Barrel fitting/pop open fix with photo

[Yak Angler]

Hi all,
 
had a few hours today when the kids weren't screaming to pull the handi out and do some testing for the continued problem of inconsistant accuracy & FTF's with the occasional pop open on hotter loads. etc that have occured in this firearm since new. I appoligize if this is already shown in the FAQ's but i can't remember seeing it there explained like this.
 
I hope my hand drawn ( i am no artist ) photo uploaded correctly as my camera flash did not allow me to take a clear photo on the gun itself. My # 1 recommendation to anyone fitting a barrel is to remove the latch engagement inspection plug, had i done this before i would not have needed to pull the entire thing apart today as it would already be fixed. The reason why you need to remove the plug is because the tolerance is so tight on these for latch/shelf engagement that as you can hopefully see in my photo .001" makes all the world of difference for proper fitting when it comes to the shim used on the barrel hinge and most automotive feeler gauges come in .001" increments so if your off by .001" your SOL.
 
The latch itself is even marked for the assembly workers at h&r so that when they are fitting barrels they leave the factory correct. there is a U shaped notch on the receiver/latch and if the barrel is fitted properly the end of the barrel/shelf will be dead centre of the U shape notch. After correcting this fitting issue that doesn't show up by the typical smoking of the shelf etc. I noticed the following after 20 rounds through the gun. Consistancy issue appears resolved, the scope dialed in and two 5 shot groups shot to the same POI  . Not one Pop open occured. primer strikes were dead centre and not one FTF. I have on route to my house 6 of the WOLF extra power hammer springs as i ordered these before completely stripping the trigger today. I will install one as extra insurance against the FTF's when they arrive but i think proper fitting of the barrel makes the difference more than anything else on these guns based off my experience today.
 
While I had everything out I made sure all trigger parts, transfer bar and firing pin were cleaned and reinstalled dry as freezing temps in my area for Coyote season are just starting now and i prefer just a wipe with lightly oiled cloth this time of year to prevent freezing.
 
 

[bikerbeans]

Adam,
 
Nice work!  Once deer season is over I will pop the inspection plugs on my newer receivers and see what i see. 
 
BB

[Yak Angler]

Hey BB
 
Its been a while, hope all is well
 
Today was an eye opener for me. I really like the handi's I own but sometimes the inconsistancy problems and FTF's became frustrating to say the least. I will never own another one that i don't pull the inspection plug on from day one to make sure the factory did indeed set it up properly. My .270 barrel which was factory fitted is the one that has given me the most problems until today and is the one shown in the photo. I noticed about 1 year ago that it had a slight amount of play when locked up without the forearm on. I installed a .002" shim and it lock up tight but still had the same issues with FTF's and inconsistant groups until today when i felt like spending some time on it to really get a good understanding on how these things work. BTW that latch/transfer bar is a PITA to reinstall the first 50 times you try it 

[cowboyup453]

Question. How did you get the inspection plug out and how hard was it to remove?

[Yak Angler]

Its not really that hard to remove the plug, the hardest part of the whole process for me was re-installing the transfer bar/latch/spring afterwards. that took quite a few trys to get everything held togeather and the pin reinstalled,
 
after the trigger and all the goodies are out of the way i used a pair of 90 degree long handle needle nose pliers and pry'd slightly on it, once it started to move the plug out i used a very small diametre allen key that i inserted through the lower trigger group hole(small diametre hole) at the bottom of the frame, bent it slightly and used it as a punch to finish removing the plug. The plug was too tight in the frame to punch out with the allen wrench until i got it move a bit with the pliers. A bit of backyard mechanics from a licensed mechanic but it worked and no damage was done what so ever to the frame or plug. A sleave, bolt and nut would work better but it was too cold in the garage today and i didn't feel like trying to find those items, when i have a warmer day to mess with my collection of hardware i the garage i will fabricate something more professional for this job.

[quickdtoo]

Been there done that, it's been on the barrel fitting page in the FAQs since March 2009. 

Tim

http://www.gboreloaded.com/forums/index.php/topic,169385.msg1098784086.html#msg1098784086

[Yak Angler]

I knew if it was on there you would find it Tim, I like your tool for removing the plug, will have to fabricate one similar for next time, i tried to take photo's like your's but my camera was not up to the task, they show exactly what i mentioned with the little U notch for proper fit. There is a .243 superlight compact on the horizon for me after the new year and i will be checking the fit on it right away while doing the token trigger job when in there.