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Can I request some close-up pics of a bolt and firing pin block?
I've seen a couple of pics of each, but I'd like to get a better reference set for my head to wrap itself around....thanks guys!
I've updated my thread on CGN, but basically, I'm progressing with building the bolt. And I've decided that my Sherline is too bloody slow.
NS
some more progress. The barrel block has now been welded in. This gun will need to be registered over the next few days as I'm nearly ready to weld the mag housing (the legal "receiver") into a completed unit.
Here are the barrel block welds. Two are oxy-acetylene plug welds, while the thirs is a o/a notch weld. The notch weld was done instead of the plug weld so that the pin slot would not deform. Plug welds are easier to do with a MIG, but alas, I have neither a MIG welder nor the experience to use it well ;)
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...IMG_2071-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...IMG_2072-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...IMG_2073-1.jpg
Have made some further progress :)
Firstly, I found that the new cocking piece handle was causing the bolt to bind. This is because it's made of free-machining 12L14 leaded steel, which is soft, while the tube is made of stronger 1018 low-carbon steel. The solution was to harden the handle. I used Kasenit to surface harden the part - just follow the instructions that comes with Kasenit - and it's glass-hard now. No more binding.
Here we see some progress pictures. The black sten is a Suncorite painted original for comparisson purposes. It's an early-war Fazakerley, if that matters.
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...IMG_4703-1.jpg
Note that the magazines that came with my Stencollector kit have been straightened using the mag mandrel made earlier in this thread and have been bead-blasted to clean off the rust and crud. I am purposefully showing the sides of the mags that had been demilled by being axe-struck to show what this area will look like after cleanup. the crease line will always remain on most of these, but they are very serviceable. In the top-left are two original mags, one suncorited and one parkerized, for comparison.
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...IMG_4704-1.jpg
Note that my kit was from a 1945 Chinese Contract Longbranch Sten and had spot-welded tabs on the trigger housing. I had intended to keep this later-pattern construction, but in the end I could not. I tried spot welding them with a real spot-welder (automotive unit), but the welds did not penetrate deep enough to hold. I then tried drilling out the original welds to fill with weld, but I only have oxy-acetylene available to me, and I could not get the tube to heat enough without melting the tabs overly. MIG or TIG would probably have worked here, but I have neither the kit nor the ability. Silver solder would also work, but wouldn't look very "sten-ish". In the end, I just welded them "brit style", which is also how earlier Longbranches were made. It's not as pretty, but it's a Sten and it will work. Also a LOT easier to do. As a result, I think I will use a serial number in the "1L" range for this gun. The last 4 digits will be those from the kit I used.
A word of caution here: When I welded the tabs, the tube warped to the point it was bent about 1/4 inch and the bolt no longer would go all the way into the receiver! To correct this, I had to use a long brass mandrel and the OA torch to heat the bent area around the tabs cherry-red and then "persuade" the tube straight again. It's still out maybe 1/32" or so, but the bolt works, the sights line up, and I'm ready to call it good enough. Original Stens are often out this amount as they were usually made from rolled plate, not tube. If I were to do this again, I would turn a brass mandrel tightly fitted to the inner diameter of the tube to stiffen it when welding the tabs. This would prevent having to straighten bent tubes.
The other side:
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...IMG_4705-1.jpg
Barrel block details:
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...IMG_4706-1.jpg
Note that the legal receiver has not yet been welded together, serialized and completed. This should happen within the next week or so, along with registration - assuming I find time to work on it!
ok, so you wanted details on the safety?
Firstly, the disconnector was notched along its length and a piece of vertical steel bar brazed on so that it was positioned about 1/3 into the diameter of the selector button. Then, a custom selector button was made on the lathe (and mill). The button and the disconnector are designed to work as the new safety.
Be aware that you do NOT want to affect the heat treatment on the disconnector tip. Before brazing on this part, pack the surrounding area in wet clay to insulate the extremities from the torch's heat.
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...IMG_4709-1.jpg
When engaged, the vertical bar prevents the disconnector from moving forward and dropping the sear.
