Winchester 1897 Carrier Pin Stop Screw Issue
Gentlemen, I recognize that this is not strictly a Milsurp. However, seeing that you have the knowledge that you do, and that this gun served in both world wars with a shorter barrel, I have no doubt that you would be able to help me answer my question.
Anyway, I was offered a Winchester 1897 12 gauge 30" barrel shotgun recently. It appeared to have been reblued, but was produced in 1909 and offered to me at such a low price that I could simply not turn it down.
It was not without issues however, as the previous owner said that it would not extract shells from the chamber, this however contributed to the low price for which I was able to secure the gun.
I would later find out that the inability to extract shells was caused by a broken left hand extractor. The issue however was that the bolt would need to be removed to replace it and in order to remove the bolt, the carrier had to be removed.
After removing the barrel and mag tube (this is a takedown gun) I found myself unable to complete the first step of disassembly which was to remove the carrier pin stop screw which prevents removal of the carrier cross pin.
After attempts made with penetrating oil and mild heat, I came up dry with only a stripped screw head to show for my efforts. Left with no alternative I was forced to drill out the carrier pin stop screw in order to disassemble the gun.
I later discovered that the reason for the stuck screw was that the PO had driven the carrier in through the receiver the wrong way, so that the cutout for the stop screw was on the wrong side of the receiver, gouging the stop screw in the process.
Left with the option of replacing the carrier, I instead attempted to tap the carrier pin stop screw hole for a larger screw. I found the metal quite easy to work with and after only a few minutes I had reamed the hole out for a new (larger) screw.
I then set about making a new larger stop screw to fit the hole. Where the original was a 6-42 thread, I instead used a 8-32 thread. I machined up a new screw, did some test fitting and found that the new one worked great, without the need to purchase a new carrier.
My question is this, by removing a slight bit of metal for the larger stop screw, have I somehow weakened the action? I recognize that the carrier acts as the locking block in the 1897, but that the force is transferred to the receiver by the back of the carrier, not through the pin.
Any input would be appreciated.
