Oversize pin question

[jimbob308]

Hello, I'm new to the forum but have owned several handi rifles.  I recently aquired a 500 S&W handi rifle and the hammer and trigger cross pin are not tight in the frame. They will push all the way thru the frame and rotate out of the frame while firing. Does anyone know of any oversize pins or a way to tighten them up in the frame? thanks

[quickdtoo]

Welcome! Not that I'm aware of, make arrangements with H&R to have it repaired, that's what had to be done the last time it was reported here that I recollect, I don't remember for sure what they did, probably just replaced the pins, maybe that member will respond.

Tim

http://www.hr1871.com/support/repairs.asp

[Slufoot]

Hello jimbob, I think I'm the one Tim is talking about. I had one of the pins on my first Handi that was so loose it would drift out on it's own after a few firings.
What I done was, I pushed the pin out with a drift punch of the proper size and left the punch in the frame to hold things in place. I degreased the pin and the left side hole in the frame by backing out the punch just enough to get to it. I then inserted the pin from the left side of the frame and pushed it in until it was ready to start into the right side of the frame. I then degreased the right side frame hole and put some red Loc-Tite in the hole. I also put some red Loc-tite one the splines of the pin on the left side and then pushed the pin into place. I let the gun set for at least 24 hours and then shot it for several days and the pin never moved. I posted about this and someone mentioned that while the gun was still under warranty I might want to give H&R a call. I thought about it and decided to give them a call and see what they said. I talked to Gordon, I'm pretty sure that was his name at Gardner, and told him about the pin and what I had done. He asked me if it was holding and I told him it hadn't budged after several range sessions and that I though it would be fine. He then said, "You know, I hate the thought of one of my guns being held together with Loc-Tite". He sent me a free return shipping label and I had to send my complete gun back incase they needed to fit my barrel to a new frame. When UPS brought my gun back to me it contained a new frame!

GOOD SHOOTING!
Slufoot

[jimbob308]

Thanks for the replys. I was hoping for some kind of easy do it youself permanent fix. I will try the locktite and see if that helps. I wonder if there might be a market for some pins with an oversized nurled or splined end.

[quickdtoo]

If it was a common problem they might have done that, but since they replaced Slufoots frame, they obviously don't.  I only recollect the one, possibly one other, lonewolf maybe? So loose pins are rare, I've had a few pins that were on the loose side, but just turning them a little to re-index them made for a tight fit.  When I do trigger jobs, I always twist the pin as the splines engage the frame so they go back in the same orientation as they were originally installed instead of just driving them in, and I've done lots of trigger jobs, well over 30 so far on the almost 50 frames I own which is a pretty good sampling that should reveal a problem if it was very common. 

Tim

[D Humbarger]

Another quick fix until you can get an oversized pin is this method.  Lay the pin flat on an anvil & lightly tap the end of the pin useing a small ball peen hammer so that about 1/8" of the  of the end of the pin is SLIGHTLY out of round. slide the other end of the pin into the pin hole in the receiver. When you get to the out of round section just tap it in place. That out of round end of the pin should hold the pin tight.

[moorepower]

Red thread lock would never come loose, unless you wanted it to.

[trotterlg]

Bet if you push it in from the other side the splines will lock it right in place.  Larry

[jimbob308]

OK, I tried to egg the end of one pin by conservatively striking it with a hammer with the pin against an anvil.  The end of the pin shattered like glass. I tried some new pins and they will push all the way completely thru the frame with little to no resistance. I finally took a small hardened center punch and ground a offset point and proceeded to stipple the inside of the hole in the frame.  Success!!  The pins are as tight now as they ever were. Thanks to everyone for the suggestions, it got the old brain working.

[goofyoldfart]

stippling is an old trick that millwrights have often use to make a quick repair for a bearing where the race has wiped just slightly. that and red (permanent) loctite will often hold the bearing until the bearing is TOTALLY worn out (balls or rollers). it should definitely hold a pin in place. nice to get a new frame, But if it was hunting season and with the long turnaround times that is the way I would do it. Then I would consider sending it in. A little off thread but I just got a PT22 back from being repaired (firing pin) after 2months. One roll pin to punch out, pull out firing pin w/spring, put new pin w/spring in and line up for roll pin insertion. 2 months? AH,well, the repair was well done and the weapon performs flawlessly long time, though, without my toy.