Barrel pin Problem

[steelslaver]

I have a 5 screw Highway Patrolman someone put a silver baked on coating on the cylinder, hammer and trigger. BOOO HISS. Anyway, having a selection of 45 barrels, recessed 44 mag cylinders and a couple 45 colt reamers it is a great candidate for becoming a pinned and recessed 45 colt. The barrel and frame have no coating.

Problem. I have a bunch of hockey pucks set up with grooves and hole in them to firmly support guns, I have the right sized Brownells cupped starter punch etc and a couple 1/16 punches turned down to just under .050. I can move this gun's barrel pin to flush with one side and it stops. Tap harder and nothing. Turn the gun over and go the other way. Moves a bit then stops. My cupped punch has bent a bit, I now have a small mark on one side of the frame.

I have thought of setting it up in mill and using a tiny end mill to drill the pin out below the surface or deeper. But, that is a pain and has some perils of its own. Tiny mills and drills are easy to break then you are really in a bind

Suggestions

 

[S&W revolverman]

This may not work, but I would try putting some penetrating oil on the pin. Letting it soak for long time, then try tapping it out a little at a time adding the penetrating oil each time.
Penetrating oil I use is 50/50 transmission fluid and acetone. Make your own.

I'd be tapping the pin out from the left to right with barrel facing away from you. S&W always installed parts from right to left.

Hope this helps

 

[Ruger 13]

What revolverman said! KROIL is your friend!

 

[gwpercle]

No Kroil ... 50-50 mix of acetone and ATF is an excellant penetrating oil ...
one test proved it better than all the others .
Gary

 

[steelslaver]

Oh I forgot to add that I have been doing that. I am thinking burr occurred when it was installed ot something is a bit bent. Keep soaking it and give it a try every couple days for a while I guess.

 

[Pig Hunter]

Have you wiggled the barrel and frame ? Sometimes an attempt to adjust barrel alinement after the pin is in place could bind it.

 

[Protocall_Design]

Make a very short starter punch, with the punch part maybe 1/4" long. Once you get it past the edge of the hole, it should go easier.

 

[stanmerrell]

Heat gun

Gentle application of some heat may also help. Sounds like you may want to replace the pin once you get it out.
This sounds like e rescue mission with that silver stuff...hope to see pictures soon.

 

[bulletslap]

I have removed stubborn AK sight block pins with penetrating oil and moderate heat from a torch, and a press. Often it took quite a few heating and cooling cycles and days of soaking.

I made a cup with for the press ram that held a shorted punch.

 

[steelslaver]

Well, I tossed it a bucket of Eds Red and left it for about a month while I played with some other projects. Those were about wrapped up so a few days ago I took it out and left it drip. I used several small nail sets about 1/4" of the tip turned down to in .050 hole. Supported the frame, lined up and gave the punch a solid wack with a 24oz hammer. Destroyed end of punch, tried it again and again. Just kept trashing the punch. The off side has maybe 1/32 of pin out. This pin will NOT move. Maybe it will be a 357 with and ugly pin the rest of its life. I could tty to drill it out with a small end mill I guess, But I am NOT going to drive it out. Never ran into this before. Wondering if in the past someone tried to turn the barrel with pin in and mucked it up or if it was fubared at the factory. I got the thing cheap because of the coated cylinder.

 

[steelslaver]

On the other hand my 6 3/8" pinned and recessed 5 screw 45 colt looks good, The I frame 22 I bought with no finish came out of the blue tank nice. The model 12 I got with a corroded barrel and cylinder is looks good with new barrel and cylinder, just need to find the aluminum blue I have somewhere to touch up the frame. My cut down 1917 frame with the 3 1/4" 1950 barrel and adjustable sights how has a 45 colt cylinder cut for acps in moon clips and a blue job.

But I am going to spend the next few days on shop adjustments and cleanup. I always have a bunch of things going on and often end up with a disorganized mess. Have to stop and regroup. But, regrouping usually ends up turning into another project somehow. Like yesterday started clean up the floor and ended up putting thin plywood skirts around stuff so dropped parts and machine chips wouldn't end up under them.

 

[Mercury]

In case someone tried to turn the barrel with the pin in place, I would try unscrewing or tightening the barrel 1/2 of a degree to relieve any binding that may be caused by the barrel.
Good luck.

 

[ggibson511960]

Sounds like the pin has turned into a double ended rivet. Your idea of milling off a bit of one side has merit, but tricky to do without really boogering the surrounding frame. The pin is likely harder than the frame and has been work hardened. It's a specialized process, but would EDM work on something this small?

 

[WR Moore]

Yes, EDM would work. The problem is finding someone to do it. Decades ago I had to have it done to remove something that broke off in a blind hole. That was a friend of a friend deal, I never knew who did the work.

 

[steelslaver]

I have ordered a few 1/16 2 flute carbide end mills. I will line it up and peck my was in for a ways then go to a 1/16" drill for a ways then try a punch again. If it is still no go I will drill it out from both sides S&W uses .052 for pins. 1/16" is .0625. Most will never notice. It was gone from original condition when I got it anyway.

 

[steelslaver]

Well the barrel is off. I used a 1/16" end mill and went in about 1/4" and the rest still would not punch out. Turned it over and went from the other side and it still would not go either way. Ran a 1/16" bit all the way through and the barrel turned out pretty easy, with just a slight bit of marring on threads after the pin groove. I could not see any evidence the barrels pin groove had been touched by the bit. Whole would not move thing is a mystery. Anyway, tapped frame and ran a die on barrel. Frame now has a 6" 45 colt barrel installed and I have a recessed 44 mag cylinder ready to ream to 45 colt. I will shortly have a 5 screw 6" pinned and recessed 45 colt to go with my 5 screw 6 1/2" pinned and recessed and my 3 screw 5" pinned and recessed. My 4 1/4" and 3 1/4" are pinned butt not recessed, My stainless 4 and 5 inch are neither pinned or recessed.

I have a coated or hard chromed 28 cylinder, hammer and trigger if any one is interested. The blue 4" barrel has had a red insert added.

I made a handy dandy fixturing jig to do this. Took a piece of 3/8" plate and cut it so it just fit in frame window with barrel in place. Then cut a longer wider longer piece and match drilled 5/16" holes far enough apart to just slightly clear the top strap. Then tapped holes in the smaller piece to 3/8NC and drilled out the larger pieces holes. The smaller piece fits under top strap and with sight removed the larger piece bolts to it sandwiching the top strap firmly. Then I can clamp the extra length of the outside piece in my mill vice and securely position the frame any way I want. Worked so well I made another to fit an over buffed refinished I frame 32 I have been messing with and used it to cit the barrel off and crown it and mill a slot to silver solderer the front sight back on It is now a bit over 3".

Wee, I need to take some pictures of my latest work and the fixtures. Waiting for a new cylinder stop for my reworked 1917.

 

[Protocall_Design]

Great work there. I would like to see the jigs and how they fit on the gun. Sounds like a good way to go.

 

[steelslaver]

I will post some under Fixtures is this section of forum