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El 24 problem.need advice

oldwing

oldwing

Member
This unit has been functioning fine til tonight. I decided to replace the front sight on the host rifle and immediately after drifting the new one into the base I discovered the bolt was locked in the open position. It will not close. Only moves a few thousandths of an inch fore and aft . The bolt body has a little wiggle to it and the problem doesn’t appear to be seizing between the body and the receiver.

The extractor seems to be ok, I can wiggle it with a pick. The firing pin will also wiggle using a pick. The firing pin and sleeve will move only move forward to the point shown in the photo toward the fired position whereas it should move all the way to the fired position. I can pull it back easily to the point I can engage the safety.Bolt is clean, receiver likewise. Does anyone have a diagram of the bolt? Any help is appreciated. B402979F-5C17-4519-BD0A-82572641BCE1.jpegFF6C2BBA-D9FB-4754-8379-3216652DAF7D.jpeg
 
Last edited:
0E40FDAB-B8E9-4FF5-B775-4893192E2BBF.jpegWell bad…
The firing pin broke and apparently jammed the extractor against the inside of the receiver. Also destroyed the extractor spring.

Does anyone know of a replacement firing pin? Or possibly a smith that could weld or silver solder it?
 
Looking at the fracture it seems to be an old break. I had probably shot 200 rounds with the broken pin. I will have to replace the spring (I’ve ordered an assortment of springs that appears to have the size I need). I may braze the pin together but could use it as is using a little wheel bearing grease. I should not have previously cleaned the bolt, I would have not had this problem show up….
 
Hey Mick , give me a couple days, I have a bolt somewhere for a el24 , it got packed up 3 years ago when I moved, let me look through some boxes , mike
 
Out of curiosity, I disassembled my bolt to examine the firing pin.

This part would not be hard to fabricate from flat-stock using the original part as a pattern. The thickness measures .055" which is comparable to 16 gage sheet-steel (.054") commonly available at Lowes, Tractors Supply etc. (I successfully made an ejector from this material for a .22 Colt Ace unit when I could not find the part.)

The project looks to me to be feasible for someone with basic metal working skills with a hacksaw, drill, grinder and files but a more finished product would be made with access to a drill press and mill.

My firing pin looks like the tip was hardened by heating and quenching the front portion in oil; the front 1/4 is blue and back 3/4 is "white." Same technique would work. Risk would be to overharden the tip so that it fractures and will depend on the characteristics of the material used. Some experimentation, "file testing" of the hardness and subsequent re-heating to draw down the hardness may be required. But I suspect that an unhardened firing pin will work and last for a very long time.
 
Oldwing, I could tac weld the original back together. It wouldn't be a "correct" fix, but probably functional and usable for quite some time.
 
Mike, thank you very much, but I believe I can repair this one.

Gem,
I considered making one but was thinking of a steel that could be hardened. I searched for o1 and a couple of others but the piece is tiny and minimum order and s&h cost prevented me from going that way. I have hardened mild steel using an oxy-act torch with a carburizing flame but don’t know how it might hold up with a firing pin. I have experience brazing so ordered some high melt temp silver solder. I think it will do the job.

Fouling in the channel between the extractor and the bolt body had held the broken part in position allowing proper function and allowing me to use the rifle. Immediately before the problem I had unscrewed the body and used cleaner, apparently loosened the broken part and when I had the rifle upright tapping the front sight in it jarred the broken piece and it fell out of place toward the striker and jammed the extractor. Probably a dab of wheel bearing grease would hold the broken piece position, but I’ll try the silver solder.

Thanks to mike and gem
Edit…falgrunt, I was typing and missed your reply, probably a tack would work, already ordered the silver solder so will try that, thanks
 
Gem, if yours happens to still be disassembled could you get a length of the extractor spring for me? If you’ve already reassembled , no problem,
 
Spring measurements: Length = 5/32"; Diameter = .093" (~3/32")

My spring functions OK but seems a little weak. It has been under compression since Reichswehr days (Unit mark is 4.R.R.13.13) so it is probably short compared to a new spring. I would start out with a longer length and trim to get to the compression force that works well. And compression force of a new spring may be different than an original depending on spring wire diameter and pitch of the winding. Cheers....
 
DC397CB1-4D72-45E2-BC6A-B1086081794B.jpegEnd result of the firing pin. I test fired the rifle 10 times, ok so far. I’d not repair it myself should it happen again, too tiny for my eyesight and clumsy hands. Probably have 4 hours involved. Two hours of that was searching for something that I had laid down and couldnt find. I couldnt find any spring of the correct diameter to fit the extractor and a larger spring will not work, I had to improvise…
 
Thanks mike. I’m hoping to shoot it plenty ih a week or two. The unit was in a Spanish m44 when I found it, No case or magazine for the erma or the removed centerfire parts.

I found a Bernedelli 10 round pistol fit and feeds fine but found a correct magazine last week. Ive changed from m44 sights as they were useless to me. (Im anxious to find if my shooting improves with the much better sight picture.
 
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