Low wall action repair lower tang - help request

[marlinman93]

I think the cut off part has the SN on it. I think it is lost at this point.
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Lower tangs are not too much money. I would just replace the whole lower tang. MVA has new ones in the white, $145.00 and by the time you mess around and try to do it, you can have one that is perfect.

I disagree based on it's still a 6 digit number, 108797. If there was a missing digit it would be way too high for a 1885 action. There were none in the over 1 million range.

[JDHasty]

It’s pictured above.

[Chill Wills]

According to the original post the serial number is still there.

Right all! For some reason I did not even see the middle posts and pictures that went with this. I stand corrected.
Interesting project. I will finish reading this and looking at the pictures.
Again, sorry for the error and thanks to all for the correction.

[JDHasty]

I talked to Bert Hartman,
"It was originally manufactured as a 22 Long (rim fire) with a 24-inch octagon barrel."

Other than keeping the lines straight while dealing with the pitting and the tang issue. I am not seeing anything that gives me much concern. That being said, I don't have any experience with these. I do know that I need to give Jim Wisner a call and get a mainspring headed my way.

[Chill Wills]

By the SN it looks like it was a post 1898 action and still in the flat mainspring era. Sometime in this SN range the actions were no longer Color cased but were blued. Do you know which yours was.

[JDHasty]

Not a clue. It had been hot blued over some pitting.

That beats the heck out of having it having been butchered on a buffing wheel. I have this and a Stevens 44 to learn on. These are my first single shots other than Contenders and Encores.

[marlinman93]

Serial number should put this 1885 in around 1912 era.

[JDHasty]

I have a main spring on the way, but no screw. Is this something I can pick up at a fastener outfit, or is it a specialized gun screw.

[marlinman93]

Not positive, as I don't own an 1885 anymore, but I think it was an oddball 10-36 thread?

[Chill Wills]

I just looked at my parts stash. The screw indeed is an oddball. Winchester came up with a (I will spell it) -thirty five and a half- thread for some of the screws. If I had an extra I would send you one. I have made a few on my lathe using a 36 setting on the leadscrew and it works for the few threads it is turned into.
MVA has correct, new made parts
https://montanavintagearms.com/winchester-parts/

That link will get you to a pdf of the action drawing and parts list. Really handy, even as an exploded view even if you don't order anything.

[JDHasty]

One of the screws on a Model 43 is something just as cockamamie. Really nice guy at MVA. He called me right back. I am going to get that and a few other screws coming my way.

[JDHasty]

Boy am I underwhelmed by Pferd. I had a gap in my files and ordered a right hand 10" fine single cut mill file. For the second time in about eight years I got a brand new file that is worse than useless. It's going back pronto. If any of the machinists have a suggestion on which brand of file they find to be of universally high quality and a source I would appreciate them sharing. I wasn't all that enthusiastic about the look of this latest file when it arrived, but chalked it and tried both sides on a piece of cold rolled steel clamped in my vise and if it made a single cut anywhere it was not apparent. All I can see that it did was leave scratches. Rather deep scratches too. Upon examination the edges of the file are a mess.

[marlinman93]

Boy am I underwhelmed by Pferd. I had a gap in my files and ordered a right hand 10" fine single cut mill file. For the second time in about eight years I got a brand new file that is worse than useless. It's going back pronto. If any of the machinists have a suggestion on which brand of file they find to be of universally high quality and a source I would appreciate them sharing. I wasn't all that enthusiastic about the look of this latest file when it arrived, but chalked it and tried both sides on a piece of cold rolled steel clamped in my vise and if it made a single cut anywhere it was not apparent. All I can see that it did was leave scratches. Rather deep scratches too. Upon examination the edges of the file are a mess.

I buy used files in as good a shape as possible. Often at garage sales for $.50 to $2 each. Then send them to Boggs to have them sharpened at around $3.50 each.
Boggs also sells files, and have new files for sale at their site too. The files they sharpen are excellent quality when returned. New Nicholson are still better than most files, and Boggs prices are fair for them too.

https://boggstool.com/file-%26-rasp-services

[JDHasty]

A buddy and I get together and send files to Boggs every other year. Outstanding service. I think I will probably sort out the ones that need to go down and order a Nicholson at the same time.

[country gent]

Goberts are very good. Nichelsons used to bc not sure now.

[JDHasty]

Well, my main spring showed up and… of course I had to see how that functions. I’m feeling pretty good about having reassembled everything. The extractor was a bit tricky, and getting the knock off back in, but I managed to get it reassembled.

I’ve got screws headed my way from MVA, the main spring screw among them. I was able to hold it in place and see how it functions and see that the perch on the barrel and screw hole for the spring do appear to be properly located.

Oh boy, MVA. That double set trigger assembly for five Ben Franklins is certainly enticing. I had myself all but talked into it, but then reminded myself what this project is all about (that and not having the cost spiral drastically upward). This, and my Stevens 44 are to be a learning exercise. I’m going to go ahead and weld up my lower tang, but I am going to order the MVA single set parts to convert it over.

[JDHasty]

I fiddled the split pin out of the hammer and block. Is there a trick or a tool?

I used a butchers shop knife sharpening steel and was able to clean up a few pits in tight radius's. Trick I learned from a retired gunsmith. The lever is polished up. I’m going to just boil the hammer and block to convert the tiny bit of rust on them. It isn’t bad and I am reluctant to start in on them and go through the case hardening. We drilled the 5/64 gas escape hole in the block on my buddy’s mill. The rest of the CF conversion work on it looks to be top notch.

I’m going to get the stock ordered Monday. I want the barrel on for now, but will pull it off and clean up the pitting on it after I have the stock fitting done. We need to get the fore end mounting stud on it too. I still need to run a rod through it to see what the rate of twist is and slug it to determine the diameter.

I just got off the phone with a buddy, he asked me what I was doing up at 03:30 when I sent him a quick note It’s not uncommon for me to be downstairs in my shop at any time of the day or night when I have something interesting.

The lever is pretty much cleaned up now, all that remains is the lower tang. I’m going to get measurements off a couple rifles at my buddy’s house today and make up a jig to hold the extension in place to tack it.

I’ll try and get a few photos up later.

[JDHasty]

If anyone can give me a measurement between the bottom tang screws center to center and a hole size on the rear hole it would be mucho appreciated. I’ll worry about the countersink angle once I get my screws. Had a lot on my plate today and headed to church shortly. If I get a chance to get a few photos when we get home I’ll post them tonight or tomorrow morning.

[marlinman93]

Wish I could help, but I sold off all my 1885's and Stevens rifles some time ago. But you should be able to use a standard tang screw to determine size, and by holding the head of the screw tightly into the top tang you can get a measurement to the center of the screw to know where the hole will go.

[JDHasty]

If anyone can give me a measurement between the bottom tang screws center to center and a hole size on the rear hole it would be mucho appreciated. I’ll worry about the countersink angle once I get my screws. Had a lot on my plate today and headed to church shortly. If I get a chance to get a few photos when we get home I’ll post them tonight or tomorrow morning.