Unable to remove operating handle from bolt

[eb in oregon 0]

10 hours ago, M48TANKER said:

Morale of the story: Don't ever expect to make a profit on a "limited run" type of item.

 

In all the years I had an FFL and had a home "gunsmithing" business it was more for fun than profit. Breaking even was hoped to be expected. And if one factors in the cost of a website and manager, Bridgeport, engine lathe (and I put a DRO on both), bead blaster, saw, sanders, grinders, and assorted hand tools and gauges I closed my door in the "red." I never came close to "breaking even." It wasn't a desire to make money, it's because it was fun and I enjoyed helping people. It just isn't as much fun anymore to make things and repair firearms for others. I made more than a few items and tools (like CETME front sight adjusting tools) in small production runs and sold them for basically cost of materials and shipping. Ten bucks got a tool and shipping. It's surprising how much work goes into a simple tool like that made in small quantity's. I still do so, but only for close friends and maybe a few of their friends.

Last November I realized the ATF hadn't sent me my renewal and called the main office. I was told to contact the local office. I tried for two weeks to contact them. Crickets. Finally I got a call back after my FFL had expired. I decided it was no longer worth the effort, so three agents came out (all wearing their face diapers) and I boxed up my records and 4473's and they went away.

[camstuff 0]

17 hours ago, M48TANKER said:

When I first got into building 1919A4 semi autos, there existed no way to "buck" the rivets to install the sideplates. Guys had just been inserting a bar of steel and backing the rivets with that. Sort of putting a steel bar in a vice and sliding the receiver over it, laying the receiver on that bar and bang away. Nobody had any tool to "set" the rivets either. Riveting tools existed mainly for the aircraft industry but none specific to the rivet heads needed on the 1919A4s.

I gave it a lot of thought and came up with a set of opposing steel wedges which could be pulled together and tightened in the receiver by an attached threaded rod. It worked so well that I began making these "Tanker's Bucking Bar Wedges" and selling them on the 1919A4 Message Board. My equipment was limited to an old Brown and Sharp 2A milling machine, all manually operated...no computer, no DRO, just my hand measuring tools. It took me most of a day to make a set of bucking bars and I only charged for the material used in making them. I was not making a profit but I was making a lot of friends and having a great time doing it.

Then I took a "muffler gun"  and reshaped on of the "bits" into a punch with a concave divot in the end to form a domed head on a rivet. I would sell the rivet tool and the set of wedges as a set or you could buy one or the other.

This method of riveting the side plates on the 1919A4 became "THE WAY" of building these receivers. I guess I sort of revived a lost art only practiced by the factories who made 1919's. In fact I'm not sure the bucking bar they used was opposed wedges?

WOOHOO! I became "famous" as the go-to-guy for riveting tools. Dolf Goldberg even included my "Tanker's Bucking Bar Wedges" in one of his books. He called and asked my permission first and I agreed only if he didn't use my real name.

Soon, one of the other members of the 1919A4 Message Board, since he was a professional machinist and had better equipment, was able to sort of mass produce my bucking bar wedges a lot cheaper than I was able to. I was just in this for the fun of it and did not want to compete with someone else who could out-produce me. I had not applied for a patent and he just used my design to re-create my wedges and that put me out of the game.

Morale of the story: Don't ever expect to make a profit on a "limited run" type of item.

 

This is a great story!  Thanks for sharing this. 

[butch 0]

Make a quickie spanner from a small socket and a grinding tool.

[eb in oregon 0]

2 hours ago, butch said:

Make a quickie spanner from a small socket and a grinding tool.

As those are small pins it would take some talent, good eyes, and a fine hand grinder, so I'm not convinced it would be a "quickie," but that is an option.

[j.rivet 0]

This is a very late update. My idea was to try and convert this Johnson to close to as original as possible. First off I wanted to remove the barrel to check the numbers off of it and inspect further components. The bolt was never able to be removed. I’m unsure where this bolt handle is from but it was actually silver soldered onto the bolt itself. I had sourced and found a rear sight ramp, rear sight , front sight and bayonet lug. The rifle was chambered with a 308 barrel that has a larger outside diameter than a 30-06 barrel. Aswell this barrel has a slight taper to it. Was unable to find someone to be able to stretch the front sight and bayonet lug over this barrel and to ensure the proper taper for a snug fit. This would all have to happen after the operating handle would be heated up to melt the solder and remove operating handle. Not something any smiths near me will take on. No use in installing rear sight ramp and sight. The rifle is drilled and tapped for a scope and without the other components being able to work I believe it was always meant to be shot with a scope. A commercial model possibly? Any insight would be great. Thank you. 

[camstuff 0]

So if I understand you correctly, you cannot remove the barrel until you remove the bolt handle?    The barrel is not dependent upon the bolt handle.  I’ll have to go back and look at your pictures, but maybe your barrel release lever has been tampered with and also not visible.  I’ll get back to you shortly.

 

looked at your pictures, and everything is visible to remove your barrel. 

[taharad 0]

Have Miltech look at your gun.  They specialize this sort of thing.