Trick to the bolt hold open spring?

[Racecar_Guy 0]

Is there a trick to getting the bolt hold open spring back on? I can get it on with the safety off, but then I can't get the safety back in. Someone know the secret?

 

Thanks.

[nalioth 405]

Use a magnet to hold it in place.

[Superhawk138 202]

  nalioth said:

Use a magnet to hold it in place.

I use surgical locking hemostats to hold that spring and put it back on.

[dinzag 31]

 

Monofilament or garbage twist tie - fish it through the spring & down through the hole.

Hold with pliers and/or push down from top with small screw driver.

Shove pin through.

[Noob 0]

Use a punch as a slave pin...insert from the right side (after you have pushed the bolt hold open sprng down)...then insert the regular pin from the left...touch the face of the punch slave pin....keep pushing from left to right until the pin holds the sprng down....presto! You are done....take a couple of tries....

[Racecar_Guy 0]

  dinzag said:

 

Monofilament or garbage twist tie - fish it through the spring & down through the hole.

Hold with pliers and/or push down from top with small screw driver.

Shove pin through.

 

 

This is the method I have been trying to use, but once I get the spring on, I can't get the safety in. To complicate things more, I had been using the Shepard's crook plate, so the safety can't go in until the trigger pin is in place. I have been looking at notching the bolt hold open plate, to allow the safety to be installed while the bho is already installed.

[oldandslow 3]

What you really are asking is a how is the safety installed after installing the shepards crook while also using the bolt hold open device.

 

I assume that you can get the bolt hold open spring (with the ends of the spring pointing down and the longer of the two ends pointing down and toward the back of the gun) around the trigger pin while installing the trigger pin.

 

I assume that you can capture the bolt hold open device with the hammer pin.

 

I assume that you can install the shepards crook thus capturing the hammer pin and trigger pin.

 

And there you are with the aforementioned stuff installed, with the safety setting in your hand. Then you notice that the safety will not fit through its installation whole, because the BHO device is blocking the way.

And you screw around taking stuff in and out and you always come back to the same problem.

 

I solved this by pushing the BHO up as far as it would go, then used a laundry marking pen to mark the BHO through the safety hole.

Took the BHO out and cut away the material I had marked with the laundry pen. When I reinstalled all of the stuff, there was a nice hole to push the safety through.

 

Some guys claim that they can push the BHO up and in clearing the operating rail. But I don't see how you can do this unless you cut the right side of the hammer to give the BHO extra clearance. I believe this solution would leave you with a hammer that could wander back and forth on its pin.

 

So again, I believe the ultimate solution (If you use the shepards crook plate and BHO) is to cut out a clearance area on the safety. Or don't the shepards crook plate and use a shepards crook wire instead.

 

I'm kind of mystified by your "trick to the bolt hold open spring" title.

 

Ain't this fun!

[Cobra 76 two 2,677]

This is the downfall to using those plates or the L shaped retaining springs, to hold your axis pins in place. Having to put the selector in as the very last step can suck. True, you can notch the BHO for selector clearance. You can also unhook the spring and rotate it upwards past the rail and out of the way til you get the selector in. If you use a real shepherd's crook like the one Tapco sells (or E clips) you can install the crook LAST and avoid the problem with the selector and BHO. That way you can slide the hammer pin out enough to free the BHO so the selector will go in, then put it back in and install the shepherd's crook.

 

Putting in the BHO spring though, the twist tie or dental floss method works great, as does the slave pin. You can also put the trigger pin in most of the way, then push down on the spring with a pop sickle stick or something, just enough where you can see it clear the hole on the right and grab it with a dental pick or small pointed tool while you advance the trigger pin enough to hold the spring while lodged up against the side of the receiver. Once you have it that far it's easy to pull sideways on the trigger while keeping pressure on the trigger pin, and pull it down to the hole. If you just keep an eye on the hole from the outside it's easy to see what needs to happen.

 

 

Magnets? Sounds interesting, care to elaborate?

