Help with a REM 721 firing pin spring

[cactus02]

I put a small washer on the firing pin and screwed the assembly down. Picked up that trick on line.

I use about a half inch piece of quarter inch copper tubing to do it.

 

[LoneTraveler]

A gunsmith friend and I replaced the spring in my old Rem 722. It had the dime slot in the sear sleeve, Put washer in the grove unscrewed the firing pin. He reached up on the wall took a small turned metal sleeve off a nail, Slid it on the firing pin, Screwed the firing pin back in the bolt and exposed the pin, I held the pin on a hole in his bench block he drove the pin out.
The original spring was so weak that on firing, The firing pin was backing up in the bolt and the primer was pierced and smoke and gas came back through the bolt.
By putting a piece of 2X2 wood on a bathroom scale. hooking the sear sleeve on the 2X2 and shoving weight down the spring was over rode at 15 to 17 lb. I done I done the math and the spring was just to weak.
With the spring change the 40 year old rifle at the time went back shooting less than 1" at 100 yds, and no more smoke gas flying through the bolt.

 

[shortgrass]

I held the pin on a hole in his bench block he drove the pin out.

And it only took 3 hands,,,, 1 to hold the bolt, 1 to hold the punch and the other to use the hammer.

 

[yoteslayer]

The thing is even with experience and the right tools there are some things even a professional will struggle with and if they say they don't they are lying also when dealing with a stubborn pin it's best to use a short more ridged punch or a tapered punch to get it moving if you use a long punch it will snap or bend

 

[bomberodevil]

So I got my bolt back from my gunsmith with the new spring replaced. The gunsmith said I couldn't remove the pin because it had been welded in place! He had never heard of that, and he asked me about it. My father had bought the rifle in 1952, and as far as I knew, he had never had any work done on it. Maybe Remington welded the pins in back in the early '50s. Anyway, he drilled it out and replaced the spring and placed a new pin. Good thing I tapped out before I broke anything!

first picture is welded pin, second picture after drilled out.

 

[yoteslayer]

I'm glad everything worked out that is weird that it was welded but when dealing with fire arms you never know what you are going to run into lol

 

[bomberodevil]

I'm glad everything worked out that is weird that it was welded but when dealing with fire arms you never know what you are going to run into lol

My father bought it after Korea, and I am fairly sure he had never had it worked on. It's possible he bought it used and it was already been smithed, but he bought it maybe within a year of manufacturing date, so I don't think so.

Who knows, but it has a brand new spring. It's a happy rifle, and ready for the fourth generation of family hunters!

 

[ShtrRdy]

Thanks for the update!