GUNSMITHING SOLUTIONS

A customer reported that when he depressed the de-cocker lever on his Beretta PX4 pistol, it went off. Fortunately, nobody was hurt, but with the PX4 internal safeties, this never should have happened. He brought it to me for repair. When I disassembled the gun, I found the trigger assembly had been modified and the safety lever had its spring loaded ball-bearing removed. 

The Beretta PX4 has two internal safety systems which should have prevented this discharge. First is the "safety de-cocker" lever which contains the "firing pin plunger." When the hammer is released, it falls forward and hits the "firing pin plunger." The firing pin plunger is accelerated forward hitting the firing pin which discharges the ammo in the barrel firing chamber. When this "safety de-cocker" lever is rotated down to de-cock the weapon, it rolls forward taking the "firing pin plunger" off line and blocks the hammer making it impossible for a round to go off.

The second internal safety is the firing pin block. This block physically prevents the firing pin from going forward and igniting the round in the firing chamber. This block is spring loaded and can only be moved out of the way when the trigger is pulled. 

Under normal conditions with both of these safeties in place, this gun should not fire when the de-cocker lever is activated. 

To prevent this from happening again, I upgraded and replaced the "safety de-cocker" with a factory Beretta "de-cocker G safety". I also replaced the de-cocker spring to assure reliable functioning.

To prevent the "firing pin block safety" problem, I replaced its spring and both cleaned and lubricated it to assure reliable functioning.

When test firing at the range, I tested each of these systems independently. First, I deactivated the "firing pin block safety" by keeping the trigger pulled when de-cocking the gun. I did this 50 times and the gun didn’t go off. Second, I de-cocked the gun at least 50 times with the "firing pin block safety" activated. The gun did not fire. I'm reasonably certain this malfunction will not happen again.

With a Beretta PX4, it's important to de-cock this gun only with the de-cocking lever. Don’t lower the hammer manually with your thumb. If you use your thumb, you have to pull the trigger thus deactivating the “firing pin block.” You have also failed to rotate the “safety de-cocker” blocking the hammer and taking the “firing pin plunger” off line. If your thumb were to accidently slip off the hammer, the gun could go off. This is an unsafe practice, especially with a gun that has these automatic safety systems built into the gun. To this day, I still don’t know why this gun went off accidently, but fortunately the owner was pointing it in a safe direction and nobody was hurt as a result.

Some AR-15 flash suppressors can be really tight.  Using the right tools can make all the difference.  When removing a flash suppressor, I tape the barrel and clamp it in wood nice and tight.  On the really tight one's, I use a heat gun (not flame) on the threads to break it loose. 

Is the action on your Remington 870 pump shotgun binding or getting hard to work?  Most likely you need to "tune" your action bars so they align with the receiver. It could also be one or both of the feed latches have worked loose and need to be re-staked.  These issues are all addressed and adjusted in a simple armorer cleaning & service for $65.00.  I'm factory certified by Remington for this and other repairs to your shotgun. I also work on Model 1100 & 11-87's. 

I'm factory trained and certified by GLOCK, Inc. to work on their pistols. I maintain most all of the parts for Gen-1, Gen-2 & Gen-3 Glocks as well as many for the Gen-4 & Gen-5 models. I also have springs for your magazines. This way, I can fix your gun in a week and I don't have to wait for shipping. As a rule, I don't sell parts alone, I use them for repairs. If you need a part, go to www.gunpartscorp.com or www.brownells.com. 

I'm factory trained and certified by REMINGTON ARM to work on their SHOTGUNS (Model 870 / 1100 / 11-87). I maintain most of the parts for the 870 plus many for the 1100 & 11-87. This way, I can fix your gun in a week and I don't have to wait for shipping. As a rule, I don't sell parts alone, I use them for repairs. If you need a part, go to www.gunpartscorp.com or www.brownells.com. 

Imagine the amount of force it takes to break the cam pin of an AR-15 bolt. These babies are hardened steel and tough. I didn't start building AR systems until I'd been to school (trice). I'm factory trained in the AR-15 system through Colt, Ruger and AGI. I'm factory certified on the RUGER MINI-14/30 carbines and their AR-556 rifles. I also work on Ruger MK-I/II/III and 22/45's. 

I'm factory trained and certified by SIG SAUER, Inc. to work on their P-Series pistols (P220, 225, 226, 228, 229, 230, 232, 238, 239, 938, 2202, etc.) I'm also factory certified to work on the P320. I maintain most of the parts for the P-Series guns and I have springs for your magazines. This way, I can fix your gun in a week and I don't have to wait for shipping. As a rule, I don't sell parts alone, I use them for repairs. If you need a part, go to www.gunpartscorp.com or www.brownells.com.

