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Guns you'll never take apart again


Chantry

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Most of us have at least one gun that we tried to dissemble and reassemble that caused us to say many bad words that are not allowed in the Saloon.  What are some of your least favorite guns to take apart?  I'm not talking about full disassembly where the entire gun is taken apart, but more than just a basic field strip.

 

Ruger Redhawk, took it apart to swap out the hammer spring.  I don't remember the details, but it took me 2 hours to put it back together.

Winchester 1894, another gun that took forever to put back together.

Colt 1903 Pocket Hammerless, one of my favorite guns and JMB is without a freaking genius when it comes to designing guns.  The gun comes apart with just two hands, but it takes three hands (or a vice) to put it back together again.

 

I'm sure someone will mention the Ruger MkI/II/III  and sometimes getting the main spring housing back in can be a pain, but I've found it gets easier the more the gun is used.

 

Taking a Luger or Mauser Broomhandle apart is far easier than the first three guns I mentioned, while the internals are far more complicated, the guns will only go back together the correct way or not all, there isn't an in between.

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2 minutes ago, Chantry said:

Most of us have at least one gun that we tried to dissemble and reassemble that caused us to say many bad words that are not allowed in the Saloon.  What are some of your least favorite guns to take apart?  I'm not talking about full disassembly where the entire gun is taken apart, but more than just a basic field strip.

 

Ruger Redhawk, took it apart to swap out the hammer spring.  I don't remember the details, but it took me 2 hours to put it back together.

Winchester 1894, another gun that took forever to put back together.

Colt 1903 Pocket Hammerless, one of my favorite guns and JMB is without a freaking genius when it comes to designing guns.  The gun comes apart with just two hands, but it takes three hands (or a vice) to put it back together again.

 

I'm sure someone will mention the Ruger MkI/II/III  and sometimes getting the main spring housing back in can be a pain, but I've found it gets easier the more the gun is used.

 

Taking a Luger or Mauser Broomhandle apart is far easier than the first three guns I mentioned, while the internals are far more complicated, the guns will only go back together the correct way or not all, there isn't an in between.

The 1903 Colt? EGADS! You are correct.

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I'll add a gun I will never do more then field strip:  H&K  P7M8 (and any of it's variants).  I took the grip panels off, looked at all the little parts and springs under the grip panels, put the grip panels back on and promised myself that I would NEVER attempt anything more than field stripping the gun.

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43 minutes ago, Chantry said:

Most of us have at least one gun that we tried to dissemble and reassemble that caused us to say many bad words that are not allowed in the Saloon.  What are some of your least favorite guns to take apart?  I'm not talking about full disassembly where the entire gun is taken apart, but more than just a basic field strip.

 

Ruger Redhawk, took it apart to swap out the hammer spring.  I don't remember the details, but it took me 2 hours to put it back together.

Winchester 1894, another gun that took forever to put back together.

Colt 1903 Pocket Hammerless, one of my favorite guns and JMB is without a freaking genius when it comes to designing guns.  The gun comes apart with just two hands, but it takes three hands (or a vice) to put it back together again.

 

I'm sure someone will mention the Ruger MkI/II/III  and sometimes getting the main spring housing back in can be a pain, but I've found it gets easier the more the gun is used.

 

Taking a Luger or Mauser Broomhandle apart is far easier than the first three guns I mentioned, while the internals are far more complicated, the guns will only go back together the correct way or not all, there isn't an in between.

 

Many years ago I learned to hate guns that were pinned together and held multiple parts and springs. 

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I had a heckuva time with a Ruger 22/45 some years ago. I couldn’t get the darn thing back together right, it took me forever !!! 

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I opened the side plate of a S&W 29 once.  After looking inside I slowly and quietly put the side plate back on swearing to myself to never do that again.

 

I watched a video of a "smith" taking apart a Winchester 74, semi auto .22.  With all the warnings about this spring and that lever, I decided I would just bathe it in cleaning solution so I wouldn't have to take it apart.

 

I had a picture of my 73 totally stripped down on my bench as my phone front page.  Amazing all the little tiny parts, screws and springs that go into that thing.  I am amazed at how something that looks so delicate can be so powerful.  I guess if I can strip that down and get it back together I could do a 29 and the 74 but why push my luck.

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Was going to disassemble a Browning BLR in 308 for a buddy as there was some rust showing. Read up on it and declined. Apparently getting the gear back right is a nightmare.

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The Sig SP2022 has several backstraps (grips) to better fit a particular shooter's hand.

 

I did change mine to fit me better.

 

There is an amazing amount of hardware hidden between the grip and the mag well, I did not even think about trying to figure out what all those parts do, and plan to never take any of it apart.

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A High Standard Sentinel Mk IV. Lots of colorful language and the need of a third hand. 
 

Two guns that I am thankful I have books with disassembly / assembly instruction on, Winchester 94 and Rossi 92. 
By the way, I no longer have the Rossi but I do have Stevez DVD on it in case anyone ever needs it. 
 

Another gun that I no longer have that was a b**** to disassemble / reassemble was that POS Remington R51 I had. Good riddance to that piece of crap!

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1 minute ago, Charlie Harley, #14153 said:

You were one post ahead of me. Stripped and reassembled mine once. Then settled for flushing with solvent but no taking apart.

