Finally! (Sigh)

[ggggr]

It must be 3 or 4 years ago that Carl ("Gamo Cfx" now, formerly "Ulverston") gave me a really rough Webley Mk one pistol to play with. It is that long ago I cannot remember exactly what was missing. I get the feeling It had one grip. The barrel catch was broken. I think the sear might have been buggered and the barrel band had come loose and torn the cocking arm.
I asked on here for various bits and pieces and looked on Flea bay. David Sanderson (I forget his user name on here) offered to make a new barrel band. He did a great job except the pistol would not cock afterwards .Looking at it next to another barrel, revealed that it had previously been repaired and they had put the band in the wrong place. David very kindly redid the job for me. I ordered a set of grip blanks off Andy (Airgunner .177) and I think John (Duomatic 410) sorted me out with a cheap barrel catch. By now my housing problems had taken a bad turn and everything went in storage.
After finally finding a place, I had a look at the bits and stuck them together. The barrel fitted, the grips looked ok,the piston washer seemed ok and the breech seal I had made seemed dry. It looked like I had put a smaller spring with the gun (maybe a Webley junior or just an odd one?).
Anyhow, today it is up and plinking. A bit down on power with that spring but pretty accurate, shooting at about 5 O'clock now until I adjust the sights.
Was it worth doing? Probably not at all, but the thing is it is now up and running and all the trauma is forgotten about.

[deejayuu]

All very well and satisfying yarn but we like pictures!
PS Glad you got there. This looks even more doable now

[ggggr]

All very well and satisfying yarn but we like pictures!
PS Glad you got there. This looks even more doable now

I still can't do pics.
That is pretty much what the gun looks like now
That is the sort of thing I have had a go at, done in the past. I don't usually try to refinish them unless a bit of a blended in tart up with "Plum Brown". But mostly I can get them plinking again. Some things are just not worth the time,trouble or money at all and I hate leaving things.
If all had gone to plan, this would have been working 2 1/2 years ago.

[scrapman]

...I don't usually try to refinish them unless a bit of a blended in tart up with "Plum Brown".

It's obviously a matter of personal taste, but with older, rusty guns like the one deejayuu posted, I like to just rub them down with steel wool and oil (boiled linseed oil seems to leave a particularly deep and durable finish). Generally a pistol only takes 15 minutes or so to do, and the resulting 'antique' look can be quite attractive. You are then free to spend the next 15 minutes trying to get black muck out from under your nails, and the brown stains off your fingers.

[ggggr]

A bit of an update.
After more unpacking and shifting things about, I found a few more things that had been put to one side until after I moved.
There were 1 3/4 dog rough Meteors in a box, A Mk4 .22 Airsporter that had been left in the box it arrived in with the action and the stock separated for the posting. There was also a rough .177 Airsporter hybrid that sounded like a xylophone when it was cocked.

One Meteor was put together out of the bits, with a few 2ba screws cut down to replace the missing ones. An O ring was fitted and a tap washer to replace the usual crumbly buffer. I found a breech seal in some bits I had. An Smk 4x20 scope was fitted into the clamps of a broken Bsa scope and the gun works ok. It was given to a friend.
The .22 Airsporter had the stock (which is a bit battered and missing the butt pad) lightly rubbed down and an oil finish applied. A pad was found and located with 2 roll pins in the holes in the stock and a bit of glue. The metal work was polished so has been left like that. I found a ball bearing for the loading tap and cut a bit of spring I had to sort that. An O ring and buffer was fitted and I found a suitable spring to cut down in the old springs box. The rearsight was broken and after several attempts, now seems to be stuck with superglue. (I put moly paste on all the bits I did not want to stick).
The .177 Airsporter had a damaged trigger block and I suspected a tight spot on the piston. A block and piston were found and the gun went back together with another spring out of the old spring box. Quite oddly, after about 20 shots the gun would not cock and after looking at various things I decided it was coil bound. A coil off the mainspring sorted that and it now has a period 4 x 20 Bsa scope on to plink with.

I am trying to put together another Meteors for a mates grandson, but am stuck for a trigger guard, trigger pins and an end cap.
Also, A Cadet Major, with a cut down stock,needs a cylinder and piston. I intend to glue a Parker Hale scope ramp to this and fix a scope.
I'm feeling a bit better about getting some of the buggers back into one lump now

[Rob M]

Well done Guy! I may be able to help with some Meteor trigger pins, I'll have a look. Do you know what the dimensions are?

[johnbaz]

Well done Guy!! You got there in the end!

I put a slightly rusty knife in to pickled onion vinegar thinking it would patinate it, When I removed it the next day it had removed the rust and made the steel look very much cleaner!!

It didn't work when I tried another one though! Seems it loses it's cleaning quality after one useage, Maybe a soak of the pistol will derust it?


John

[slow_runner]

Well done Guy!! You got there in the end!

