GunLab

VG1-5 update 1-23

This is a quick update on the progress of the VG1-5 project.

All the bolts back from heat treat

All the hammers back from heat treat

Magazine pressings for both the right and left sides of the magazine complete, next is to mill of the excess.

Weld up the fire control box

Spot welded the rear stock supports and tack in the rear barrel support cross pin.

Complete the welding of the cross pin.

Performing the next two ops on the barrel

We have started chambering the barrels. The next step is to cut in the threads.

Update video.

Pictures for the Shot Show update.

Everyone looks at different things when you are at the Shot Show. This is some of the items that caught my wife’s attention.

This display was at the NRA exhibit.

A quick video of a couple of items at the show.

Some of the weapons that she looked at.

A stop by Bond Arms.

And the engraver in the booth next to them.

As we have a shop and a Sharps machining center in it she stopped by to check out the latest and greatest.

She also contacted a couple of parts manufactures for me while there.

Suppressors, it just makes shooting more fun.

She say’s it looks like Johnny 5 from the movies.

The new Taurus cuvrve.

Just cool

A quick stop by Remington and was amazed at all the companies that had acquired.

What happen to Tapco. This was the entire display.

Loved the paw prints.

Now on to what she really wanted.

The complete set of course.

It will Not be on next years Christmas list

The end of a hard day at the Shot Show. The work is never over.

It is that time of the year that everyone has gone to the Shot Show to meet friends, look at the newest product and make deals. All the gun blogs are taking about what is new and interesting at the show and who is making what. Well I did not get the opportunity to go this year, instead my wife and a girl friend of hers went. I will have the full report in tomorrows post when she gets back of what she looked at and what was interesting to her. This is just a quick run down based upon my findings many miles away.

First I have been going to the show shot off and on for almost 3 decades now and for those of you that have not been there there are a lot of after show parties. These are events where you get to meet and mingle with designers, buyers, sellers and the people in the know. There are also a lot of meeting for drinks at the bar and dinner get together to discuss what ever . I know this because generally I am told about it the next day. Well this year I have it for fact. Not that I went to any of them but my wife and Chris, her friend, were invited and went to a number of them. In addition she had photo ops with everyone.

I am not sure what this means, but maybe next year I might get invited if I go with her.

Pictures tomorrow

Book review of the new AK book

I just received the three volume set of books dealing with the AK weapons system. Here at Gun Lab we are no stranger to the AK series of rifles.

But there is so much information that is packed into the three volumes it will take some time to go over it.

Where have you seen information on the Ukraine bull pup rifle

A complete section on all the variations of the Chinese weapons.

The Israeli 30 carbine rifle.

Serbian weapons.

The SIG series of riles.

There is not a country that is missing.

If you are interested in this set of books then go here.

http://www.kalashnikov-encyclopaedia.com/how-to-order.php

If you are into the AK series of weapons this is the set of books that you need to get. I think you will be very happy with them.

Wire EDM update

Last weekend and this weekend I spent a little time on the wire EDM that I picked up at auction. The last report I published we had changed out the bad switches on the control panel and had got the wire to feed through the machine. When I tried to start the water flow through the machine the pumps would run but the upper and lower flush pumps would not pump. So this Saturday with the help of a couple of friends the three of us re-worked the two pumps that were giving me problems.

This is what the pump housing area looked like after the removal of the pumps and piping.

The major problem with the lower flush pump was a bad check valve.

The strainer had no wire basked in it so I made on from the available mesh that I had on hand.

With no strainer basket installed this is what was found in the inlet of the pump.

This effectively stopped the flow of water to the inlet of the pump.

Both pumps were taken apart and thoroughly cleaned. Then they were reinstalled and the piping hooked back up. A quick test and we had flow.

You can see the video of the pumps operating, both the upper and lower flush pumps working.

However more problems have occurred. We have now lost the CRT, TV tube. It was working up until last weekend when it just stopped.

This is the current condition we are in with the wire edm. Joe and Alan, friends of Gun Lab, helped with testing and re-working the pumps. An interesting question was brought up during all this work and that what was the cost so far concerning the Japax wire edm and is it worth it. So to date I spent 1400.00 buying it at auction and 100.00 buying new switches. I have bought resin and filters as well, but that would be the case with a new machine. Currently I would say yes it is worth the money I have spent to date. I am hoping that there is not much wrong or that the cost of repairing the tube will not be that great. We shall see.

Another site has gone

Another site that I use to go to every day has now gone missing. It went by the name Lock, Stock and History, with the address of: http://www.peashooter85.com/

It is a shame as it was one of my favorite. I hope he makes a come back.

I just got an update that he is still alive and well but just moved. His new site is:

http://peashooter85.tumblr.com/

If you have not gone to his site in the past check it out. It is a great place to spend a couple of hours looking at some great history.

Another sheet metal pistol

After my post on Axel’s home made sheet metal pistol I came across another one made by Clinton Westwood. In the following videos produced My Clinton he goes over the process that he went through to make a 25acp pistol from this set of plans.

Part 1 This deals with making the magazine.

Part 2 deals with making the frame

Part 3 is making the fire control group

Part4 Is making the rails and slide

Part 5 deals with making the frame web and trigger guard

Part 6 is making the barrel

Clinton has put together a nice set of videos describing his journey and he has made a very nice pistol.

My favorite Maxim machine guns

There has been a number of articles and write ups on the Maxim gun lately so I thought I would add my 2 cents in. I have owned a number of Maxim guns over the years. An 08, 08/15 and a Chinese type 24 and well as a number of kits. However, my favorite Maxim guns are the little sales sample that Mr. Maxim use to take with him, the Finish m/09-21 and of course the Argentina brass Maxim. This write up is about the one I like the most and will never own. The Sales sample Maxim in 7.63×25.

This first four pictures came from an interesting site that if you have an opportunity should check out. http://www.victorianshipmodels.com/autoMG/index.html

The rest are pictures that I have taken a few years back. A couple of views of the barrel jacket. The jacket pattern would be the easiest of the patterns to make.

The side of the receiver

To give you the over all size for length

and height

A view of the feed block setting in the receiver

Here are some views of the feed block.

What a casting and machining project. The pattern alone had to be very interesting.

A few pictures of the lock.

Some more pictures of the inside of the receiver.

The look of this little gun is just beautiful.

The recoil spring

Now for the pistol grip.

If I had the time this would be a gun I would love to make, even if it were only in semi auto. The patterns alone would be works of art as well as the castings.

1945 Lithgow 22 trainer

John a friend of Gun Lab recently sent me some pictures of an addition to his collection as he knows that I have a thing for 22 trainers. This is a Lithgow SMLE 111* rifle that is in 22 lr. According to the available references on this rifle they were put together by Jovino in the 1980’s. Still it is a very nice rifle and something I would love to own or build. A couple of views of the markings on the rifle