actually come loose, so that's why we stake the bolts.
A properly staked gas key should look like this:

 

[ZoomieFrom1994]

I shoulda put my cheaters on. I could swear there was a hole in that “gas key” looking protrusion.

Maybe it is just a divot for the op rod to push against???

I did put a new battery in my C-more. It is riding on top of my .22LR conversion kit:



Of course trying to juggle the slide with one hand and hold the camera with the other was a trick. So that is why the red dot doesn’t look perfectly centered.

No alcohol involved.

No screws were stripped.

No bashing of the sight with a hammer.

(Gunsmiths hate me….with this one weird trick!)

That battery was snug getting it out. And snug getting the new one in.

So maybe Wednesday or Thursday I’ll be taking it to the range.

 

[ZoomieFrom1994]

New “toy” yesterday….well, new to me:



It is an STI Trojan, in 9mm.

I bought used off of Gun Broker.

It only came with the one STI magazine which holds just 9 rounds. So while I was there at the gun store / indoor range doing the transfer, I bought just one Wilson Combat mag, which holds 10 rounds.

The gun ran 100% yesterday.

I ordered more mags from Greg Cote, LLC.

For those who don’t know, that new hotness all over “da’Gram” called Staccato….yeah, that was previously STI. The Trojan models were supposedly their all made in America, made in house 1911’s. They had a lower tier model called the “Spartan”. It consisted mainly of parts and a frame made by Armscor of the Philippines. How much hands on time STI employees down in Texas got to complete the Spartans…I have no idea.

I did get to shoot some of my 147 grain FMJ’s over 3.5 grains of TiteGroup yesterday. Yes! I could definitely feel the difference between the 147’s and the 124’s. The 147’s were pussycats.

EDIT: “gunsmithing” wise, new grips, probably VZ’s in G10, a mag well/mag cute, new mainspring housing (the OEM version is plastic) , and a new trigger (the stock trigger is also plastic). I have always liked the looks of the Videcki type triggers.

 

[THParent]

I like the pseudo Elliason rear sight. It makes it more "gold-cuppy".

 

[ZoomieFrom1994]

I like the pseudo Elliason rear sight. It makes it more "gold-cuppy".

That is a new one on me.

I always just used to call them BOMAR’s.

The thing I like about the Trojan models as well as my old 80 series “enhanced” is the undercut trigger guard.

The last time I ordered VZ grips (directly from VZ) the packaging included a coupon code for the next set of VZ grips that you would order.

While I am at the Brownell’s site, I might just order the carborundum powder and epoxy, and make my own (skateboard tape like) grip panels. They will NOT be pretty at all, but they will be functional. I think I still have the jigs for my tablesaw out in the shop. 1911 grips go fast, that way.

The only tricky part is sanding that curve or radius across the width of the grip panels.

Somewhere stashed in a drawer, I have the Tech Well metal grip panels with the mag chute/mag well. But all the mag chutes/wells are that brushed stainless-like finish. It might look just a little gaudy to mix SS parts with a blued/parkerized gun.

 

[ZoomieFrom1994]

WOOT! WOOT!

I found that jig, for the tablesaw:



Ha! Ha!

LOL!

I must have known back then that it was going to be a while before I started making grips again.

 

[ZoomieFrom1994]

New “toy” today, again.

CZ Czechmate:



I was curious if my handloads would fit in its chamber. Supposedly CZ’s are notorious for having short “throats”.

The gun ran 100% .

The range I was at today supposedly had a “smith” on duty. But the counter guy said something like, “If that chamber does need to be reamed out, I know a guy..”

 

[ZoomieFrom1994]

Alrightey then….a legitimate gunsmithing question.

I’m trying to swap out the grip panels on that 1911 pictured above.

Wouldn’t ya know it!

Three out of the 4 grip screws came right out.

No problem-oh.

But the 4th grip screw….it took the bushing with it.