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...IMG_4710-1.jpg
When disengaged, the safety lets the disconnector move forward, but only in semi-auto mode.
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...IMG_4711-1.jpg
The flat on the selector itself stops the button from rotating and jamming the trigger mechanism.
The new selector was drilled and two spring-loaded ball bearings swaged in like on an original selector. The "R" and "A" markings are larger than any stamp set I have, so I hand-cut them with a piece of sharp tool steel. It's not perfect because I'm not an engraver, but it's good enough IMHO.
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...IMG_4714-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...IMG_4713-1.jpg
PS: As a word of advice, when holding finished parts in a vise, you are best to use a smooth-jawed machinist's vise, not the cheap serrated jaw vises sold at the local hardware stores - they mark up parts too easily. Alternately, you can have cheap vise jaws surface ground - in fact, the vise jaws in the photo were converted on a surface grinder from hardened serrated tool steel jaws.
Thanks for the great pictures and useful advice on the conversion of the selector to a safety. I personal did not like the idea of welding the selector up, so the safety idea works for me.
I should mention, making a new selector button that functions as a safety will require, at the very least, a lathe to make. Most of the home-built Sten project can be done with hand tools and a welder if you re-use the stock bits and have a usable original sten barrel barrel (if you make a MkII, you may also need to make or acquire a mkII .095" wall thickness tube). This mod, however, can't be readily done with hand tools. It isn't necessary to the function though :)
Update:
My Sten receiver registration application is now submitted. I used the same serial number from the demilled kit I had, except that I changed it from 12L046X to 1L046X to account for the arc-welded appearance of my Sten.
Receiver markings are:
"STEN MKIISA"
"LONG BRANCH"
"1942"
This is the registration proceedure:
1) Call CFC tech George Fraser (613-949-6514) when your mag well is ALMOST complete.
2) Gary will verify over the phone and walk you through online registration as a RECEIVER ONLY.
3) Finish the receiver AFTER you have initiated registration - keep the confirmation printout with the receiver at all times.
4) Application will go to the CFO for approval/registration and the RCMP lab for a decision on if they want the gun for inspection.
5) AFTER you receive a cert for receiver only, you may assemble the firearm. 6) Call George back and have the cert ammended to a "complete firearm".
7) George will contact you to let you know if/when the RCMP want to see the gun in person. You will also need to submit pictures of you building the gun, so TAKE PHOTOS. The only part you need to prove you built is the mag well.
I also confirmed today, FRT number 126844 is only valid for the SAS3 type build. It does NOT cover any builds done open-bolt or using any other bolt group than an SAS3 or copy thereof, regardless what a certain individual on CGN claims. If you submit any other bolt design under that FRT number, the gun will very likely be either seized, or assigned a different FRT number if the RCMP find it acceptable.
The "-1" refers to caliber and barrel length, in this case a standard 9mm sten barrel.
George was the same guy who helped me through my 2-1/2 year odyssey with my semi sten. Without his help, my sten would have been sent in with the original receiver and then declared a C/A prohib.
By "other individual", I assume you are talking about the S-AS Spenc HOmemade LEgal stens which have been appearing on CGN. It will be interesting to see his first post of a gun with a registration certificate.
Yes, that would be the "other individual". Basically, George said that if you could make a "go fast" model with a drill or file in under a few minutes time AND it was a home-built gun, the boys and blue would seize it. It's not illegal and you won't be arrested b/c you registered it and duly submitted it for approval, but it won't get approved and will become part of the RCMP reference collection ;)
He said that the main reason the SAS conversion is valid is because FA sten parts can not be reasonably made to fit the gun, and making the SAS parts into FA would require some effort.
That being said, he did say an open-bolt gun would be no problem by itself, so long as it's not easily convertible. Such a gun would be assigned a new FRT number, however.
So,
Would a home-built SAS-3 bolt be a problem, based on the discussions you've had with Mr. Fraser?
A big part of the reason I'm running my thread on CGN is to document the whole build for the registration process. I think the only thing I didn't take pics of so far was boring out the tube yesterday for the mag-well.
NS