Driving out gun pins

[rchall]

What is the correct way to determine right to left and left to right when driving out gun pins. Do you determine that by looking from butt to muzzle or vice versa?? Strange question, but one that has always bugged me. Or does it matter that much?? Thanks!

 

[D Brown]

Muzzle pointed away from you. Pins usually drive out left to right.

Best of luck!

 

[lihpster]

I've always gone butt to muzzle.

 

[rchall]

Thank you both! That clears it up. In an old repro. factory service manual from Remington for a rifle I own it says to drive out a particular pin from right to left instead of left to right. I guess there can be exceptions.

 

[Hondo44]

There's no standard for pin direction for manufacturers. But D. Brown posted the norm and S&W's direction. Pins are straight, not tapered generally, so it doesn't matter that much.

However, it's always easier to remove and replace them the same way they were initially installed. And in fact that can usually be observed by studying both ends of the hole with magnification. The clean edged hole is the side that the pin entered. The exit hole is usually slightly bulged around the edge where the pin came thru when installed.

Now that's true for pins that have not been polished over before bluing at the factory like pre mid-1950 S&Ws which had domed pins. After that, all bets are off for observing the pin's travel direction.

 

[dfariswheel]

Some pins have splines or grooves around one end to provide a positive lock in place.

If you look closely you can usually tell which end has the splines and the pin is driven out from the other side.

 

[moosedog]

I've always had good luck referring to an exploded view of the gun. It will show which way the pins come out

 

[RV4driver]

Some pins have splines or grooves around one end to provide a positive lock in place.

If you look closely you can usually tell which end has the splines and the pin is driven out from the other side.

Have been working on an H&R recently. They use the splined end pins. And yes, you can tell which end is splined if you look closely. Drive them out from the Un-splined end. H&R is right to left to remove.