some pics - flame suit on mocking my crude welding

[gunslingerdoc]

Alright, I thought Id post a few pics of my 42 mods - first version. The welding was done with an antique open barn stored arc welder (yes this is an excuse for my shitty welding skills, but Im getting my very own MIG, this week.)

A few points: The firing pin or more correctly bridge bar works and will stay as is except it may be shortened once I move my FCG. The spring is a glock factory recoil spring ( from a m-17) that was cut to size. I used drill rod cut and drilled for the 3/16 firing pin. I then drilled it and used a roll pin to secure it. I cant weld well much less silver solder!

The grip stick started using the little pin hole under the front edge of the grip panel it the perfect size for the trigger pin, but once you locate off of it you end up with a hammer that sits too low to be reliably recocked by the bolt extension - note the added material on the top (its a bead of weld required to get the hammer depressed to recock) I also ended up welding a 0.1 inch plate to the bolt extension to make it protrude lower. These 2 things got it working, but a simpler approach would have been to move the trigger pin hole forward 2 diameters and up one diameter. As a result of the hammer being more rearward, I had to lengthen the bolt extension which gave me some fits with the recoil cycle and spring, tune-able but changing the location from the start would have solved many evils and prevented a lot of extra work.

I cut the trigger pin flush with the sides of the frame since the panels cover it. the hammer pin is retained by a slot I cut in the receiver.

I have indicated (vise grip points at it) the left side of the fal hammer that needs to be ground/milled flush with the rest of the hammer, this fixes the width problem and centers your hammer spring plunger.

I also welded the front part of the grip stick together filling in the gap in front of the hammer for strength. For a forward mounting attachment to the receiver, I used the corner of a piece of square tubing then ground to fit. I used a 10-32 set screw to set hammer travel and tacked it in place once I was happy. It passes thru the mounting slot and impinges on the front of the hammer.

OK there's all the things that come to mind where I made major mistakes and how I fixed them or plan to fix them. Im waiting on a new grip stick from RTG and Ill get the beta version done which will solve many probs. As it stands now it runs, but its ugly and not totally reliable since the longer bolt extension causes in the rear and recoil spring length is too short.

[Pirate]

Get the silver braze paste from brownells, it is a paste with flux & silver braze mixed. all you need to do is gently heat till it flows, no expertise needed. also you can use lead free solder, it is antimony based and much harder than regular solder. it is readily available.

[gunslingerdoc]

Pirate,

I have tried over the years to silver solder and never had more than random success. Why? I dont know? The only time I have had it work was using the hi-temp paste from brownells to premanently attach flash hiders during the AWB - but that required no skill - coat the threads, install, heat, done.

I think the roll pin will hold up since theres not much real force being exerted on it - I guess we'll see.

[Pirate]

Silver solder is different than silver braze. to solder to steel you need the right flux, some flux only works with copper/ brass. the stuff you used from brownells is what I am using and it is excellent, the only drawback is the $28.00 for an oz.
when using solder on steel use a rosin flux rather than an acid flux.