After I got it apart and realized I was lost, I found a book on gun disassembly and reassembly. They simply said DO NOT TAKE THIS GUN APART! Suggested you put it a pvc tube full of solvent and shake. Pre internet so no you tube help.  

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I'm working in a Marlin 1891 32.  Talk about simple to work on or just clean.  There is one thumb screw you loosen and the right side plate comes off. You can lift out the carrier and the bolt. The firing pin just lifts out of the bolt.  If you loosen the finger lever spring, you can lift out the lever. Take the buttstock off and take tension off the hammer spring and the hammer will lift out.  

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Always a laugh when someone brings up the Ruger auto.  Tuesday night bullseye league one of the members showed up with what we called the "5 quart holster".  An ice cream bucket.   I have never needed the "5 quart "holster but my Baikal shotgun scared me bad for a while.  When I punched out the pin thru the receiver, cocking pieces fell out both ends of the receiver               GW

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1 minute ago, Crooked River Pete, SASS 43485 said:

I know a lot of people have problems with the Ruger MKII, but with you tube They are quite easy. Until some one calls you over to help with one after he has managed to get the trigger and sear out.

The problem with the Ruger is the are too good.   They rarely need to be cleaned so we do not remember from the last time  LOL            GW

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Bought a 1903 Colt for $50 because it was disassembled and the owner couldn't get it back together.  I put it back together and sold it for $500.  

 

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51 minutes ago, Crooked River Pete, SASS 43485 said:

After I got it apart and realized I was lost, I found a book on gun disassembly and reassembly. They simply said DO NOT TAKE THIS GUN APART! Suggested you put it a pvc tube full of solvent and shake. Pre internet so no you tube help.  

 

Did you happen to sell it to a pawn shop in WA state? I always wanted a Nylon 66 and found one, but the first time I shot it the thing jammed constantly. I took it apart and discovered several internal parts literally taped in place! The last owner took it apart and couldn't figure out how to put it back together, and simply sold the hot mess to the shop where I bought it from. Fortunately I found some reference materials online and got it put back together properly. And yes, it's never coming apart again.

 

BTW I can also attest to the Colt Pocket Hammerless. I took one apart once and it took all day to reassemble, cussing in 13 different languages just to get it back together again.

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I just remember panicking the first time I took the side plates off of a 73 and pieces started falling out. Now it is no big deal to strip down and reassemble.

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Anything that requires a good coil spring compressor and you don't have one.   The "simple" Stevens 94 shotgun comes to mind.  When I was a button couldn't resist dry snapping the hammer and of course the firing pin broke.   The only option was to order one from a 56 Stoeger catalog and wait like forever.   This 13 year old like to have never got that mainspring back in.  Never have I dry fired anything ever again.

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If anyone has had the pleasure of shooting the new Ruger Mk IV's they are just a dream to shoot AND disassemble lol. One push of the rear button and off pops the whole upper barrel assembly. It was about the most perfect upgrade they've ever made. 

 

 

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The first time I did a complete disassembly of my Rossi '92 I was seriously wondering what ol' John Moses had been smoking when he designed it.  

 

Not a problem now ~ but I reeeally recommend Nate Kiowa Jones' DVD on the '92:  Steve's Gunz

 

Non Sequitur - When disassembling a single action Ruger all experience with Colts and clones won't help ya much.    :rolleyes:

     Hint:  You can slip the hammer and trigger pivot pins into their respective holes and assemble the internal parts on the outside of           the frame to check fit and function.   :)

 

 

 

 

 

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1 hour ago, Sixgun Seamus said:

I just remember panicking the first time I took the side plates off of a 73 and pieces started falling out. Now it is no big deal to strip down and reassemble.

Ditto, what he said.

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46 minutes ago, Big Hand Zack said:

If anyone has had the pleasure of shooting the new Ruger Mk IV's they are just a dream to shoot AND disassemble lol. One push of the rear button and off pops the whole upper barrel assembly. It was about the most perfect upgrade they've ever made. 

 

 

I have one and it's a piece of cake to disassemble and assemble. I'm kinda surprised it took them this long to make the change! 

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I've had two disassembled guns given to me, one was a Remington model 8 which has a million small pieces, The other was the previously mentioned Colt 1903 which was by far the worst.  I don't remember the brand but I put a 22 auto together for a guy I worked with the only way to get the recoil springs back in was to compress them in aquarium tubing.

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Howdy,

With the wonderful cleaners on the market why take apart anything not in dire need

of repairs?

Best'

CR

 

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5 hours ago, DeaconKC said:

The 1903 Colt? EGADS! You are correct.

The only gun that ever beat me is a Remington M-51 .32 acp.  It's one of the best feeling, most ergonomic pieces I ever owned, and hits where I look without using the miniscule sights, but it has more parts than a Edsel, all small as a pin head, and NO SCREWS ANYWHERE.

 

It's a Pederson design and very well made, but it's a puzzler's nightmare.

 

I even found a tutorial on the internet but it still stumped me.

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I took down an Iver Johnson hammerless double once to replace the mainsprings!  I eventually made a tool out of a giant “C” clamp in order to reinstall the springs.

 

NEVER AGAIN!!

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An original 86 Winchester. Half a day to take it apart (completely) and a full day to reassemble. No, I did not have a manual.

The 92's and 94's I have disassembled were a piece of cake in comparison.

kR

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