I put a slightly rusty knife in to pickled onion vinegar thinking it would patinate it, When I removed it the next day it had removed the rust and made the steel look very much cleaner!!
It didn't work when I tried another one though! Seems it loses it's cleaning quality after one useage, Maybe a soak of the pistol will derust it? John

If thats how you eat your onions you're tougher than most John. In my circle,we prefer using the correct pickling fork old chap

Its good news to hear you're sorted Guy

Cheap remedy, used mainly for delicate parts but I have used on larger pieces and it works as well. Tea bags.
I have a large bag of budget tea bags ready for those times that the electrolysis is overkill, or time isn't a factor.
About 10 will do to make a decent brew. Steep for a while then squeeze out the bags and remove. Put the steel items into a container and cover wit the tea solution. You can have a cuppa with any left over if you are real tight and desperate
Leave alone for a few days then remove and clean. Sometimes you need lees time, others you need more.
You should find most or all rust sorted.
I believe it is an old horologists trick and the Tannic acid does the work .
I use surgical gloves to stop the hand tan

Dilute boiled Linseed Oil is beaut stuff for metal protection...and cheap too. When dried it sticks like the proverbial, maybe better.

[johnbaz]

If thats how you eat your onions you're tougher than most John. In my circle,we prefer using the correct pickling fork old chap

Its good news to hear you're sorted Guy

Cheap remedy, used mainly for delicate parts but I have used on larger pieces and it works as well. Tea bags.
I have a large bag of budget tea bags ready for those times that the electrolysis is overkill, or time isn't a factor.
About 10 will do to make a decent brew. Steep for a while then squeeze out the bags and remove. Put the steel items into a container and cover wit the tea solution. You can have a cuppa with any left over if you are real tight and desperate
Leave alone for a few days then remove and clean. Sometimes you need lees time, others you need more.
You should find most or all rust sorted.
I believe it is an old horologists trick and the Tannic acid does the work .
I use surgical gloves to stop the hand tan

Dilute boiled Linseed Oil is beaut stuff for metal protection...and cheap too. When dried it sticks like the proverbial, maybe better.

Ha ha ha!!

The onions had resided in the back of the fridge for ages so I threw the onions in the bin and thought the vinegar would have patinated the blade!!

It cleansed it instead though I did etch it slightly with brown sauce!!

Patty Nation



John

[slow_runner]

Ha ha ha!! The onions had resided in the back of the fridge for ages so I threw the onions in the bin and thought the vinegar would have patinated the blade!!
It cleansed it instead though I did etch it slightly with brown sauce!!
Patty Nation John

A while back I discovered something of the same in our frig too. It had developed some growth so I tossed it out quick smart.
I told the missus she was becoming like her Mother and that went down a treat
In hindsight I could have nurtured that growth then flogged off pieces of it as the newest urban health buzz

[johnbaz]

A while back I discovered something of the same in our frig too. It had developed some growth so I tossed it out quick smart.
I told the missus she was becoming like her Mother and that went down a treat
In hindsight I could have nurtured that growth then flogged off pieces of it as the newest urban health buzz

You sir must have the orbs of a Titan!! I salute you


John

[slow_runner]

You sir must have the orbs of a Titan!! I salute you John

High praise Sir!
The truth of the matter is that, while my orbs are indeed of a respectable size and volume, I am a slow learner.
It is only now in these later years that I am learning that retreating to the shed is preferable to a toe to toe with the missus.
I enjoy a good verbal stoush when I am in the mood.

Lesson 1. Logic has no place in heated discussions with most females
Lesson 2. Logic has no place in heated discussions with most females
Lesson 3. If and when you do get them cornered they introduce some subject matter that is completely at odds to that being debated
Lesson 4. You cannot win that game

[johnbaz]

High praise Sir!
The truth of the matter is that, while my orbs are indeed of a respectable size and volume, I am a slow learner.
It is only now in these later years that I am learning that retreating to the shed is preferable to a toe to toe with the missus.
I enjoy a good verbal stoush when I am in the mood.

Lesson 1. Logic has no place in heated discussions with most females
Lesson 2. Logic has no place in heated discussions with most females
Lesson 3. If and when you do get them cornered they introduce some subject matter that is completely at odds to that being debated
Lesson 4. You cannot win that game

So I can presume that logic has no place in heated discussions with most females then!!



John

[ggggr]

1/7/2016

I did these a whiles back.