Disassembling a gun can be a scary thing at times. I've found dirt, grime, carbon, oil, leaves, hair, lizard lips, you name it. One of the worst combinations is to mix your lubricants like Frog Lube with a petroleum base oil. When heated, they can form a really sticky film and malfunction a gun in a heartbeat. I found a Sig P226 where I had to soak it in solvent to even remove the firing pin. On the guns you shoot a lot, it's a good idea to completely disassemble & clean them every year or every 3,500 rounds. If you don't feel qualified to do this, take it to your friendly gunsmith (that's me). On pistols & shotguns I'm proficient with, I generally perform this service for $45. Some rifles may be a bit more. 

This is cool. A flat top rail system for the Ruger Mini 14 & 30 rifles. The Ruger has always had a weak mounting system for your scope. Now with this rail system by www.amegaranges.com, you can mount your scope, red dot, flashlight, laser or whatever on this rock solid mount. It's sweet and for a flat $160.00, I can order one up and mount it on your Mini-14 or Mini 30 rifle, tax & shipping included. 

All of the Ruger .22 Pistols (MK-I/II/III and the 22/45) are notoriously hard to disassemble and clean, but there is a solution. Majestic Arms Speed Strip kits make maintenance a snap. After installation, just remove the top bolt with a hex wrench and you can pull the bolt without having to disassemble the gun. Now you can clean the darn thing without a hitch. It's really the best solution for cleaning these excellent, accurate shooters.  Installation of these kits can be difficult, but that's where I come in. I charge a flat $50.00 labor fee for installing these kits and I can order the kits so you don't get the wrong one. 

As strong and well made as Ruger Mini-14 parts are, they can still break from rough treatment or thousands of rounds fired. This charging handle on the slide assembly of a Mini-14 broke after tens of thousands of rounds were fired through at a sheriff training range. 

The Ruger Mini-14 & 30 are excellent carbines. Light, strong, easy to shoot, easy to carry, but accuracy has never been one of their strong points. The newer generation starting with the 580 series went a long way to resolve this problem, but there's still room for improvement. The "Mo-Rod" barrel stabilizer by Sunflower Outdoor Sports is one successful solution. Using 2 clamps and a solid aluminum stabilizer rod, this system is designed to make your Mini-14 & 30 a sub-MOA rifle. There are many other factors that impact the accuracy of a rifle such as ammo, optics, skill, but it's a step to at least stabilize the barrel and absorb excess heat. I can order and install this unit like I did my own. 

The ambi thumb safety in a typical 1911 use a tongue & groove setup to link the two parts together. This works, but it's weak. EGW has come up with a better setup where it uses the tongue & groove setup, but then slides a tube over this link and anchors the right thumb safety with a sliding edge fitted into a grooved hammer pin. Like all 1911 thumb safties, this one has to be fitted, but it's much stronger and engineered to last. 

The P-Series Sig-Sauer pistols use a double-action, single-action trigger system which is strong and reliable. One of the short coming I hear from some customers is how heavy the double action trigger is on the first pull. Depending on how broken in your gun is, it's typically about 10-lbs. Grayguns has come up with a solution where he sells a kit containing reduced power hammer & sear springs. You have to be careful here, because if you reduce the strength of your hammer spring too much, you may end up with occasional light strikes on the primer making the gun unreliable. Grayguns seems to have hit it just right. This kit reduces the double-action trigger pull down to about 8.5 lbs., yet the gun stays reliable. On a Sig trigger job, I use the Grayguns kit and then go one step further by polishing key areas in the action to make your trigger pull smooth and reliable. 

I had to soak this slide in deep penetrating oil for 3 days before I could break the barrel bushing loose on this classic S&W Model 59 pistol. I have no idea how it got so rusted, but my customer was sure happy to see his "old dog" back in fighting shape. 

Cheap ammo and poorly constructed reloads can result in a "breached casing" where high pressure gas is release into the gun while firing. It often causes severe damage to the gun and sometimes injures the shooter. Fortunately, in this case, it was just the gun (a Sig P220 .45 caliber pistol) that was damaged. As you can see, even steel parts were bent and plastic parts broken. The replacement parts alone cost $300.00. In truth, the price of manufactured ammo is well worth the cost, especially when it's your health on the line.