Rear Toggle Assembly - Disassembly Problem
 

Howdy folks!

I'm having difficulty disassembling the rear toggle assembly of a 1916 Erfurt. The assembly is held together by a small pin through the rear toggle link. Drifting this pin up from the bottom and out the top of the link should free the assembly. All attempts to drift the pin have failed. The assembly appears to have been reblued as an assembly some time in the distant past and the pin may be "rust blued in".

Any suggestions? (destruction of the pin is acceptable, if necessary).

Regards
Bob...
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"I don't mind if you don't like my manners.
I don't like them myself. They're pretty bad.
I grieve over them long winter evenings."
-- Philip Marlowe (Humphrey Bogart)

Bob, This pin is so small it is often difficult to get a good lick in on it without the proper drift. There was some mention on another thread that it might be swelled on one end. In other words it may drift out one way but not the other. I would think it might be extremely difficult to drill out too..Perhaps a genuine gunsmith like Howard (PoliceLuger) will come on with some suggestions.
Have you tried any penetrating oils?

Jerry Burney

Just an idea. Your pin punch might be too large. Get a good magnifier and compare the punch to the pin. If its too large Brownells makes some tiny mini punches that might do the job. Tip: get a couple; they bend easy.

Charlie

It is a dinky little thing, isn't it. Checking on the punch size is a good idea, and I'm using a punch that's ever so slightly smaller than the pin. FYI, the pin sticks out from the botton about 1/32 inch, so for the first 1/32 size doesn't matter. Your penetrating oil suggestion is good, of course. I was using a common commercial one, but decided to use a good one. Kroil. For $14 per 8 oz., it damn well better be good. The professional gunsmith comes next if this doesn't work.

FYI, my son was in the 173rd Airborne out of Italy. He went in to Iraq from the north when it all started. He's light, so he went down with the base plate of his crew's large morter. He was wouded by a rocket propelled grenade while his crew was sleeping in Chemical Ali's palace. It cost him both feet. He was the first 173 soldier to be wounded in war since Viet Nam.

http://www.patriotfiles.com/forum/ar...p/t-30264.html
http://articles.latimes.com/2004/jan...ts/sp-duckrep6

Bob, just asking, but why take it apart? Is it broken?



Ed

It's a shooter to be refinished - the oldfashioned caustic, smelly, dangerous way.

Regards,
Bob

Bob..FYI, my son was in the 173rd Airborne out of Italy. He went in to Iraq from the north when it all started. He's light, so he went down with the base plate of his crew's large morter. He was wouded by a rocket propelled grenade while his crew was sleeping in Chemical Ali's palace. It cost him both feet. He was the first 173 soldier to be wounded in war since Viet Nam.
Sorry to hear that...I was also an 81MM Mortar Gunner. There is little about war that is glorious. Those of us that have been there know that and those like your Son who have received grevious wounds live it every day. I hope he is adapting to his new condition with the paratrooper will to strive. Please..when you see him next... shake his hand for me and tell him this old Paratrooper is proud of him , his service and sacrafice.

Jerry Burney

Jerry speaks volumes for all of us Bob... God bless your son for his courage and sacrifice for freedom!

Thanks for your kind words guys. I'll be seeing Aaron this weekend and I'll pass them on.

I took the toggle assy into a local gunsmith whom I know well. I did this because I was frustrated with the dinky little pin, and I wanted him to be responsible for it.

I've started stripping the reblue job off starting with the frame. I'm using Birchwood-Casey Rust-Blue remover with Q-Tips & a small brush which works quite well. I can see some places, all under the grip area, which are either small surface imperfections from forging, or one time deep surface pits from rust cleaned out before the last (cheap) blue job. Likely the latter. Tomorrow comes diatamaceous(sp) earth mixed with the rust remover on a very small brush to clean out the lettering and the proof stamps (what's left of them) without hurting them. Then it's on to careful polishing.

I'm anal about this.

Regards,
Bob...