Brownells Gunsmith Tech Corner - May 2011

Brownells Gunsmith Corner
 

Important Tools in our Gunsmithing.
By
Guy G. Lemieux

Hand Chucks and Pin Vices help us get through difficult operations. The Hand Chuck with the plastic handle helps us reassemble the model R HS Sentinels. They are assembled with 3/32 diameter pins both through the hammer bushing and ahead of the trigger guard. Trying to tap them through can be a problem as they do not always follow the hole. Using the Hand Chuck to the hold the pin makes it easy. With a slight twist the pins go through leaving a short distance to finish by tapping with a small hammer.

The HS Derringers have a Hammer Pivot Screw that goes through a precise hole in the Housing. The Hammer goes on the Pivot and upon occasion will not lie flat for assembly. Opening the housing hole .0005 with a reamer held in the Hand Chuck solves the problem.

We use the chuck to hold drills to clear a hole of burrs or a countersink to chamfer damaged holes and to allow easy entrance of pins and screws.

The Pin Vice with the black handle is made by Starrett and has four jaws. We use this to hole small taps and as a handle for Swiss Patten files. We can hold small screws on the thread, with no damage, to touch up the slots and head with a file.

The small Pin Vice came in real handy when reassembling the Cylinders of both HS and Charter revolvers. In both cases it is a three hand job to finish the assembly of the Cylinder Lock Plunger fighting the Spring. The hole in the plunger and Ejector Rod must be aligned and a very small pin slid through. We have tried using fingers and tweezers for this job with limited frustrating success. The small Pin Vise solves the problem allowing insertion quickly.