installing recoil plate in saa

[Tater Pickens]

Have any of you guys ever tried your hand at this gunsmithing chore? In the Kuhnhausen book it shows a tool for swedging over the metal to secure the plate in place. Can this locking in process be achieved with locktite, JB Weld or by prick punching, then dressing down the punch marks with a stone to smooth the surface? I am of a curious nature and like to try to work things out myself on occassion but do not want to screw something up as to where a gunsmith can't cover my mistakes.

I notice that Brownells and Numrich offer these plates for sale. Have any of you ever used them and can tell if they are hardened. If they are not hardened what would be the most cost effective way to harden them? I've had someone suggest heating them up real hot with a torch then quenching them in water or oil. Some have suggested Kasenit.

I would be interested in anyone who has done this process and what your problems, concerns or achievements were.

Tater Pickens

[Montana Slim]

I can tell ya the plate got loose in my vintage ASM revolver....and began to unscrew itself slowly. Took me awhile to diagnose this. Anyway, I ended up removing the part, clening the threads & reinstalling...I did place a couple drops of high strength (RED) loctite  on them first.

FWIW,
Slim

[Tater Pickens]

Slim, I just learned something. I did not know they were screwed in, I thought they were a press fit. I also have an ASM colt clone but it did not come with a recoil plate. Are we talking about the same thing? I am referring to that bushing that is in the recoil shield that can get dimples around the hole where the firing pin comes through the back of the frame and can cause a slight drag in cycling the cylinder because the primer is not being reseated when the cartrige slams back upon firing the weapon.

Tater

[Fox Creek Kid]

I have never seen one that screwed in as usually they are press fitted and staked in three places.    I have had it done to two Open Tops. I believe they use what they call an aircraft cutter to cut the hole. Pettifogger or Coffinmaker can confirm this for sure. All I know is that few gunsmiths will do it as it requires good eqpmt. & machining skills to cut a virgin hole. Skip the jokes. 

[Montana Slim]

Yup...I assume you referred to the harden insert for the firing pin.
I know for sure my ASM is screwed-in...but can't say for-sure about other makes.

I've seen Colt's manufactured first hand (@ Colt Manufacturing), but don't recall this particular detail.......probably lost due to recent head trauma
That sounds better'n "can't remember squat"
But....If I was a betting man, I'd put my dollar on "threaded".

I've heard folks needing these for Colt Conversions due to the hole peenig out.
Obviously, no way to thread one on those guns.

Slim

[Tater Pickens]

Fox creek-my saa already has a plate in it so it would not require cutting a new virgin hole but just punching the old one out with a brass drift and inserting another. The question is iare the replacements from Brownells or Numrich already hardened and how do you drive it into the existing hole and secure it there? Prick punch, locktite, JB Weld? If they are not hardened how does one harden one?

Tater

[Fox Creek Kid]

Firstly, Colt will NOT sell them to the public. Period. Neither will S&W. They want the gun in order to do it. Ruger as well. The Colt plate is 0.090" thick and as I stated earlier they are press fitted and then staked in three places. There are special tools for this that without them you cannot do it. You're going to have to find a gunsmith to do this for you. Alan Harton in Houston, TX will do it.

http://www.gunblast.com/AlanHarton.htm

[Coffinmaker]

First, it takes some special tools which I don't have.  Most bushings are press fit and staked.
ASM did use screw in bushings on some guns that were then staked.  When you buy the bushings, they are hardened. 
FCK is correct, none of the major manufacturers will sell you "their" bushing.  If you can cobble up the method to cut the rebate, the bushing will require a hydraulic press to install and if you get it wrong .................
I'd suggest following FCKs suggestion to ship it Alan Harton.  Most Smiths I'm conversant with aren't equipped to do this job either.  In some instances, when the recoil plate has dished out at the firing pin, a simple fix is to weld up the dish, dress it flush and re-drill the firing pin hole.  Also subject to human error.  Either route is also a fine way to wind up with a 3D wall decoration suitable for framing ..........

Coffinmaker

[maldito gringo]

Recoil plates are available from Peacemaker Specialists and USFA. I replaced the recoil plate in one of my Colt Bisleys without removing the barrel to stake it, 1000+ rounds ( 640fps) no problems. Tight press fit and full strength permatex. Some adjustment to the depth of the bushing was needed to bring it flush, replaced the old cone FP with a new cone pin, stoned the new pin slightly for correct length and fit. Bushing in this case was from USFA, $2.00 plus shipping.

[Tater Pickens]

A little update here. I took my SAA apart-removed the backstrap and trigger guard and all internals, then tapped out the old dimpled bushing with a brass punch.  I had had this bushing replaced by my smith a few years ago but he apparently did not use a hardened bushing as a replacement but made one in his shop out of metal that was not hard enough and again was dimpling and creating cycling problems. I purchased a replacement bushing from Numrich but to my dismay the bushing just press fit by hand into the hole. Apparently my smith or a previous smith had somehow changed the diameter of the hole so a press fit was out of the question. So my option was to take the gun back to my smith to have him make another oversize bushing which would probably dimple again in a few years and I would be doing this again or I could try to come up with my own fix using a hardened bushing.

Here is what I did-I mixed up a small dollop of JB Weld Kwik and placed a little on the edge of the bushing and placed it in the hole tamping it down with a oak dowel. Then I gently lowered the hammer to insure the firing pin was lining up with the hole and then with a tiny screw driver removed any JB Weld that had squished out around the hammer side of the bushing to insure it did not interfere with the hammer drop. Then I painted the firing pin with white out, found in any office to correct typing errors,  and lowered the hammer to see if there were any contact points that would interfere with the firing pin making good solid contact with the primer or tend to drive the bushing forward. There was one very small area of contact so I dressed the pin down with a stone to eliminate this.
When the JB Weld dried I dressed it down level with the recoil shield. Since, I have fired several hundred rounds through the gun and it cycles perfecty with no drag or signs of dimpling. Thanks to all who offered ideas and opinions to me.
Tater