3 rough Webley pistols and an uneasy truce

I seem to have a soft spot for really cheap and rough guns ---and have bought a few to stop them being broken up. Here is a brief outline of 3 of them.
(1) Alloy frame Webley Premier Mk2 -----this thing was up for sale on here and I got it at a resonable price to stop it being broken up. From memory the barrel catch was going a bit too far forwards, the end of the cylinder had been drilled and had a grub screw in, that had been filled with foil and a blob of paint to hide it. The rearsight screw and thread on the frame was buggered. The trigger adusting screw was bolloxed as the locknut had not been undone to adjust it and the lockscrew was bolloxed as well. I tried to drill it but made a bit of a mess. Anyhow, the gun was got working roughly and then Jon Budd had a play with it. He got the power up to something like 2.7ftlb. I think he put some Jb weld in the transfer port and then drilled a smaller hole. He tried an O ring and a leather washer in it. When I got it back I refitted the Ptfe one as I liked the feel of the gun more. I asked one of the bbs good guys to make me a stud that was 4BA at one end and 3BA at the other and I put that in the rearsight hole and then tapped a knurled adjuster off a scope to 3BA to make an adjuster you could do with your fingers. I tapped the trigger adjuster hole to 4BA (hard to get in) and had a cheese headed screw with a point on the end. I fitted a spring under the head in the absence of a lock screw. This now plinks ok

(2) A Webey Hurricane that was cheap, but rough, with most of the rear sight broken, no safety catch, a knackered main spring, totally knackered trigger spring and breech seal ---and no trigger guard. I managed to get a rear sight together using another broken sight. I had a trigger guard spare so fitted that and a new breech seal. A better used mainspring was fitted and the safety was left off (I never use them anyhow). This one must be well worn as I didn't "tune" the trigger. When It was put together it felt quite "slingy" but plinks fine. Definitely not worth the cost of the spares used for the cosmetic value of the gun though

(3) A Tempest bought off here as part of a deal when somebody wanted the Mercury bits it came with. The rifling was totally shot and the cylinder really---I mean REALLY corroded as well. There was no fulcrum, end plug/guide, pivot pin, barrel catch pivot, plunger or spring, cocking link or cocking link spring---oh and the grips were broken, with no screws or the bit they screw into. I almost forgot, the rearsight was pretty bolloxed/bent and the thread gone in the frame. When the gun went to my mate, he had the boss machined off the piston so it could take a leather washer if he wanted (I'd had this done to try the short stroke Tempest with a Ptfe head). He put a drill through the .22 barrel and then ordered some 4.5mm ID brass tube off the bay. He glued this in the barrel.
After chatting about it for some time, he posted it to me. I spent an hour and half with some wet and dry on a dowel trying to shift the corrosion in the cylinder, but could still not get the piston in. In the morning I put the dowel in the electric drill and shifted it like that. I then made up a leahter washer. Another used mainspring was found. I had a guide and a well worn fulcrum. I also had a bit of trigger spring and a breech seal in stock. I think I used a bit of an old punch for the barrel catch plunger. A roll pin was used for the pivot of the catch for now. A barrel pivot, sear spring and short link were bought. I tapped out the frame to take a 3BA screw for the elevation and managed to tap the bent rear sight plate into some sort of shape. I finally got the gun together. It was so frustrating. After a bit of settling in, it would shoot ok and then go off. at one point I hit 7 bottle caps in a row. Next day it was like a shotgun. It has been drivingme mad Just when I was about to give up a few shots would go on target.
I kept thinking that it must be the rough cylinder and the leather washer---but eventually decided to swop things about with another Tempest. I was still shooting at this point with no grips on. With a .22 barrel it was pretty accurate and the .177 barrel was not great on the other gun.
I swapped it back and tried some Bulldog pellets and they were even worse--some wouldn't fire. I then sized some pellets by pushing them through the barrel and it was a bit better,but they were tight at the both ends. I tried a drill and a countersink tool but it was still crap. I was looking at the end of the barrel and there seemed to be a slight mark. Eventually I decided to try putting a small pin punch in the barrel and turned it, hopping the chamfered shank would sort the burr. It seemed to work. For now the thing is killing bottle caps for fun (using grips borrowed off the Hurricane) but I think it is an uneasy truce. Will it be ok? Will the cylinder knacker the leather seal?
At worse--I'll break it back into spares, but I am hoping it carries on plinking---as a smooth bore .177 Tempest.

[ggggr]

After getting the Pre War tin grip Junior I got off Tom (Sevorg), I found that I had a later frame and some white grips, thanks to Phil Bingham. As usual with these things (BIG SIGH), you think that you have most of a pistol and then find bits and pieces are worn so you go from "Almost having a pistol" to "needing lots of bits for a pistol!. I was given a bent Junior barrel off here by Rickenbacker and Chris Hough sent me a piston. I made up a leather piston washer and sorted a screw as the threads had gone on the piston. (I re tapped it). An old breech seal that was ok was fitted and I had to buy a second hand sear and the rearsight and screw. I found the linkage had one hole that was too big but found I had a spare linkage. Plated screws were used to hold the grips on, which were located by a bit of alloy round bar that another bbs-er had turned down for me.
Anyhow---the cocking link was too tight and required a little filing to sort it but the gun was still hard to cock. (Why are they so hard to cock compared to later/bigger pistols?) I swapped the mainspring with a thinner one out of another Junior and it is better.
It is back together and the sight is ok for bottle caps at 7 1/2 yards.
So--another one bites the dust, thanks to all the help from the gentlemen of this section.
Was it worth the trouble/ cost and time? Probably not, but at least it is done now.
I've still got a table load of dead Relum underlever pistols though