Vintage Hensoldt-Wetzlar Repair

 Here's a vintage Hensoldt-Wetzlar 4x scope that presented with some very common issues (common to any vintage scope, not just this brand).  The image was not clear, the vertical post of the reticle was bent, the focus ring screw had been replaced at some point with one that is incorrect, it was generally filthy and, last but certainly not least, the elevation drum lock screw was broken off (which is apparently very common).

The cause of the unclear image was a delaminated ocular (eyepiece) lens.  These lenses are made in two parts (one concave and one convex) that are cemented together into what is known as an achromatic lens.  An achromatic lens is designed to bring two different light wavelengths into focus on the same plane and, as long as the glue that holds them together is in good condition, light passes through it as if it isn't there.  Once that glue deteriorates though, the light scatters, rather than passing through, causing a cloudy, smeared or otherwise distorted image.  The solution is to dissolve the existing glue, clean the lenses and relaminate them, which is what I did.  A likely reason for this not uncommon occurrence, is that these scopes are not sealed against the elements, allowing moisture infiltration into the scope (and the edges of the lenses).  When everything is in good order though, some of these scopes provide a surprisingly clear image.  Like any scope, it comes down to the quality of the glass.

Here, the failed lamination is apparent.

 The next issue is to correct the misaligned post, seen here.

 

The remains of the broken elevation lock screw...I think that this one was broken during an attempt to remove it, without realizing that it is retained by a screw on the opposite side.  It was twisted off right at the end of the retaining screw hole (the thinnest point)

 Making the new lock screw (the focus ring screw is made on the lathe as well)...

Everything corrected, cleaned and ready for lubing and reassembly...

The finished job...

Un-botching Another Parker Repro Single Trigger

 Yes, yet another Parker single trigger that must be un-fucked, thanks to the efforts of multiple so-called "doublegun/Parker specialists".  This design is so elegant in its simplicity (unlike the rest of a Parker) that it literally baffles me that there are those who call themselves "professionals" that clearly do not, even remotely, understand how it functions. 

 This particular gun had initially suffered from the doubling issue that is so common to the Repros.  This problem is NOT an inherent fault in the design.  It is caused by a single part, more specifically, it is caused by the method of the part's manufacture.  

Had the gun come here first, the repair would have been less than 300 dollars but, because of the ham-fisted half-assery and guesswork that had been visited upon it, the cost was significantly higher.  Price shopping some things (like paper towels, or maybe gunsmithing) is really just false economy.

In this particular case, the sear noses had been shortened to the point that the hammers' fall was shortened by almost half of their travel, the single trigger's interceptor piece had been filed into uselessness and, naturally, at least one screw was destroyed (luckily, only one).

Since welding these parts is verboten (unless you're a hack that thinks all steels are weldable), making new parts was the only option, so let's get to it.

The sears and interceptor piece were machined from O1 and fit and finished by hand.  They are then heat treated and completely polished before final assembly (because that's the way it should be).  Yes, the mouth-breather that last worked on the gun left the sear tails in those pretty torch-heating colors.

The sears, blanked out

 Creating the raised bearing pads on the outboard sides

 All filed up and ready for initial fitting

After fitting the sear noses to their respective hammers (with sufficient overdraw), it is readily evident how much the original sears were shortened.  "Aw hell, that ain't much", says our halfwitted, mouth-breathing gun-plumber, obviously unencumbered by any understanding of geometry.

 Next is the intercepting piece.  This is the part that is attached to the rear of the lifting plate and stops against the anvil during the first shot, limiting the lifting plate's movement before the shift.  It's a small part but not particularly simple and has multiple fitting points.  Drilling the pivot pin hole is a non-event but the hole for the upper leg of the tension spring is a bit of a different story, due to its being 0.9mm in diameter.  That hole was drilled in a small precision drill press of my own design and manufacture (I actually made it for watchmaking work).

