Flashlights and Lasers

Converting 1980s-1990s 3, 4 and 5-D Cell Maglites to LED – What a difference!!

Back in about 1982 or 83, I saved my money up in high school and bought a seemingly giant 4-D cell Maglite.  That thing has been all over the US with me – camping, in cars, trucks, by the night stand and so forth.  My dad was so impressed he bought both a three and five cell version and used them on the farm.  Fast forward to 2015, my dad had passed away and I had both of his lights plus my old one – the paint was chipped and the old-style bulbs didn’t crank out anywhere near the light of a modern LED flashlight but they were still operational.  Face it, Maglites were built to last!   My Maglight and my dad’s were just sitting on the shelf and I couldn’t bring myself to toss them.

As so many things go in life, I was researching on LED upgrades for Surefire M951 weapons lights and wondered if some kind of upgrade existed for Maglites.  The answer was a resounding “yes”! There were all kinds of replacement and upgrade parts available.  I wound up getting three TerraLUX TLE-6EX MiniStar5 140 Lumens replacement for the traditional bulbs in May 2015.  Because I am writing this almost two years later, I can tell you the bulbs are a great deal – they’re not very expensive, bright as heck, durable and really easy on the batteries.  I was impressed then and still am now.

LED upgrade vendors come and go on Amazon. Click here to see the current list and pay attention to the scores and number of reviews. I’d not buy anything with less than four stars and at least 30 reviews and the higher the better.

At any rate, two years later,  zero problems, way brighter and better battery life – sounds like something worth sharing while I drink my morning coffee.

First, the Maglite design is really cool.  You can readily get to just about everything that can wear out.  You don’t need to pull the batteries unless you want to, but you do need to unscrew the head and remove it.  Years ago I had a battery burst in this light so I always check batteries just to play it safe.  This is my four cell that I’ll take apart:

Now, you unscrew the front bezel and that gives you access to the lens.  I am pretty sure I tossed my original because it was so scratched up.  When I upgraded the LED, I also put in a new Crystal Glass upgrade lens in.  I just did it on mine and have had zero problems with it.  When you take the bezel off, the lens just lifts/falls right out.  There’s no glue to deal with.

Now the lens  sits in the body on a shock absorbing system.  I found an old bulb and inserted it so you could see the steps.  The bulb is held in place by a threaded collar that simply unscrews and you can then remove the bulb unit.  In the third and fourth photo, you can see the collar to the right of the bulb.

The LED emitter is a tad longer than the bulb but this doesn’t matter.  Just put it in place of the bulb and then screw the collar back into place.  Just snug the collar – you don’t need it to be crazy tight.  Also, I inspected all the O-Rings and out a light smear of heavy silicone grease on all the threads and O-rings to make everything turn smoothly – you can still change the beam from flood to spot, same as always.  Note, if an O-ring is torn, cracked or looking bad, take it to your local hardware store and replace it.

Next up, the rubber cover on my light’s switch was cracked and oxidized.  You can find replacements for those as well.  They are simply press fit so you can remove them very easily with your fingers or use a small tool to lift the cover up.  The replacement I bought in 2015 still looks like new.

The result:  I spent about $30 and have a very bright durable light.  I keep one in my truck and the other big light floats around between my shop and the house.  In the next photo, you can see the LED emitter working.

One thing that is interesting is that the five cell’s LED is not as white as the other two but it used to be.  I’m not sure why – I think it has the original batteries from two years ago.  It’s something else to add to the need to check out when there is free time list 🙂

Would I do it again?  Absolutely.  I like being able to use these lights once again.  There’s a lot of nostalgia involved with both of them.

12/28/23 Update: The upgrade I bought is no longer sold. The following are options that are highly rated on Amazon:

5/23/19 Update:  Still working great.  No problems and has been used a ton not to mention bouncing around in my truck through the winter.

2/9/20 Update:  Still going strong – no failures or problems.

If you find this post useful, please share the link on Facebook, with your friends, etc. Your support is much appreciated and if you have any feedback, please email me at in**@*********ps.com. Please note that for links to other websites, I may be paid via an affiliate program such as Avantlink, Impact, Amazon and eBay.

Tools

Put an X-Y table on your drill press to improve accuracy

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One of the problems with a drill table is that you have a platform to hold work but to position the work, you have to move the table.  Some guys are really good at doing this but I am not one of them.  I want to use something that I can precisely move to get a part right where I need it to drill.  Years ago I invested in what is often called an X-Y table as well as a cross-slide table.  It looks like a milling machine’s table and sits on top of the drill press’ table.  It makes a world of difference.  By rotating the hand wheels you can move it left to right as well as front to back.

My exact table is made by Interstate and is 6″ deep x 19″ wide.  The amount it can travel is about 7.5″ x 11″.  Now the one challenge to factor in with these tables is that they are tall.  Mine takes up 5″ and if you have a small drill press or are are height-constrained for whatever reason, that is something you need to think about.  I’d also point out that these things are heavy – the Interstate is all steel

Next, for those of you not familiar with milling machines or it’s been a long time since shop class, those slots in the table are called “T-Slots” and look like an upside down letter T.  The Interstate has 9/16″ T-Slots and I have a clamping set of that size that I use to hold whatever I put on the table – vises, right angles, or even the work itself.  In a couple of the above photos you can see the camping set in the red plastic organizer against the wall.

