Custom Parts for Discontinued Models

[BC Buddy]

Hi all,

I'm a relative newbie in the firearm community, and am wondering how easy it is to get custom parts made for a rifle after spare parts dry up.

For example, if the firing pin breaks would I be able to get one made for me? And what is the general cost of getting such parts made?

Thanks

 

[saskbooknut]

There is no general answer.
Sometimes a part can be adapted from another model, but mostly you are down to looking for take-off parts from another gun. Sometimes a firing pin can be "re-tipped."
As to cost for making "more than you ever thought possible". Remember, you pay $120 per hour or more at the car dealership for a parts swapper.
Fair wages for making parts of the correct hardness and toughness comes high.

 

[trevj]

Hi all,

I'm a relative newbie in the firearm community, and am wondering how easy it is to get custom parts made for a rifle after spare parts dry up.

For example, if the firing pin breaks would I be able to get one made for me? And what is the general cost of getting such parts made?

Thanks

I wouldn't make any buying decisions based on current parts availability.

Look around, and there are a lot of guns out there in everyday use that have been running fine for 100 plus years. Truly "Durable Goods"

Order yourself a Brownell's catalog. See how many different guns still have non-factory parts out there. For that matter, see how many factory parts are still out there for guns not been made for 100 years. Going to have to wander the aisles of a few gun shows and pay attention to the guys with boxes of parts in envelopes to see that though.

Guns are not exactly rocket science. Tribesmen out in the sticks of Afghanistan and India have been making them with hand tools for a LONG time. It will really boil down to perseverence and being willing to try, if you really need the parts.

Otherwise, it costs what it costs, and you gotta decide for yourself if you want the gun or the money, at the end.

 

[BC Buddy]

I wouldn't make any buying decisions based on current parts availability.

Look around, and there are a lot of guns out there in everyday use that have been running fine for 100 plus years. Truly "Durable Goods"

Order yourself a Brownell's catalog. See how many different guns still have non-factory parts out there. For that matter, see how many factory parts are still out there for guns not been made for 100 years. Going to have to wander the aisles of a few gun shows and pay attention to the guys with boxes of parts in envelopes to see that though.

Guns are not exactly rocket science. Tribesmen out in the sticks of Afghanistan and India have been making them with hand tools for a LONG time. It will really boil down to perseverence and being willing to try, if you really need the parts.

Otherwise, it costs what it costs, and you gotta decide for yourself if you want the gun or the money, at the end.

Yeah I kinda expected as much. My milsurps have not had any issues with them in regards to parts integrity, and I'm a bit of a high volume shooter. But my brand new, much more expensive guns are plagued with problems from a broken stock to a failed extractor. So I'm just a bit cautious when it comes to buying older models of civilian grade guns with essentially no spare parts.

 

[chappy]

thats your problem buying some of the new guns. i own a few old rem 700 and nothing breaks. same with older winchesters and ruger. they were built of a life time of use.

 

[BC Buddy]

Kinda sad having to pay such a high price for some utterly garbage guns

 

[jaroslav]

Hi all,

I'm a relative newbie in the firearm community, and am wondering how easy it is to get custom parts made for a rifle after spare parts dry up.

For example, if the firing pin breaks would I be able to get one made for me? And what is the general cost of getting such parts made?

Thanks

You can make a firing pin from a drill bit using a file and an electric drill.

 

[AikiNut]

You can make a firing pin from a drill bit using a file and an electric drill.

And a vernier caliper if you're getting fussy - a $30 digital caliper will be plenty accurate for most firing pins.

Not sure a file will do for a drill bit. Diamond file? slow, but will cut drill bits.

 

[mooncoon]

You can make a firing pin from a drill bit using a file and an electric drill.

it would make far more sense to make one from drill rod, which comes in 3 foot lengths. The big catch with a lot of parts is having the tools to make them and the knowledge of how to use them. A metal lathe for firing pins and missing screws. Having a machinist make one in a commercial shop is prohibitive in cost. Something simple like a firing pin might easily end up costing you for an hour of work. Your only alternative would be to have a friend with a metal lathe make one for you. For many parts you also need a oxy propane or oxy acetylene torch for tempering because ordinary propane torches do not put out enough heat to get the entire piece red hot. Also for drawing temper to a working hardness, use molten lead in a lead pot plus a high temperature thermometer to give uniform heat

cheers mooncoon

 

[BCRider]

Hi all,

I'm a relative newbie in the firearm community, and am wondering how easy it is to get custom parts made for a rifle after spare parts dry up.

For example, if the firing pin breaks would I be able to get one made for me? And what is the general cost of getting such parts made?

Thanks

The reality is that there is no general cost because even something as simple as a firing pin can vary from a shape that is easily made with simple tooling to other shapes that very complicated. So the first time might be doable with very little work and run you something like $60 and the next needs 3 hours of shop time, special holding jigs to be made up and a milling machine to do the work and comes with a $600 invoice.

In the end it comes down to if you like it and buy it then the rifle will either run well for years and you sell it off or pass it down to a new owner. Or it will break and you can find a "new old stock" part or you are willing to pay to have a new part made. Or you sigh and sell off the parts you have to others with the same gun to help keep their rifles running.