Feeding problem Colt Lightning Rifle

[Pettifogger]

Here is a photo of an old non slide locking magazine stop and a newer one with the slide lock.  The slide lock is the little notch just behind the finger in the lower magazine stop.  The flat area behind the finger on the upper photo is what pushes the finger down to release the cartridges.  It is easy to check. Take apart the rifle and insert the magazine tube into the lower receiver.  Push the pump back and the finger should come up.  Push the pump forward and just before it is fully forward the bottom of the pump slide should contact the flat behind the finger and push the magazine stop down.  It should go below the bottom of the magazine tube or the rounds will drag.  Since you have an original Baby Carbine I would be very careful as the parts are irreplaceable.  I have soldered a piece of shim stock on top of the flat area so it will push the finger down further.  Hope this makes some sense.

[mandrakke]

I'm trying to attach some photos of the magazine stop and slide.

[mandrakke]

Here 3 more photos. By the look of them, it looks like my rifle should have the slide lock: but, as I said before, I can pump it back and forth irrespective of the hammer position. Maybe the slide lock isn't working anymore because the slide and ramp are worn out (?). However I took the rifle apart and tried what you suggested:  so when I push the pump forward, the magazine stop goes a bit down, but not enough (it doesn't go below the bottom of the magazine tube). If I pull the trigger, the magazine stop goes down another bit, but never completely below the bottom of the magazine tube.

[mandrakke]

3 PHOTOS OF THE ACTION

[Pettifogger]

Hard to tell from photos, but is yours worn where the pointer is pointing in the first picture below?  That little piece is what pushes the magazine stop down.  It rides on the finger on the magazine stop shown by the pointer in the second photo.  When the pump slide rides over this portion of the stop it is at its maximum down position.  A little more pump movement and the little piece drops into the groove in front of the pointer and that locks the slide.  It also allows the magazine stop to rise a bit.  There is only a small area where the magazine stop is at its maximum low position.  The third photo shows the stop crossing the high point on the stop and the second shows it in the little notch on the stop.  Is your pump slide worn?  You say your lock isn't working, this indicates the possibility that the little area on the slide shown in the first picture may be worn.

[mandrakke]

You're right (as always): in the attached new photos, the little portion of the slide that you indicated looks critically worn out.

[mandrakke]

...2 more photos...

[mandrakke]

the last photo.

[Pettifogger]

Yep, it should be the same height as the slide rails on either side of it.

[mandrakke]

Do you think I could solve by soldering some metal on it?

[Pettifogger]

It is so thin it will be probably be hard to solder anything that would do any good.  You will probably have to find a really good tig welder to weld up the area and then machine/file it back to shape.

[mandrakke]

I'll try. Meanwhile thank you very much for identifying the problem!

[Pettifogger]

If I were just going to make this gun back into a shooter here is what I would do.  In the below photo I would mill the top of the damaged area so it is flat and a little widder.  Then I would continue the mill all the way forward and end just before the rectangular hole (which is where the leg on the locking brace is located when the gun is assembled) and solder in a piece of steel.  This way you have two surfaces to solder on and since both ends are supported it should be fairly strong.  Then I would shape a tiny piece of metal and solder it into the groove behind the finger on the magazine gate and file/mill the top level with the little finger just behind the groove.  In other words I would have a large flat shelf for the slide to push down on the magazine stop.  I have done this on several competition guns and it works well.  The way yours is worn you have only the very tip of that little finger that is forcing the magazine lock down.  You lose the slide lock, but that is no big deal.  The first gen Colt Lightnings didn't have one and neither do some of the reproductions.  For example, the Uberti Lightnings don't have a slide lock.

http://www.cascity.com/forumhall/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=24968.0;attach=50870;image

http://www.cascity.com/forumhall/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=24968.0;attach=50862;image

[mandrakke]

So if I understood you correctly (of course my comprehension is to blame, not the way you espress yourself), I should:
-   ON THE SLIDE: file/mill the worn part (let's call it the "isthmus"), to smooth it down at the same level of the bottom of the crescent-shaped hole (where the little finger of the mag-stop is hosted, to lock the slide). File/mill also the bottom of the crescent-shaped hole (toward the rectangular hole), almost until its end. Solder a piece of metal onto the whole filed/milled surface, to fill the hole completely and make it even with the rest of the slide;
-   ON THE MAGAZINE STOP: the final result should be the same as the upper mag-stop in your photo (that I'm attaching here).

Correct?