So now I have the grip panel off as they soak in Kroil:



If I am able to separate the bushing from the grip screw, and I go to re-install that bushing into the frame, should I use Loc-tite?

And if so, which color Loc-Tite?

Yes, I will degrease everything first with some naphtha.

 

[THParent]

Quality 1911 grip screw bushings are typically staked in place. The more mass-produced ones will have red thread locker on them.
If you can grab a hold of the bushing, you should be able to back out the grip screw. If you can't, just replace the bushing and screw. You may want to get four (4) new screws so they all match. When I replace bushings, I just put 243 (blue) Loctite thread locker on them and 19-20 inch-pounds of torque. That always seems sufficient. I let the bushing(s) with the thread locker cure for an hour or so before I put the grip panels and screws back on, in case I was sloppy with the blue thread locker.

 

[ZoomieFrom1994]

Quality 1911 grip screw bushings are typically staked in place. The more mass-produced ones will have red thread locker on them.
If you can grab a hold of the bushing, you should be able to back out the grip screw. If you can't, just replace the bushing and screw. You may want to get four (4) new screws so they all match. When I replace bushings, I just put 243 (blue) Loctite thread locker on them and 19-20 inch-pounds of torque. That always seems sufficient. I let the bushing(s) with the thread locker cure for an hour or so before I put the grip panels and screws back on, in case I was sloppy with the blue thread locker.

Thanks!

I went with the blue loctite.

Funny enough, they both come in red colored plastic tubes.

I degreased it first with acetone.

Lowe’s only had 1 gallon containers of naphtha.

The blue loctite has been curing now for a few days.

I’ll try putting in the new grip panel tomorrow or Monday.

 

[ZoomieFrom1994]

WARNING: major thread drift ahead…

I reload. I have two Dillon 650’s, both with case feeders.

I will try to keep this short…honest, I will try.

With any sort of the usual or traditional reloading of bottlenecked rifle cases there are the normal steps of decapping and resizing the brass. Then that is usually followed by trimming the brass cases down to some specified length in the reloading manual. Then you gotta put a fresh primer in the bottom of this case. Next, the cases are charged with gun powder (aka propellant, aka smokeless propellant). Then you seat a bullet to whatever overall length (OAL) as prescribed in the reloading manual. Lastly, you might crimp the case mouth into the bullet, especially if the bullet has a cannelure.

For .223 (or 5.56) reloading, there are three key dimensions. A max OAL of 2.25 inches.

Hey, it’s gotta fit in an AR magazine, right?

So 2.25” is the usual max overall length.

Then there is the max case length of 1.760”

Third, the brass can or should get trimmed down to 1.740” .

It is during the decapping/resizing process where the case’s mouth gets pulled downward over the expander ball. And the case can grow in length.

On a Dillon 650, there is not enough space up top to put all the dies and a case trimmer to do all the necessary steps in one single pass through the 650.

Straight walled pistol brass? Heck yeah, you can crank that stuff out by the buckets in just one pass.

But usually with bottlenecked rifle brass there is this on the press to prep, off the press to trim, and back on the press to actually load rigmarole. It really is a PITA.

So a few years ago, before covid, somebody clued me in about the Redding S type sizing die that takes a neck bushing. He also clued me in on how you can run bottle necked rifle brass through a Dillon 650 in one pass. You use that Redding S without its decapping mandrel/expander ball installed. A correct neck bushing squishes the case mouth/neck just enough to give it enough grip on the bullet (aka “neck tension”).

I call this method “SPaRR”. Yes, like on a boat or an airplane’s wing.

Single

Pass

Rifle

Reloading

Accuracy wise, I think it does okay:





And here is some 3 times fired brass that I originally trimmed to 1.740” :



So my question is: if you reload bottlenecked rifle brass, have you ever noticed any accuracy differences if your brass is not ALL exactly 1.750” or say right on at 1.740”?

My theory being that it is like the flat rate shipping boxes from the USPS: “If it fits, it ships.”

SEND IT!