Speaking of cleaning, it's now in pieces - I think there was some bottle gun blue rubbed on it, because after cleaning, the frame really has a government issue greenish cast to it and the slide has a hint of it also. The more I see, the more I think it's the real deal - but I'll post some pictures on jouster and see what the experts think of it:





Anybody know how to remove this plug in the end of the slide?



Frank

Frank, that "plug" is the tail-end of the extractor. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> You should be able to insert a small screwdriver into the groove and pry it out, or push from inside the ejection port.

Early BHP's had the same type extractor before the design changed to the external type.

You did real good there BTW. Since you have it apart, and want to shoot it, why not replace the springs with new ones. Any big gun shop in your area probably has them in stock, or GOOGLE Wollf Springs and order from them. Brownell's would be another place to order from.

To disassemble the mag, take a pencil and push down the follower a few inches and insert the hammer strut through to hold the spring. Shake the mag and let the follower drop out. Put your thumb over top of the mag and pull the hammer strut out to release the spring. Take the spring out, noting the direction it comes out. Clean inside the mag and wipe the spring and follower off too.

Take some detailed photos of that S&W and post them on www.smith-wessonforum.com to find out more about it. Those stocks could be factory...I do not know enough about the older guns to help you.

Thanks, Bruce - I need to replace at least one spring - the little double-ended one that puts pressure on the thumb safety and the slide release.... you can see in the picture that it has a twist and that's likely the reason that I find the thumb safety a little stiff.

I'm probably gonna need a picture diagram to put it back together - a couple of the little parts dropped out before I could see how they were installed.

Frank

Hope this helps you out Frank. Here is a photo of a Astra A75L 9mm I bought for $63.00 a few weeks ago. It had no magazine, I bought two mags for $37.00 from www.e-gunparts.com for it. This is a car gun, 100% reliable and cheap enough to lose. If one becomes involved in a shooting, regardless of how justified it was, one will, at the least, loose their firearm. No sense loosing a pricelss piece.
1911 diagram
[img]http://gunbuilders.info/index.php?page=diagram[/img]


My brother Scott got alot of the rust off the RH side by soaking the slide in Kroil, then wire brushing and filing. Since the slide had bare spots after that treatment, he painted the slide with BBQ grill paint. The paint stuck like glue, I intended to have the slide parkerized but will leave it as is until the paint starts flaking off. Scott cold blued the slide release, decocker, hammer, trigger and grip screws. He polished the barrel up too. It looks dang nice now.

Here is another car gun, a Ruger P95dc 9mm. Gun and three 10 round mags set me back $132.00. The gun was full of paint. I thought it was either drywall dust or kaolin dust but it did indeed turn out to be paint. Don't know how it got in there, two of the mags had enough sand in them to refurbish Myrtle Beach. I can't warm up to this pistol, the polymer frame feels like the body of my Honda lawn mower. It is, however, 100% totally reliable.

Bruce, thanks - that exploded diagram is just what I need to put it back together.

I see your point about disposable weapons for car use - odds are, if you ever have to use it, you may lose it.

I'm really not looking for something I feel guilty shooting, so depending on what I find out, I might just sell the 1911. It's already consumed more of my time than I can justify for any pistol. It sure does feel good, though. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" />

Frank

My 13 YO grandson and I like to prowl the pawn shops. Occasionally we will buy a fishing reel or pole, or sometimes he picks up a video game.

On Monday I spotted something for which I have been looking a long time - a single shot 20 gauge. It is a Remington Spartan, which is made in Russia. It isn't a great gun but it is a good first gun for him. There is one small rub spot on the receiver and a couple of very small dents on the stock.

Since he had no idea that I was even looking for one, it was really fun to watch both try to be cool about the whole thing and contain his excitement.

The next step is hunter safety this summer. Looks like we will be looking for some pheasant and/or grouse in the fall.

How the hell do you guys do THAT?

Mitch, do you mean find inexpensive firearms? I shop at a local police supply place, that gets the ocassional ratty trade-in as well as purchases confiscated firearms from various police departments, as well as police department trade-ins. These firearms came out of a junkbox. Along with a S&W #48-4 .22 magnum for $99.99, a Beretta 92F 9mm for $285.00, S&W #459 9mm for $295.00, High Standard Sentinel .22 for $85.00, Beretta #84BB .380 for $135.00, S&W #908 9mm for $199.99, Beretta #70 .32 a.c.p. & #71 .22 L.R. for $25.00,...plus 7% GA sales tax. I do not still have them all, some were ugly and I swapped them off or sold them. I gave the .380 to my son for his birthday in November. I kept the Beretta 92F, S&W #908, the two cheap Berettas, Ruger and Astra 9mm's. Swapped the ugly .22 magnum for a snubbie S&W #36 .38 special so I would have a matched pair, sold the H-S .22 L.R. because the nickel started flaking off under the trigger guard, swapped the S&W #459 for a S&W #31-1 .32 revolver so I would have a matched pair, Rossi #68 snubbie .38 Special, Browning Buckmark Camper .22 L.R. pistol (traded it as it was HUGE for a .22 handgun. I also bought and later sold or traded a Savage #10 7mm/08, Remington #700 ADL .270, Winchester #1200 Riot 12 gauge pump (kept that one), Virginia Arms Dragoon .44 magnum SA revolver (sold to my brother). Bought a S&W #629-5 4" .44 magnum from the showcase dirt cheap too.

Here are some photos in random order.









[img]http://www.hunt101.com/data/500/medium/sw48c.jpg[/img]
[img]http://www.hunt101.com/data/500/medium/00914.JPG[/img]

That's what I mean alright. I never run into firearms deals like that.

You've got two handguns shown that I truly like. The S&W 36 with the Pachmayr grips and the S&W 629.

I used to carry a S&W 60 Lady Smith with Pachmayr's as a backup and off-duty. Still have it. My sidearm was the S&W 66 4" and I still have that also.

I've always wanted the 629, at least I think it is the 629. Seems like it didn't have the fluted cylinder though? I think they called it the Mountain gun or maybe the Backpacker...hell, I don't remember. It was a S&W .44 magnum with a 2.5 or 3" barrel. Always wanted one for when I was roaming the back country. Never saw it for less than about $800 or something so I quit lusting.

I remember a bunch of us new hires back in '81 running down to N. Georgia to pick up some handguns from a police supply place just south of Chattanooga...started with a G. Anyway, seems like we had to have a letter from our agency Director or something before they would let us in the firearms section.

I'm an old wheelgun man. Have never owned a semiauto, but for some reason I've had a hankering for a 1911 type for awhile. There is a huge gun show just down the road in Tulsa called Wannamacher's that is the first weekend in April. I think I'll mosey on down. Are gun shows any good for deals?