Changing Barnard P firing pin spring

[Kyle Schultz]

My Barnard P is 9 years old. Figure it's past time to change out the firing pin spring. Have replacement from Whidden.



Not much info on the web. What I've found says I need to heat the cocking piece and set screw shown above to soften the Loctite and then screw off. I can't get the set screw to break loose.

Before I get rougher with things, I want to make sure I've got the procedure right. Any suggestions would be appreciated. TIA!

 

[Hopkins]

my experience with red Loctite is you need propane or butane torch heat to nullify it when its sheltered in a set screw channel. Heat the set screw hot.

 

[Keith Glasscock]

Before you start, measure the length of the assembly to a convenient point. That way, you can make sure you don't change anything you don't intend to.

 

[dskogman]

Let me know if you figure it out. I couldn't get it off either but did not try heat.

 

[Kyle Schultz]

SUCCESS!

The key is adding enough heat to soften the Loctite. Previously I was using a cigarette lighter. No luck.

So I held the pin in a crescent wrench which was held in a vise and applied heat with a Benzomatic torch. About 5 seconds of heat and the set screw released.



Next I applied heat to the cocking piece and after about 5 to 8 seconds, it released. Here are the parts laid out.



The new spring is about 1/4" longer than the old spring. I will clean the threads and reassemble using Loctite #222.

And yes... I did measure the distance between the firing pin and the cocking piece shoulders.

Thanks to everyone for your suggestions. Good luck!

 

[wholman]

next time try a soldering iron to the screw that has the lock tite.
or put the tool in the fiting and heat it with torch to get loose.

 

[M99]

I have a lot of experience with Red Locktite on much larger fasteners. It is very unusual to use it on such small ones, but that is what Barnard says they use. It takes heat to break it loose on these small fasteners so we don't destroy them getting them loose. A small Butane or Propane torch and you usually will hear a small 'pop' when it releases. I printed out the Barnard instructions and they give specific length to measure when reassembling, for their various actions. My concern was getting the new spring compressed and the cocking piece thread started.
I'd use 242 Blue when re-assembling instead of Red. Stronger than 222, but you can still get it loose without heat.