1918 T-Gewehr Bullets

[Patrick Chadwick]

I was thinking to put the long piece in my vise and then try to bend the shorter piece, with the slider, into place.

NO NO NO

I would likely use a 15" crescent wrench for the bend.

NO NO NO

I hope I'm misunderstanding both of you. Using hand-held wrenches is not the way to fix this!

I'm serious. Been there, done that - on an Enfield No1MKV backsight. Please do NOTHING until I've had a chance to post a sketch for you.

It's very late here (11 PM) so give me a chance and wait 24 hrs!

I repeat - I'm serious!

Patrick

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[Patrick Chadwick]

Is the slider jammed? Probably. Please reply a.s.a.p. as that partially determines what I need to write/sketch - the first job is to get the slider free.

[browningautorifle]

No, I was serious Patrick. I've done it before too... But I'm up for your method...lets hear it? I've not worked on a "T 18" before.

[Patrick Chadwick]

Sorry Jim - I was a bit alarmed by seeing the word "wrench". I hope to be able to compose a picture story this evening.

[browningautorifle]

I half expect by next time we hear, he'll have it straight.

[rescuerandy2]

Good Morning All,

Sorry for the delay. I had ta plane trip from hell last night with an additional 6-hour wait at Miami heading to LA. The slider is jammed with absolutely no movement all. Thanks, Randy

---------- Post added at 11:13 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:09 AM ----------

As to the large Action Bolt. Thanks to Frosty/Brian who removed the bolt from his T-Gewehr and sent me the measurements. What I still need is the thread pitch. We still hope it will be found by the seller but I do want to get all the details for making a new one. Thanks, Randy

[Patrick Chadwick]

Keep watching Randy - maybe this will cheer you up after your flight

As I wrote yesterday - here comes a picture story. It's one of those cases where pics say a lot more than thousands of words.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As I expected - the slider is jammed on the ladder. Why? Well, it will have happened something like this...

This is how your sight ladder looks now:


This is a representation of how it should be. The small clamp is a stand-in for the backsight notch...


This is how it was bent...


This is why it is jammed...


... the bends will have appeared at the ends of the slider. If you now try to force the slider back, it will be FUBARed

The next part will reveal how to straighten the sight. Stay tuned - or maybe make a cup of coffee while I continue to compose?

[rescuerandy2]

Will do. Thanks.

[rescuerandy2]

I see the u-shape that is problematic. Thanks

[Patrick Chadwick]

Now we have an idea of how it happened, we can think about fixing it.

It will be easier to do this if you can remove the backsight ladder. However, if this is not feasible without damage, then it would be possible to straighten the sight without removing it, but you will need a very secure fixing to hold the rifle. I don't think that dropping a T-Gewehr would be a good idea

You need two engineers clamps of a suitable size. If you do not have any, take the trouble to borrow a couple before trying any lash-ups with wrenches etc. The advantage of engineeers clamps is that they can be adjusted for a very good parallel grip AND serve as alignment tools. But cover the jaw surfaces with tape (in yellow here) before applying them to the backsight ladder!

The first/larger clamp is fixed to the lower section of the ladder, close to the jammed slider. Note that just about any vice would be too wide to hold this section, because of the boss for the axis pin.

Take your time to set it up square!

Now attach the smaller clamp to the upper section, also close to the jammed slider. And take your time here as well.


Clamping the ladder close to the slider ensures that the straightening (which is a counter-bending) takes place where the bends happened (see part 1) and not further away. If you do not clamp the ladder in this manner, it will take slight bends outside the slider area, resulting in a multiple S-Z curve that will be well-nigh impossible to remove.
You will see in the example that the severe right-angled nature of engineers clamps means that the clamping screws themselves show up any bends. If the ladder is perfectly straight, then the screws on both clamps will be parallel.


And if not, which for your ladder is certainly the case, then the trick is to bend the ladder by forcing the far end of the screw on the smaller clamp Left or Right to correct a bend - OR Up/Down to correct a twist - until the screws on both clamps are parallel horizontally and vertically. I.e. you can use this setup to correct a bend AND a twist! This should not require a wrench of any kind. But if it does, then use the wrench (ugh!) on the parallel clamp jaws between the two screws, and not on the clamp screw itself

This will be easier if you can remove the backsight and mount the entire assembly in a bench vice...


I used this method on the backsight for an Enfield No1MkV which had been knocked skewy - i.e. bent in all 3 axes into a twisted parallelogram! Your case should be much easier. It might not be micron-precise, but should be accurate enough to be able to move the slider, which will then probably be a bit loose on the ladder, its slots having been widened by the bending (See Part 1). It will then be necessary to close up the slider a bit to prevent it being sloppy.

It worked for me, it'll work for you.

Good luck - and go carefully

Patrick