92 Update: Springs, stock, action, and all the rest

The Rossi Model R92, a lightweight carbine for Cowboy Action, hunting, or plinking! Includes Rossi manufactured Interarms, Navy Arms, and Puma trade names.
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Reese-Mo
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92 Update: Springs, stock, action, and all the rest

Post by Reese-Mo »

Thought I'd give an update on the progress of the '92 (44m/sp)

Ejector Spring - I received the .250 diameter spring, and of course, it was incorrect. It was supposed to be .250 (nominal) x 1.0" x .030 spring wire. What I got was .250 nominal, but 1.125 x .35 spring wire. Life is too short to futz over sending back a three dollar item, so I decided to try one out. Had to shorten about 2 coils off, but it works better than the 7/32 x 1.0 x .020 spring. LOTS better. By calculation, assuming the same "springiness" should be about 3/4 of the strength of the factory spring, based on cross section of the material. It has a noticeably reduced feel, but is still fairly hard to compress with one's fingers, while the 7/32 spring is easy-peasy to press to full compression with you're thumb and index finger.

But, my thinking was deficient. I was thinking that the OD of the spring was more or less "critical", but its not. Instead, the ID of the spring is more important. The stock spring is 1/4 inch, nominal, and .2475 actual. The spring wire is .040 right on the nuts. That's about .167 ID. The spring I just got is about .177 ID. The 7/32 spring is about .185 for its ID. Herein is the problem: When the spring is sort of "loose" on the ejector's shaft, it wanders just a bit, which allows the cap/retainer to tilt just a bit, which makes things a bit rough. Its not to noticeable with the 7/32 spring, because its fairly weak. But, with the replacement 1/4 inch spring, its evident. If one could find a 7/32 OD compression spring made from .025 spring wire, that might be ideal, as it would have over 50 percent more "oomph" than the .020 version.

Right now the new 1/4 inch (.2485) spring is in the rifle, and I could live with it. Of course, there is a bit more drag on the locking lugs, that's to be expected, but its quite livable. My goal is not a CAS race-rifle, just a nicely slicked - and totally reliable - little .44 levergun.

(edit in: The C652 spring is 7/32 with .028 wire. Those are .215 OD so that would be.... .162 ID, and considerable more oomph than the C503 spring. Yah, they're on order!)

~~~

I screwed up on the extractor, but its correctable. The underside of the extractor was obviously hand cut, and I was thinking along the lines of the 1911 extractor. On the 1911, you want no "spring" as the round slips under the hook, yet the ability to spring if need be. You also want the hook not so long as to bottom out on the extraction groove of the case. Well, what I did was clean up the hand work under the extractor, thinking it would leave more room for the "rim" to fit in. With the light ejector spring, cases were being held by the extractor, and I thought it was correctable. In fact I should have _added_ some material (or reshaped the hook), as the hook was bottoming on the edge of the case wall. Duh, .44 cases are rimmed, .45acp are not. My bad. Brain fart. Old-timers disease (I hope not!), but that wasn't on my radar. What to do. I've got .004 shim stock here, in stainless, that I use to shim bearings on bicycle bottom brackets (hello SRAM, your stuff aint right!). I think I can put back .004, or cut a feeler gauge of say... .006 or whatever. I plan on laying that in the extractor channel and trying it out. Could I recut the hook/nose of the extractor? Yes. But, its an odd cut, and I hate to practice on a part that is not easily sourced. More info on that as it comes, and I plan on doing that work today. If it works, I'll JB-Weld the strip into the channel.

~~~

Stock work - no sanding at all needed anyplace. It was stripped, stained, and has its last coat of linseed oil almost fully dry. I used Japan Drier (cobalt based) with the linseed oil, and that really sped things up quite a bit. In fact, I had some partially polymerized leftover linseed/drier in a little container. It was like honey. I used that for the last coat, rubbing it to as thin a finish as possible. That did a great job at pore filling too. Only the pores need to set-up. The container with the leftovers is just about fully hard, so when that says "I'm done" the stock is also done.

When the stock is "done", I'm going to go back and put in a fake "crack" on the fore stock, and some abrasions in obvious spots (based on memory of my old 1894s). Those will be re-filled with stain to darken the details, and that ought to do it for the stock.

~~~

The lever. My lever came to rest a full 3/8 inch away from the lower tang. I think I said 5/16, but when I measured it, jeeze, it was not very good "feeling" although it worked. I was able to remove about .005ish from the "hole" in the lever where the pin for the bolt goes. Only relieved it at the rear portion, allowing the lever to move forward just a wee bit more, and the locking lugs to raise just a wee bit more, and the lever is now 1/4 inch from the lower tang. I can live with that, but may take just a tiny bit more. I like the idea of "some" gap, and to me its not a visual thing, but a "feel" thing. How my hand feels when gripping and holding the lever.

~~~

That's the updates for now, I may get some pictures of things later on, after chores (aka monster yard work).
Reese-Mo
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Re: 92 Update: Springs, stock, action, and all the rest

Post by Reese-Mo »

All done! Pics in picture thread.
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Re: 92 Update: Springs, stock, action, and all the rest

Post by Reese-Mo »

I wanted to add that the extractor was a casualty waiting to happen. As most of you know, springs should be smooth to avoid stress risers and resulting failure. As nice as the top of the extractor was finished, great mother of all that's evil, the bottom was nasty looking! The part looks stamped, and some parts were clean, but the long front section must have been "hand fit" with a very coarse bench grinder. Nothing but a series of odd angle grind marks going the short way (left - right) across the part. Those got finely ground down "the long way" then polished out. That little bit of finishing took a bit of the "spring" out of the extractor.

Also, FWIW, the 1/4 x .035 wire spring approximates the Mirku ejector force (or maybe very slightly less). And the force needed to "lift" the extractor nose is about the same now too, whereas I couldn't even move the extractor prior to cleaning it up.

And.... I noticed it wouldn't feed the round-ball loads, if there were more than a half dozen in the magazine. That's fine, as they're just a novelty round I play with anyway.
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Re: 92 Update: Springs, stock, action, and all the rest

Post by GasGuzzler »

Century doesn't list a C652 on their site I can find and on Amazon it has 0.013" wire with the following dimensions: "0.25 x 2 x 4.5 inches"
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Re: 92 Update: Springs, stock, action, and all the rest

Post by Reese-Mo »

There are some errant listings on Amazon, I have noticed. Search on "compression spring 1/4 .035"
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Re: 92 Update: Springs, stock, action, and all the rest

Post by GasGuzzler »

What I actually found is you likely meant to type C-562 instead of C-652.

C-562 has 0.035" wire, is 1" long, and has a 1/4" diameter.
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Re: 92 Update: Springs, stock, action, and all the rest

Post by Reese-Mo »

Fat finger typing is very well possible
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Re: 92 Update: Springs, stock, action, and all the rest

Post by GasGuzzler »

Ordered some of the C-562 springs.
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