Gumm smiffin by phone

[GunnyMack]

So over this past weekend my old shooting coach and dear friend called me. When he calls I always answer the phone ' what did ya break this time '
Well this time he DID break something, his Beretta SO5 EELL. The SO series guns are top of the line o/u shotguns.
Well he says I was shooting skeet today and I pushed the top lever over to open the gun and nothing happened.
I knew immediately that he broke the top lever. The way they are machined they are kind of weak and just wear out and twist off.
Now these SO guns need specially fit screwdrivers in order to take the gun apart. Being true side locks its actually very easy to disassemble the action. I talked him through it.
He finally got up enough nerve to get inside the action today.
The locking bolt is still captured by the spring/ plunger that hold/ operate the bolt . I told him to remove the top lever screw and gently lift up the top lever until he can get top lever, spring and plunger apart.
How do I know this? I had an SO4 and the top lever broke and I made my screwdrivers !

[gamekeeper]

I hate taking things apart for the first time if I'm not familiar with the design, always expecting things to fly into space never to be seen again..
You may get a phone call from me someday.......

[GunnyMack]

Just remember you are 5 hours ahead!

[JimT]

I hate taking things apart for the first time if I'm not familiar with the design, always expecting things to fly into space never to be seen again..
You may get a phone call from me someday.......

I tell friends to take the gun apart INSIDE a clear plastic bag. It does work.

[OldWin]

Like GK, I hate the unknown when working on a gun.

Jim,
Yes, that works well. I've done that before!

[GunnyMack]

I have seen a clear plastic tote with hand holes cut in the side like a sandblast cabinet.
When we had the Beretta 92 armors course the instructor carried literal pounds of springs and plungers - the slide had 1 each side for the safeties. All ya heard was PING- and all kinds of cussing !

[Walt]

Most trouble I've had was replacing a Smith rear sight blade. I ended up ordering 10 each of those tiny springs and plungers and several of the windage adjustment screws. Finally I stood a box on its side, stapled paper towels on all sides to slow the little getaways and finally got the darned thing back together.

[GunnyMack]

During my 3rd year at Trinidad gun smith school the final exam each semester was you drew 2 guns out of a hat. One you took apart and all parts went in a box that you would hand off to whoever drew that to reassemble. In turn you got a box of parts to reassemble.
I don't remember what I drew to take apart but I drew the Remington 3200 to reassemble. When we first had theory on the 3200 I proclaimed I would get it on the final, the guys laughed.
Well I got it, reassembled it in record time too!
The 3200 has if I remember right 143 parts!
Of course it helped me because I had intimate knowledge of the 3200 as I had a pair of them and the previous summer I rebuilt both during a summer class.

It might have been the BAR I took apart...

[Walt]

Ya did good, Gunny! And I'd say you got the last laugh. Way to go!