When Pigs Fly

[HOUSTON RICK]

Misses Houston has never been supportive of the firearm stockpile, but near twisted my arm to buy a firearm last weekend. We were in an antique shop in no where Texas after dropping my daughter at college and at the bottom of the gun cabinet was this handsome oxidized- no rust - Saturday night special. It is a Schmidt E15 22LR single action revolver. All of $100. The action is still tight and timing is fine. The bore is good, but the barrel loosens after a few dozen rounds (Loctite I suppose). Never will be a "collector's item" or probably worth what I paid for it, but I will do for it what I can. Suggestions welcome.

I know that she just wants to be able to say "you just bought a gun" for the next 10 years, but when pigs fly, you do not ask why.

 

[duman444]

Pigs are flying indeed

Been in several antique/flea market stores in nowhere TX myself and have never seen a gun that was fire able for sale. Seen several wall hangers, coun tless boxes of old ammo (at highly inflated prices), but not an operable gun.

A couple of random observations on these stores-a lot of people had a serious fixation with Elvis and when you put all the random stuff in these stores without AC in Texas in summer, they all smell the same, not unpleasant with a minor note of marinating leather.

 

[steelslaver]

I would go ahead and Loctite that one.

Reminds me of my very first revolver. A 22 I believe it was called a Bison, made some other country and the sear quit engaging in maybe 100-150 rounds. I have no idea what became of it. My dad probably hauled it to the dump when I was away in the USMC. He was a wise man, but could not have foreseen me becoming an avid gun tinkerer

 

[s&wchad]

Good luck with your EIG. Your story reminds me of a gun failure that occured while putting on a CPL class years ago.

We had a student who showed up with an RG revolver. I wasn't impressed with his choice of firearm, but I let him use it anyway. He flagged me over part way through the range course of fire and said, I can't see my front sight.

I took a quick look at his gun and asked; Where's your Barrel? We found it on the floor, halfway between the shooting portal and the targets!

 

[Andyd]

AFAIK the Schmidt is basically the same gun as the FIE E15, the barrel is pinned in.

Barrel, .22 Cal, 4-3/4", w/Front Sight, Nickel, Used Factory (Pin-On Type)

 

[steelslaver]

If you look at the ops picture you can see the pin, but its like the pin in a S&W, where the barrel has a groove where the pin goes, which will allow it to turn 5 degrees or so in either direction, if barrel is not set up and torqued correctly

 

[oworthsr]

...when you put all the random stuff in these stores without AC in Texas in summer, they all smell the same, not unpleasant with a minor note of marinating leather.

Yep. There are many antique stores in Canton, TX. Most of them sell old (i.e. 50 - 100 years old) furniture, much of it imported from Great Britain. The stench emanating from those furniture pieces is powerful. It was explained to me that the odor is from the clothing stored in the furniture - sweat-soaked clothing worn multiple times and put back away. Clothes worn by folks who by habit and custom don't frequently bathe (the Brits) was the source of the stench.

We bought a couple of pieces of such odorous furniture to refinish and use in our home. Took us many, many rounds of refinishing to reduce the smell to a tolerable level.

 

[oworthsr]

In the meantime, No Where, Texas must be in between Houston and College Station.

I'm very familiar with that area, visiting Texas Aggie daughter and granddaughter. No Where, Texas isn't close to I-35 - the route between DFW (where I live) and the UT-Austin campus where I and one of my sons graduated.

BUT, I assure you there are several No Where, Texas sister cities between DFW and Lubbock (where another son attended college). As they say, Lubbock is centrally located - 150 miles from everywhere. Lubbock isn't the end of the earth, but you can see it from there.

 

[glenwolde]

Wrap it up and give it to her for Christmas.

My wife is a bit more supportive, but not much. She did ask me to buy a long gun. She thought we should have something more than handguns if some sort of post-hurricane apocalypse should manifest. O.K., a shotgun would work.

My firearms hobby precedes our marriage. It was a package deal. I came with revolvers and reloading equipment.

 

[LVSteve]

Reminds me of when late wife#1 caught me looking in the glass gun counter at Galyan's. I was drooling over a 686+. "Oh, that's a nice looking gun." Color me shocked.

 

[Protocall_Design]

Use #290 LocTite, wicking grade. Clean everything as well as possible, finish with unchlorinated brake parts cleaner, blow off well with compressed air. Put the Loctite generously around the forcing cone end of the barrel, on top of the frame, with barrel pointing down. Gravity will help it wick down into the barrel/frame interface. Let it sit like that for a day, and wipe off any excess that is left. You may need a Q tip and air pressure to get around the barrel by the frame. The barrel will then be solid for it's lifetime.