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Unread 08-04-2005, 08:44 PM   #9
sambuscemi
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Luke: You can buy guage pins in various diameters for this hole in the rear toggle anywhere from .057 to .062. The holes vary in size from gun to gun. These pins come in sizes with tolerances minus or plus over the nominal diameter which makes for perfect pressed fitting in that tiny hole. The pin length is almost always .240". What you do is stop in your local production tool supply house with your toggle in hand and ask them to fit the hole with a gauge pin. The tiny hole from my experience is a bit tapered. Once fitted with the proper size buy the pin with the tolerance on the plus side. +.0001" You will find the pin will go in approximately half way by hand which is perfect. Buy the pin - cost probably $2.00. Take it home and with a side cutter cut the pin on one end to about 3/8" long. Put the pin in a drill (drill in vise to act like a lathe) and face the pin with a medium file until it is .240" long which takes about 5 minutes of slow and easy and careful measuring as you go as not to take too much off. Once you have it to .240" in length put it in the hole with the original flat side facing up. This side up makes for the best cosmetic finish on the top side. Push it into the hole with your hand and cover with brass sheet to avoid any damage when you tap it all the way in with a hammer. Wal-la job done. With the taper you will have a nice tight fit, a straight pin to hold the axle - and a pin that won't come out when shooting. Gauge pins are hardened steel high carbon with very high tensiles and do not break. They are highly polished to tight dimensions and are easily fitted to various hole sizes due to the variety of sizes available. Gauge pins are machinist measuring tools coming in oil tempered, water tempered - oil and or air quenched (all things that are really not relative to a simple repair like this)(any type will do the trick with any of the various types all haveing the strength necessary for repair) and I have a complete set of 600. From .001" + & - all the way up to .500" For example if you find .059" + just doesn't seem tight enough when you fit by hand you can try the next size up like .060" minus (-) moving up in size in less than .001" increments. I have even made toggle axles out of gauge pins because of the tight tolerances I can hold. Please make sure before starting this feat that the axle flange is not damaged. If the flange is damaged the axle could turn and still slide out, this mostly happens on a repair when the tiny pin you replace is a bit short. The pin should go through the toggle but not so far as to hit the rail on the receiver when in the closed position. If you have any further questions please feel free to email me. I have repaired that tiny pin on several of my lugers and have never had a problem. If this is for a shooter just take care that you fit it properly when buying the gauge pin. If it only goes in a tiny bit you may have one that is too big - you want a pin that goes in about half way by hand. Experience has taught me that any less than that and the fit may be too tight and no matter how hard you hit it , it will not go in all the way. I hope this helps. SAM Buscemi
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