Nice job! :cheers: How quickly did they turn it around and how much did it set you back?

I sent it to them on Monday, and fetched it back on Tuesday. They had a few options, I told them: do whatever you can, but this lever is not replaceable so don't make the situation worse, and don't destroy or change anything on the other good reference lever. Cost me $400, roughly a new Yugo SKS.

Kind of pricey, but fully understandable on a job like that. Getting it done that quick is outstanding though.

There are other options. Another way is to cut that "L" from a lever, and braze it on the base. But a scrap lever from early Mauser is hard to come, listed for sale at $150. And the brazing process still depends on a blowing torch which definitely will damage the finish on the other side. Any silver flowing into "m" or s/n will destroy the part.

For this one, they did not even cut the residual vertical part of the broken lug off. It's cleaned and melt steel is "poured" on it directly to the rough size and shape, then micro machine it. Just like Vlim and Postie suggested earlier. Experience aside, it's impossible to do this without special equipment.

===

I looked their tables and a few pieces of equipment. It's not unlike dentist. Of course, they are not working on teeth, but working on tiny metal parts :)

That is an outstanding results.....you have to be pleased with it. Awesome technology!! This new stuff is expensive, as the equipment and personnel are not found on every corner. That is truly an impressive results WITHOUT damaging the part.

Somehow I've missed hearing about this technology, and I think it's fantastic, particularly applied to irreplaceable gun parts. The work on your lever is exquisite!

I'll be doing a little TIG work on a couple of mine, somewhere down the line, but these project will be way simpler, more accessible areas, such as my progressively presbyopic peepers can handle with lots of magnification! Currently, I'm impressed by the sharp eyes and steady hands of a couple of colleagues--but these guys are about half my age

Marc, stress breaks in steel do, indeed make the exposed material look like a casting when it breaks. The stress, whether it's a constant pounding, sudden heavy shock, or repeated bending back and forth, makes the formerly steel crystalized, harder, and brittle. Cast iron is already brittle, so one good whack or deflection can kill it. The two kinds of breaks look the same because they sort of are the same.

Thanks for the tutorial on metal stressing.

Back a week ago, I acquired a Schnellfeuer 20-round magazine for a Spanish semi-auto pistol. The reference says that particular Spanish model can accept Mauser's magazine -- that's by design. I inserted the magazine into the gun, it did get in without problem, but it did not lock in the place firmly. With a little bit shaking, the magazine could drop out by itself! So it's not usable.

A little bit checking shows the triangle shaped locking lug on the magazine is very worn, so I had to return it back to the seller "it does not lock into the magazine well".