The breechscrew is the last part that needed to be made.  It is made of 1018 and case-hardened after making, fitting, indexing and engraving.  Notice that the frame must be stripped bare in order to gain unencumbered access to the top strap.

Winchester 1876 SRC Barrel Band

 Here's another of those parts that just can't be bought: a barrel band for a Winchester 76 SRC (saddle ring carbine).  How did the original become missing?  I don't have a clue, nor does it really matter because, just as knowing the motive behind a crime doesn't change the fact that it happened, knowing how it got missing doesn't change the fact that it's missing.  It might be an interesting story but it doesn't change the facts on the ground.  Now, on to it...

The first step is to determine the needed dimensions.  

They are:  

- barrel radius (easily calculated by dividing the diameter in half)

- forend radius (measured using a radius gauge)

- the center-to-center distance of the barrel and forend (done by finding the distance from the top of the barrel to the bottom of the forend, then subtracting the barrel and forend radius from that)

- and lastly, the location of the internal step (found by measuring from the bottom of the forend to the top edge of same).

These numbers are then used to mark the raw material (1020) using a height gauge and surface plate.  With the material marked, the next step is to chuck it in the lathe with the barrel CL indicated and then bore the barrel hole.

Once the barrel hole is bored to a sufficient depth, the forend CL is indicated and its hole is bored.

 With both holes bored, the material that will become the part is sawed from the parent material, leaving enough thickness to clean up the front and rear faces.

The front and rear faces are fly cut on the mill to the finished width (sorry, no photo, not enough hands).  After this, it's all hand work.

I made a template of the forend's curvature along the sides and filed the internal contours to match, checking the fit on the rifle as I went.  Once the fit was satisfactory, the exterior contours are filed and all surfaces are polished.

 

The band installed on the rifle.

 

 

A New Bolt for a Winchester 1873 in .22 Short

 Apparently, the bolt for a .22 rimfire 73 is an item that is very difficult to find.  When a part cannot be found, the only choice is to make one, which is what, through photos, I will describe in this post.  The original bolt and extractor were "modified" beyond salvage but, luckily, the customer had another rifle that could supply a bolt to use as a model.

The bolt itself was machined from a bar of 1018, while the extractor was made from 1095 and heat treated as any other spring.

The new bolt installed.

Un-!@#$%^^&^-ing a Beautiful Lebeau-Courally BLE

 Here is a Lebeau-Courally BLE in 16 gauge that suffered more than a few problems.  Both hammers had failed, one completely and the other cracked completely through the pivot hole.  All of the screw slots had suffered at the hands of the last individual who had attempted repairs on the gun.  They also beat the snot out of the sear and hammer pivot pins, which originally had polished, concave ends.  After disassembly and a thorough inspection of the damage, the lengthy journey of correctly repairing everything began.  

It started with the creation of new left and right hammers made from O1.  It doesn't take a rocket surgeon to determine why either hammer failed at the points that they did.  The left hammer cracked through the pivot, the crack originating at a tool mark near the sear notch.  The right hammer failed exactly where it was (apparently) designed to, at the sharp inside corner, situated right at the point where the hammer would flex the most.  When making the new hammers, I replaced that sharp inside corner with a radius, so as to prevent a replay of previous events.

The broken right hammer was temporarily glued together so that I could trace its outline.

The "nose" (firing pin) portion of the hammers was cut on the milling machine, using a shop-made profile cutter.

The finished parts...

Obviously, fitting new hammers entails addressing things like: sear engagement, firing pin protrusion, cocking timing, overdraw, ejector function, etc. but these things aren't the most photogenic processes, which is why they are not shown.

Before the new screws can be made, there are internal repairs to the head of the stock which must be completed.

After:

Now, on to the screws (of which there are many)...

Making the screws from 1020 (they are case hardened after engraving)

The new screws, ready for engraving.  Note the toplever lockscrew is screwed into an aluminum extension.  This is so that it can be held in my engraving vise.

All finished: