Repairing the Unique

[TomG]

(07-20-2016, 02:09 PM)Highpower Wrote:

(07-19-2016, 11:45 PM)rdhem2 Wrote: Best cold blue I have found comes from Brownels and called Oxopho or something.

+1
Amazon carries it as well.

http://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-tools-...d1072.aspx

Also available in a cream formula:

http://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-tools-...d1108.aspx

+1 again.

The more you apply, the darker it gets and it seems to be quite durable.

Tom

[rleete]

(07-22-2016, 01:33 AM)Roadracer_Al Wrote: I spent a lot of time on the Unique today.  I managed to get the spring made on just the second try.  I used less than 6" of wire.  365.5 feet left over.  :)   The extractor works great now!

Having conquered one issue, I loaded up the magazine to see how it would feed.  Bam.  Feed jam.  So I spent the afternoon tinkering with the magazine, trying to get the bullets to point upwards more, and managed to break a part of the pusher block, which was an odd assembly of hardened steel and phosphor bronze soft soldered to the steel.

So I measured the feed block and made one out of aluminum.  I loaded that up and BAM another feed jam.

This prompts me to start looking very carefully at the feed ramp, and there it is, I know what the problem is.  The barrel didn't come with this gun, and feed ramp is more than 1/16" behind the feed ramp in the frame!

That's got me stalled for now.  I think I'll make a shim in brass or bronze and JB weld it to the frame.  I don't feel much like soft-soldering since I'd probably have to re-blue the frame, and there are a few features which I'm not entirely sure how to break down.  A number of them appear to be permanently installed with pins in blind holes.

Pictures!  We need pics!

[TomG]

Yeah. I don't believe a word of it.

[Roadracer_Al]

Well, I actually brought the camera upstairs and it's sitting next to my computer. But, as my Dad would say "Those pictures aren't uploading themselves!"

[Roadracer_Al]

OK, finally got off my butt and processed the pix from my dumb old pre-bluetooth, pre-cloud point & shoot shop camera, and uploaded them to my photo hosting site.  Can you imagine?!!  I had to use a wire to transfer data. How crude.

Here's a link to captioned pictures.

http://alanzina.zenfolio.com/p436178804

[TomG]

It certainly is "Unique". The design looks like it was based on the 1911, except the locking lugs are on the bottom.

Tom

[Roadracer_Al]

I also own a 1911, and the unique doesn't have a barrel link, so it's not *quite* the same in that the rear of the barrel doesn't rock down when the action moves. But, yes, it's recoil-operated.

What are your thoughts on the feed ramp mis-match?

It seems to me that I have two options: make a spacer that is applied to the frame to get the feed ramps to align, or I could machine the back of the barrel.

The barrel machining option would require re-chambering the barrel since it will be shortened by ~1/8". I looked on Dave Manson Reamers, and they have a .22lr with an integral pilot for $45, which seems a fair price.

[Mayhem]

Interesting - looks like the second half of the barrel was an afterthought. Perhaps someone wanted more range

[rdhem2]

Just a thought, but maybe your problem is not in the feed ramp but still in the magazine feed lips.  In my limited experience tin magazines are the cause of so many feeding problems.  It  would be so wonderful to have a second mag to compare to. The feed ramp is pretty much sturdy solid metal and stays as the factory made it.

Now more to my point.  If the bullet points down as it feeds from the mag it will generally jam on the ramp.  If the bullet points up it will bump off the lower ramp to the upper ramp into the chamber.  If the bullet has too much of a up angle it will jump out of the mag and stove pipe.

Now to the real meat of the matter that I have never figured out.  I (or You) can get a pistol to function perfectly worked by hand at the bench, but not necessarily when at speed as when firing at the range.  Trial and error I guess.  Let us all know when you figure this out as you certainly are doing this project for the challenge and function and not the beauty!    

[Roadracer_Al]

@ Darren - yes, lateral thinking on the MFGs part to make interchangeable barrels. I believe this pistol came with a short barrel and the long barrel was a much later replacement, especially since the bluing was quite worn on the long barrel but not on the rest of the frame or slide. The irony is that it would have ceased functioning when the long barrel was installed. I'd love to have had the original barrel come with it.

@rdhem2 - I agree about the sheet metal magazines, they can be finicky. On my 1911, I only have 1 magazine out of 3 which feeds correctly. One of the reasons for the aluminum magazine pusher was that it would be very easy to adjust the angle of the round as it reaches the top of the magazine. And, true, I enjoy a challenge. :)