Wood - The Gun Digest Book of Firearms Assembly/Disassembly Part IV - Centerfire Rifles

The Gun Digest Book of
FIREARMS ASSEMBLY/DISASSEMBLY

Part IV: Centerfire Rifles 2nd Edition

J.B. Wood

2003

by Krause Publications

Printed in the United States of America.

All rights reserved.

No portion of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a critical article or review to be printed in a magazine or newspaper, or electronically transmitted on radio or television.

The views and opinions of the author expressed herein are not necessarily those of the publisher, and no responsibility for such views will be assumed.

In regard to the mechanical and safety aspects of the guns covered in this book, it is assumed that the guns are in factory original condition with the dimensions of all parts as made by the manufacturer. Since alteration of parts is a simple matter, the reader is advised to have any gun checked by a competent gunsmith. Both the author and publisher disclaim responsibility for any accidents.

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Library of Congress Catalog Number: 2002113148

ISBN: 0-87349-631-0

To George P. Whittington, B'wana m'kubwaand Agnes, of course

Acknowledgments

My thanks to these people, who helped to make this book possible:

John S. Yarger, John A. Yarger, James W. Yarger, and Larry McClarney of Lock & Load Gun Shop, Glenn Lancaster, Al Paulsen, Brian Paulsen, Maurice Paulsen, Dr. Kenneth M. Eblen, Paul Thompson of Browning, Dick Dietz of Remington, Harold A. Murtz, Daniel A. Murtz, Thomas G. Goss, Ray Diekmann, George P. Whittington, Carl Bonnell and Jesse Smith of Sportsman's Corner, George Klutey, James S. Priest III, Grover Toalson, W.H. Wood, Marvin Dill, Tony Babbs, A.D. Jenkins, Terry Spainhoward, Merv Chapman of Feather Industries, the family of the late Klee Raleigh, Bob Grueskin of Springfield Armory, Inc., Eric Brooker, Wes Ugalde, Ron Trask, and Bob Gustafson of Thompson/Center Arms, Hunter Kirkland and George Butch Winter of Dixie Gun Works, Mike Miller of Calico, Inc., Chuck Karwan, Tony Aeschliman of Marlin, Patrick Squire, Fred W. Dewar, Danny Stone of SOG International, Dave Shellenberg, Syl Wiley and Margaret Sheldon of Sturm, Ruger & Co., Laura Burgess of SIGArms, Dennis Reese of Springfield, Inc., Frank Harris of Auto-Ordnance, Chick Evans, and Charles Brown of Hi-Point Firearms.

Contents

Introduction

There are three good reasons for taking a rifle completely apart: for repair, refinishing, or for in-depth cleaning. The non-professional will usually avoid the first two reasons, but I have seen some gruesome exceptions. The last one, though, is a legitimate motive for the gun owner to decide on trying total takedown. Many gunsmiths are so busy with repair work that routine cleaning jobs may be postponed for some time. So, the do-it-yourself approach may be the only way to get it done without a lengthy wait.

With some guns, though, those not familiar with the internal mechanism may find that they have some real problems. If they have the original manual or instruction sheet, this will help to a point, but these usually go only as far as field-stripping. The manuals for some of the older guns are often valuable collector items, and may not be commonly available. Some of the imported guns have direct-translation manuals that are good for a laugh, but otherwise practically useless. This book, like others in the series, was designed to fill this gap in firearms information. Parts I and II, recently revised, cover pistols and revolvers; Part III covers rimfire rifles; Part V shotguns, and Part VI law enforcement weapons.

With the right instructions, a very knowledgeable amateur can usually manage total takedown and reassembly, but he must have some mechanical aptitude. There are some points that require the tools and skills of the gunsmith. This book is intended for both the amateur and the professional, and even the simpler operations are described and illustrated.

Several of the tools required are not usually found on the local hardware store counter, so a section on tools is included, along with the sources.

When taking any gun apart, there are a few general rules which should be followed. Although a tight assembly may require a light tap with a plastic mallet, never use extreme force. Wear safety glasses at all times to shield the eyes from spring-powered parts. Don't dismantle a gun over surfaces that may lose small parts, such as tall grass or shag rugs. Before you start, read the instructions all the way through at least once.

Everyone knows, of course, that the first disassembly step is to be absolutely certain the rifle is unloaded, so I won't repeat this at the start of each set of instructions. I'll say it once right now: Before you start to take any gun apart, be sure that it is entirely unloaded. Don't rely on the mechanismlook inside. Some guns, especially tube or fixed magazine types, can hide a round in the magazine system.

An important addition in the back of this book is a comprehensive index and cross-reference list, linking the rifles covered here to guns of similar or identical pattern. When these are included in the count, the instructions in this revised edition can be used for the takedown and reassembly of hundreds of rifles.

Small mechanical variations are noted on the data page for each rifle, in cases which would cause no takedown or reassembly difficulty. If the variation involves a different procedure, it is so noted in the assembly/disassembly instruction.

J.B. Wood

Raintree House

Corydon, Kentucky

November 2003

A Note on Reassembly:

Most of the rifles covered in this book can be reassembled by simply reversing the order of disassembly, carefully replacing the parts in the same manner they were removed. In a few instances, special instructions are required, and these are listed with each gun under Reassembly Tips. In certain cases, reassembly photos are also provided.

If there are no special instructions or photos with a particular gun, you may assume that it can just be reassembled in reverse order. During disassembly, note the relationship of all parts and springs, and lay them out on the workbench in the order they were removed. By following this procedure you should have no difficulty.

Tools

Countless firearms, old and new, bear the marks, burrs, and gouges that are the result of using the wrong tools for taking them apart. In the interest of preventing this sort of thing, I am including here a group of tools that are the best types for the disassembly of rifles. Except for the few shop-made tools for special purposes, all of those shown here are available from one of these sources.
Brownells Inc.
200 S. Front St.
Montezuma, Iowa 50171
B-Square Company
P.O. Box 11281
Fort Worth, Texas 76109

General Instructions: