1897 Project No. 1

[ssgross]

My kitchen is finally getting renovated after a dishwasher hose disintegrated back in April and flooded the kitchen and basement ceiling. Don't tell my wife that while she is downstairs I'm using her just installed new countertop for final fit-up and function test before bluing the forend I can't help it. The colors she picked just makes the perfect match.

Dummy shells stick slightly at the base - that is they do not drop in the chamber freely, but sending the bolt home seats without effort, and they extract without effort. I may need to stone the tabs that that keep the magazine from spitting out rounds. I have a new mag spring to try first. Haven't touched the wood yet. Blue tape is just holding the sleeve retaining key in place while I clean up it's locking screw.


The Numrich bayonet adapters fit the cutback barrel pretty well. I still haven't heard from Mr. Schwartz at partsforantiqueguns.com. Sept. 27 was the stated 16 weeks. He emailed me back then saying he was 4 weeks behind. He isn't responding now. I was going to use his on another shotgun, even though the Numrich ones are much cheaper.

Information

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[browningautorifle]

Dummy shells stick slightly at the base

Not so unusual for dummy ammo to be a bit out of spec. If live are a problem then I'd worry. I just made new dummy ammo when mine got a bit mushed.

[ssgross]

Got my bluing finished over the weekend. Wood had been in progress these last few weeks too, so it all came together...mostly. In my parts bin I noticed I was short the magazine plug screw. The company I bought the Norinco plugs from sent me the wrong screws (they were still in the bag) and I didn't catch back when I was scrounging. Oh well. not a show stopper. I also need a new felt spacer behind the large screw that locks the forend onto the slide tube so it times correctly as well as sits tight.

I had to fiddle with the trigger screw as the hammer wasn't falling unless I was pressing up on the carrier. It's perfect now. Carrier locks very tight behind the bolt. Everything cycles with ease. Wood came together nice. Can't even my splinter repair on the wrist (5th pic, right lower side). I may go back in and push the shoulder on the butt back a touch to make sure it doest split somewhere else what with 100 yrs of shrinkage. Next stop then is to get it outdoors and pull the trigger with a string from a safe distance on a few hot-load factory shells. I'm confident all is well, but have thought twice about putting my face next to something after I filed grooves in the barrel. No harm in a safety check. Im in no hurry.

[browningautorifle]

Looks good now.

pull the trigger with a string from a safe distance

Have confidence, they're stronger that you anticipate. It'll be fine.

[ssgross]

I finally got to shoot this. I fired 3 hornady critical defense buck from a mechanical rest just to be safe. Everything was fine, except that the slide stuck and needed some force to open. Fired a fourth from my shoulder, stuck all the same. Had me worried a bit. Then I put in a few federal power-shot buckshot. Cycled like butter. The difference was ~300FPS slower according to the package, and the brass felt thinner and more elastic in my fingers. The difference in recoil was very noticeable. We then threw in some federal power-shok slugs. These had the hardest recoil - way more than the hornady, but cycled like butter too.

[browningautorifle]

needed some force to open

Some of that stuff is just over the top, maybe having the autos as their ideal consumer? Sounds like all was well.