Halajiin Rabeak
Feb 17th, 2013, 09:49:51 PM
This weekend I went to the big gun show in Fort Worth with some friends, in order to help one of them find a quality AR-15 for a reasonable price, and help him pick out the proper accessories and upgrades he wanted. While I was there, I found myself drawn to a very humble and worn-looking used shotgun that was for sale. It wasn't pretty, it wasn't fancy or a famous name or anything like that. It could have been Dad's Old Shotgun (TM), really, but for some reason I really liked it, and I bought it for pretty cheap.
So, now I'm the proud owner of a Savage Arms 755A 12-gauge automatic shotgun, from 1959. Yes, it's basically just a copy of the Browning A5, with the same clusterfuck of insane internals and hidden release pins, but I like it.
Now, being a used gun, and well-worn, I knew that it would require some work, so when I got home I decided to play gunsmith and I took it all apart for a deep, thorough and much needed cleaning. This is where I encountered my problem, and no, it's not putting it back together. I got that part perfectly, thank you.
See, whoever owned it before me wasn't really keen on maintenance (hence it being absolutely filthy), and it looks like they used regular taper-headed mechanic's screwdrivers to work on it instead of the proper blunt-headed gunsmith's screwdrivers, and in doing so, they've snapped off half the head on several finishing screws. I was able to take them out (with a lot of careful work), but there's no way I'm putting a broken screw back into a gun, I need new ones. And, that's my problem. I'm not a great gunsmith, I don't have a wealth of gun knowledge, so I don't even know what these screws are officially called. I know they're mainly for finishing, and to keep other, larger screws from turning. My own research has come up blank, so I'm asking for some help. If anyone can identify what these screws are called, and where I could find some, that would be fantastic.
Here is a shot of several of the missing locations. The one on the left, there, isn't actually necessary, since it doesn't actually hold anything, and is just there for looks. In the middle we see one of the screws I was able to save, and how it locks a larger screw in place to keep it from turning. The two on the right need screws for that same reason.
http://www.mongooseink.com/Screws-2.jpg
On the breach side, only the useless vanity screw is missing, but I want it there for the sake of completion.
http://www.mongooseink.com/Screws-1.jpg
Here is the best shot I could get of the screws themselves. They are completely flat-headed and terminate in a blunt post.
http://www.mongooseink.com/Screws-3.jpg
If you know the name for these screws, and have any idea where I could find some (local gunsmiths seem to not have any, right now), I'd be very grateful. Also, if you have any tips for cleaning off that surface rust without destroying the patina of the metal, I'd love to hear that, too.
Thanks!
So, now I'm the proud owner of a Savage Arms 755A 12-gauge automatic shotgun, from 1959. Yes, it's basically just a copy of the Browning A5, with the same clusterfuck of insane internals and hidden release pins, but I like it.
Now, being a used gun, and well-worn, I knew that it would require some work, so when I got home I decided to play gunsmith and I took it all apart for a deep, thorough and much needed cleaning. This is where I encountered my problem, and no, it's not putting it back together. I got that part perfectly, thank you.
See, whoever owned it before me wasn't really keen on maintenance (hence it being absolutely filthy), and it looks like they used regular taper-headed mechanic's screwdrivers to work on it instead of the proper blunt-headed gunsmith's screwdrivers, and in doing so, they've snapped off half the head on several finishing screws. I was able to take them out (with a lot of careful work), but there's no way I'm putting a broken screw back into a gun, I need new ones. And, that's my problem. I'm not a great gunsmith, I don't have a wealth of gun knowledge, so I don't even know what these screws are officially called. I know they're mainly for finishing, and to keep other, larger screws from turning. My own research has come up blank, so I'm asking for some help. If anyone can identify what these screws are called, and where I could find some, that would be fantastic.
Here is a shot of several of the missing locations. The one on the left, there, isn't actually necessary, since it doesn't actually hold anything, and is just there for looks. In the middle we see one of the screws I was able to save, and how it locks a larger screw in place to keep it from turning. The two on the right need screws for that same reason.
http://www.mongooseink.com/Screws-2.jpg
On the breach side, only the useless vanity screw is missing, but I want it there for the sake of completion.
http://www.mongooseink.com/Screws-1.jpg
Here is the best shot I could get of the screws themselves. They are completely flat-headed and terminate in a blunt post.
http://www.mongooseink.com/Screws-3.jpg
If you know the name for these screws, and have any idea where I could find some (local gunsmiths seem to not have any, right now), I'd be very grateful. Also, if you have any tips for cleaning off that surface rust without destroying the patina of the metal, I'd love to hear that, too.
Thanks!