TECH TIPS:
>FREE IDENTIFICATION & APPRAISAL OF YOUR WEAPON: Just e-mail me some pics and list any markings.
>WHAT'S IT WORTH? is the question I get the most. The best way to determine the exact value of your gun
is to list it on 3 of the gun auction sites such as Gun Broker or Auction Arms. Put a low starting bid and a very
high reserve for the maximum days. The gun will not sell, but you will then see how high it would go for. Also, prices
are affected by the venue and who is selling it. So Old Town Station, for example, would be able to get a much higher
price than I could.
>LEAKING PNEUMATIC OR CO2 PELLET GUNS with synthetic valve seals: Usually this can be fixed by the application
of power steering 'stop leak' into the reservoir, which is formulated to soften and expand old seals. Snap hammer
2-3x, stand up overnight to soak seals, then next day charge gun. If still leaking fire a few times and/or swing gun around.
If it stops leaking, leave gun charged up overnight. On pump guns, inject thru air hole with hypodermic needle. NEVER use penetrating
oil in air or gas guns--it will ruin the seals. Store gun with a small charge.
>CO2 PISTOLS: Do not attempt to disassemble the look-alike type pistols unless you have experience with
100+ gun mechanizims and 3 hands. Internally, they are more complex than the firearms that they replicate and were not designed
for field repair.
>SHORT CO2 BULBS: Also called "soda chargers", these were used on the earlier CO2 guns; get them from tavern
suppliers. Do not use the NO2 bulbs(cake decorating).
>.25 STEVENS RIMFIRE: Old single-shot guns in this obsolete caliber can be cheaply fired again by using
.27 caliber #5 Power Loads from Home Depot behind a #2 buckshot pellet. Power Loads higher than #5 may split open,
depending on the tightness of your action. .25 caliber Power Loads are too small.
>.35 WINCHESTER SELF-LOADING: One of the earliest semi-autos and the largest of the blow-back type. Resize
9mm Largo(Bergman-Bayard) cartridges in a .38 Special die and lube. Headspaces by press-fit. Or use 9mm Steyr or .38 Super
Comp as-is with a .25" sleeve in chamber. These are too short & weak for the .351 Win, which is basically a
rimless .357 Mag. That the bores on these guns are .005" smaller than the bullets is not that important.
>.401 WINCHESTER SELF-LOADING: Make from 7.62x39. Turn down base and expand neck to take .41 bullets, then
use a heavy taper crimp so that it will chamber. 10mm bullets are too small to engage rifling. Groove dia. is .406"
> 9mm STEYR: A new IPSC cartridge called ".38 Super Comp" is nearly identical and
much cheaper. Reload with Luger shell holder, .38 spl. dies and 9mm bullets.
>.38-40 OVERSIZE BORES: A common problem in this caliber for some reason. You don't see it as much
with the .44-40 caliber because original groove diameters were .427" and modern dies can use .431" bullets. Some guns in .38-40
were made that way, such as Colt revolvers which used the same barrels for .38-40 and .41LC . You can have a barrel with
good rifling, but the bullets keyhole in the target. I once had such an 1889 Marlin that miked .413"! (supposed
to be .400"). However, if you're lucky the chamber will also be oversize ( as on my 1873 Winchester) and you can
use .41 cal bullets. If not, try resizing to groove dia, in my case .407".
Anneal and taper expand the neck of the case to start a .41 SWC or resize fired
cases in .44-40 die and expand. Run cartridge up into the bullet seating die and push bullet down to the cannelure. The
crimper does this, not the plug. Now size the neck with a 10mm or .40S&W size die, which essentially makes
a "heel" type bullet. You can also reload other outside lube cartridges using LEE "factory crimp" dies,
but not in this case. I've tried .41LC bullets(.386"/.406") without success.
>LEAD HARDNESS TESTING: Bullet casters need to know the hardness of their alloys. This can be done by comparing
the unknown to a known sample with an automatic center punch. First check that the punch strikes uniformly; if not, take it
apart and lube it. Pure lead is used for muzzle-loading and paper-patched projectiles, wheel weights for black powder cartridges,
and hard lead for modern cartridges.
>TIP-UP REVOLVER REPAIR: To fix loose hinges on these such as S&W or Marlin, remove
screw and open frame so that it is half way between fully open and closed. Hold 2 parts in place with a large magnet.
Now run a tap thru both parts(usually 10-32 or 8-32) and secure them together with a long set screw. When you close the frame,
it will now tighten up, as well as when it is fully open. Loose hinges on Remington tip-up derringers are usually cracked,
and require expert repair.
>Severely rusted metal such as found on "dug up" bayonets or guns in poor condition can be easily
refinished by the use of Permatex aerosol "RUST TREATMENT" or Locktite's EXTEND, available at hardware & auto parts stores.
Spray it on, and it turns the rust into a black coating resembling an old patina. It takes some practice to get a glossy finish--
too much and it will come out flat. Also a good substitute for hot bluing when used over cold blue.
>The HOT BLUING of handguns and parts other than rifle or shotgun barrels can be done economically
in a 50cal. ammo box. Strip paint off bottom half, fill with 1 gal. distilled water and add your salts(about 7lbs.) Instructions
are different for each brand of bluing salts(black oxide coating). It is best to heat the solution outdoors on a gas grill
because of the caustic fumes. As the water evaporates, replenish with ice cubes, not water which will explode. After
you are done and the solution cools down(several hours), replace lid on can which will seal it for up to one year before the
salts start to creep out. Parts are best prepared for hot bluing by bead blasting.
> An alternative to hot bluing is Black Parkerizing. This is safer than hot blue and can be done on
the kitchen stove. After the treatment, card with a fine wire wheel for a satin finish.
>Best GUNSTOCK FINISH: Deft clear semi-gloss aerosol. For touch-up over old finish, use Tru-Oil. For that
unrestored look, try Light Brown Oil Dye(for leather).
>To prepare old military stocks for refinish: Strip off old finish and grease with caustic oven cleaner,
rinse under hot water and dry. Then repair the cracks and dings with Super Glue and Devcon 2-Ton clear epoxy, which is
hard enough to file and sand. Other brands of clear epoxy won't set up properly after the 3rd or 4th use.
>RUSTED BORES: Heavily rusted bores can be restored by soaking overnite in a new product called "Evapo-Rust".
Go to
www.evapo-rust.com Here's another technique I've used: The bore on my .56-56 Spencer looked like a sewer
pipe, and a wire brush had no effect on it, but it appeared that there was rifling under the rust. The groove diameter miked
.535", so I turned the rim of a .45-70 case in my lathe to that dimension, and loaded it into a .50 c.f. case with
10 grains of Unique. I then fired this in my carbine using a c.f. breechblock, resulting in a brief screech and
cloud of rust. The body of the .45-70 collapsed, but the rim followed the rifling and engraved perfectly. I then followed
this with the 20ga. wire brush and a Scotchbrite patch on a smaller brush.
>.58 RIMFIRE & CENTERFIRE CONVERSIONS:
DISCUSSION
The following is intended only for those who are totally familiar with standard reloading
practices.
Starting in 1865 there were several breechloading conversions of Civil War
muskets. The most common today are the Miller conversion in .58 rimfire, and the Needham conversion in .58 centerfire, usually
selling for $600-$800. These can be identified by "Parkers' Snow" and "Bridesburg", respectively, marked on the lockplates.
The Needham has been referred to as a rimfire, but all I've checked were centerfire. You may also encounter the
first Allin conversion in .58 rimfire or Remington Rolling Block conversions in both centerfire and rimfire.
As you might imagine, the centerfires are easier to load for than
the rimfires. In the case of the Needham, start with 24 gauge plastic shotshells from Fiocchi. The cases have to
be trimmed and sized; this latter can be done with a sizing ring made from a 7/8x14 plumbing adapter, or maybe a 28 gauge sizer.
The cartridge is very similar to .577 Snider, but shorter(1 7/8"). Other conversions use even shorter cases, such as the Roberts(1.25").
There is too much headspace with the Needham, so you have to take it up with an O-ring stretched over the base.
It is best to use a heel type bullet with the plastic hull because the wall is too thick to chamber with a
Minie. Try LEE's R-E-A-L .58cal.
I'm probably the only guy on the Internet who has made .58 rimfire ammo, but after
I reveal my secrets, you too can join this rarified group. My R&D has centered around the Miller conversion, but
is adaptable to other calibers. In this case, start with a 28 gauge plastic shotshell, unsized and trimmed to 1.5". Then
drill a #60 hole centered between the primer and rim, and at a slight angle into the shallowist portion of the case. Precede
this with a deep center punch dent to help guide the flame from the cap. This is a difficult ignition, so
use only FFFg black powder or finer to fill the case; other powders won't work or will result in hang-fires. Thumb press a
20 ga Sabot slug into the case and make sure that the cartridge will chamber; you may have to turn down or shorten the case.
The mold for these is Lyman #236-595, and the slug looks like a huge airgun pellet with a hollow skirt, . 576"/.560".
Now comes the critical part. Cap gun caps from the '60s can be used as primers; the
currently available roll caps are much smaller and weaker, and don't work. Smear some Glue Stick on the base and cut
off a cap from the roll and pierce its center with a pin. Align the pin in the ignition passage in the shell and
fold the edges of the cap over the rim, remove pin, and press cap in place. Insert cartridge in chamber with the
cap oriented at 2:00 and SLOWLY press breechblock closed. It is now ready to fire.
There are several things which can go wrong here, resulting in disaster, so pay attention!
Firstly, always make sure that the firing pin is fully retracted before closing the breech. After the first firing, it will
be stuck in the down position because of residue in the channel. You may also have to increase its length or travel.
Invariably there will be some mis-fires, so in this instance wait a full minute before opening the breech,
then clear the ignition passage with a pin and try again. There will be some leakage from the breech,
so always wear goggles and/or a face mask.
My second method uses 28 ga. brass shotshells from Graf.com., which take ordinary
Minie balls.These are Berdan primed, so the pocket has to be filled with the special primer or solder. Now drill
a #60 or smaller hole as close to the rim as possible and countersink it. This will be the same size hole as used on
percussion nipples, and can be drilled with a circuit board drill bit. Coat the back side of your caps with Photo Mount
or some kind of removable adhesive. Install caps as above.
Further experimentation is needed. The ignition passage could be 2 diameters,
as on a percussion nipple. The slow-burning black powder tends to melt plastic hulls, but also closes the passage somewhat,
for a better seal.
I have some suitable caps for sale; price is $3/144, sent 1st class. I actually
paid $2/144 for these things on Ebay and had to buy 5000. I also have plastic 24 gauge, some Lyman Sabot
slugs, and LEE R-E-A-L bullets..
All of this may sound like a lot of trouble, but it's worth it just to see the looks
of amazement when you take these old relics to the range.