[oldandslow 3]

  Cobra 76 two said:

This is the downfall to using those plates or the L shaped retaining springs, to hold your axis pins in place. Having to put the selector in as the very last step can suck. True, you can notch the BHO for selector clearance. You can also unhook the spring and rotate it upwards past the rail and out of the way til you get the selector in. If you use a real shepherd's crook like the one Tapco sells (or E clips) you can install the crook LAST and avoid the problem with the selector and BHO. That way you can slide the hammer pin out enough to free the BHO so the selector will go in, then put it back in and install the shepherd's crook.

 

Putting in the BHO spring though, the twist tie or dental floss method works great, as does the slave pin. You can also put the trigger pin in most of the way, then push down on the spring with a pop sickle stick or something, just enough where you can see it clear the hole on the right and grab it with a dental pick or small pointed tool while you advance the trigger pin enough to hold the spring while lodged up against the side of the receiver. Once you have it that far it's easy to pull sideways on the trigger while keeping pressure on the trigger pin, and pull it down to the hole. If you just keep an eye on the hole from the outside it's easy to see what needs to happen.

 

From your description, it seems that you can pull your "bolt hold open" inward far enough to clear the rail. I modified my hammer to make it the same width as the factory hammer. I take it the extra space doesn't cause problems?

 

Just for fun I am attaching a picture of my "spring hook". It makes manipulating the BHO spring a "snap". The hook is spring loaded.

 

 

Magnets? Sounds interesting, care to elaborate?

[Cobra 76 two 2,677]

Hey that's pretty cool. Where did you find it? Having a multitude of dental picks and little tools like that is very handy when working with these babies.

I forgot to mention above, that if you use the method of rotating the BHO up and out of the way, the hardest part is getting the spring hooked back on it. I use a tool similar to that one for that purpose and it works great.

[Racecar_Guy 0]

Thanks for all the help guys. I'm going to try the little hook tonight when I get home from work. If that doesn't work, I might try clearance the BHO. Does anyone find the BHO getting in the way once the S12 is converted?

[oldandslow 3]

  Cobra 76 two said:

Hey that's pretty cool. Where did you find it? Having a multitude of dental picks and little tools like that is very handy when working with these babies.

I forgot to mention above, that if you use the method of rotating the BHO up and out of the way, the hardest part is getting the spring hooked back on it. I use a tool similar to that one for that purpose and it works great.

 

In 1973, I worked at IBM fixing typewriters and other office products. The spring loaded "small spring hook" was part of the tool set. I haven't seen one since, however, I haven't searched for one.

[Cobra 76 two 2,677]

If you mean in the way while shooting, that depends...What it does is puts the BHO right where it was designed to be used, right over your trigger finger instead of way out front. You can actually engage it while firing at any point, to lock your bolt back and do a quick mag change. The 12 is the only one like that, that holds it far enough back to allow changing a magazine. I believe that was it's intended purpose.

One thing I always do though, is with the BHO installed, push up on it til it stops and locks the bolt carrier, mark where the receiver is on the BHO with a pencil, then take it out and grind / polish it to just a hair below that point. I also round it off to get rid of the corners that can dig into your finger. If you do this mod it will be more comfortable to shoot.

[Racecar_Guy 0]

  Cobra 76 two said:

If you mean in the way while shooting, that depends...What it does is puts the BHO right where it was designed to be used, right over your trigger finger instead of way out front. You can actually engage it while firing at any point, to lock your bolt back and do a quick mag change. The 12 is the only one like that, that holds it far enough back to allow changing a magazine. I believe that was it's intended purpose.

One thing I always do though, is with the BHO installed, push up on it til it stops and locks the bolt carrier, mark where the receiver is on the BHO with a pencil, then take it out and grind / polish it to just a hair below that point. I also round it off to get rid of the corners that can dig into your finger. If you do this mod it will be more comfortable to shoot.

 

 

Sounds like an excellent idea!

[dinzag 31]

Ah yeah I forgot the S12 has the different BHO lever. I have one of Jeric's manual units in mine & he has it designed to clear the safety so I kinda take that for granted. Do as was mentioned above and cut a relief.