The X-Y table must be bolted to the drill press table.  To true the table to the press, use either a framing square or a machinist square to line up to a long bit.  On my table it can tilt left and right so I tap it with a mallet to adjust it.  However, my press, and many others, do not have a means to adjust the front-to-back angle so shims must be inserted under the front of the table to lift it up until it is true with the bit.  My press is a Harbor Freight industrial series and it has many admirable aspects, such as a switch that is still working after literally over 10,000 cycles (each grip requires at least three drill operations plus it gets used for many other things as well and I’ve had it for at least 10 years) and the motor is still holding up.  When I took the photos I noticed left-to-right was fine (I check that all the time) but that I needed to re-shim it to get the front-to-back angle back closer to being true.

Something has shifted on my press as you can see it is no longer true from front to back based on the square.

I took a few minutes and fabricated a front shim using a piece of 22 gauge sheet metal, my plasma cutter and belt grinder.  So, with just a bit of work, it’s all nice and true again.  By the way, the reflection on the bit makes it look like there is a gap but the square is nice and flush from top to bottom and it’s sitting square on the table.

As an aside, there is an alternative to tables known as  X-Y vises, sometimes called “cross-slide” vises, that can give you some adjustment but I don’t use them because you are limited to work that can fit in the jaws and you only have the jaws as a means to secure the work.  If that is enough for you, then great.  For me, I prefer the flexibility of a big table with T-Slots so I can do whatever I want to hold work.

So, what are the pros of using a drill press X-Y table:

  • You can dial in the work to right where you want it
  • Big work area with clamps
  • Can adjust the table to move easily or very tightly via the socket head screws you see in the photos

Cons:

  • It does take up space – especially vertically – that might be at a premium
  • It’s fairly heavy and not something for a lightly made press – confirm the weight of your table before you buy it

By the way, one safety note.  This does not turn your drill press into a milling machine.  A mill is designed to handle the sideways stresses and you see this in the bearings, the way the mill is held, etc.  If you try to do milling with a drill press you risk at least ruining the bearings if not having the chuck fail and dangerous metal parts flying everywhere.  In short, it look like a mill but do not use it like a mill.  If you need a mill, buy a mill.

I bought my table years ago from Enco, that is now part of MSC.  They still sell it so click here to see it.

Like so many imported tools, it may be the case that it is made in a factory in China, or where ever, and then sold under other brands.  I notice that Grizzly has one that looks just like it:

You can also find a ton of them on eBay.  I’d do some digging because some of the no-name models do not have very good reviews.  Plamgren is very good and I like my Interstate but some on there may not be so red hot.

You will see wild differences in pricing for tables, clamp sets and what have you.  Check out MSC, eBay and Amazon plus where ever else you find via Google, or recommendations from guys on forums, Facebook, etc. for you before you buy.

Also, if you search on Amazon for cross slide vise, you’ll also see not so well rated vises.  For me to feel good about something, I really want to see at least 30 reviews to have a good sample (this comes from stats for folks who remember that class) and I want the majority of scores to be fours and fives.  When you see five stars and one or two ratings, you have no idea who those people were – they could be employees of the vendor selling them or perhaps they don’t have much experience.  In short, the greater the number of reviews, the better off you are.

The following are links to pages that will open in a separate tab so you can see current product listings:

May 15th:  For all the folks who emailed and called me out on the work area being a mess – you are absolutely right.  I’ll get it cleaned up.  I have a ton of excuses but no valid reasons for it being a mess.

Also, two guys posted saying how happy they are with their Wilton cross-slide vises so that is good to know and share also.

If you find this post useful, please share the link on Facebook, with your friends, etc. Your support is much appreciated and if you have any feedback, please email me at in**@*********ps.com. Please note that for links to other websites, I may be paid via an affiliate program such as Avantlink, Impact, Amazon and eBay.

Tools

How to clean an air compressor’s automatic drain – Midwest Control or a Clone

Automatic air compressor drains are fantastic.  An automatic drain makes it so easy to keep the condensate to a minimum in tanks that I recommend them to everyone.  The only time you can’t rely on one is if it is below freezing and ice may cause the little valve to stick open.  For that reason, I switch to a manual ball valve when it gets cold here in Michigan because my shop is unheated.  As soon as spring rolls around, I immediately reinstall my trusty Midwest Controls EAD-25 valve made in 2011.  There are tons and tons of clones out there that range from $11 upwards.

Now, as reliable and simple as these devices are there are some preventive maintenance and routine troubleshooting that need to be done.  Basically, the device has a timer on the top that counts how many minutes until it blows off and then the duration.  An electromagnet is tripped, pulls back against a spring and allows air and condensate to flow out the valve.  This area can and will get dirty from rust and other debris.  This can cause air to leak because of an imperfect seal or even jam the unit open or closed. Fortunately, these are a breeze to work on.

Each spring, before I put the unit back into service, I take it apart and clean it.  At the end of the box is a silver hex nut.  Simply remove it and the washer.  Note how the rubber part of the washer goes to the back.  The metal valve assembly will then slide out of the electro-magnet coil.

  

Next, note the hex nut at the base of the valve assembly.  Loosen it to remove the valve from the brass body.  If you need to, put the body in a vise to hold it while you loosen it.  Personally, I never go crazy tightening mine because there in an O-Ring in there that I do not want to crush so mine can come apart by hand.  Be careful that the parts do not fall out of the valve assembly.  Do this some place where you can keep track of small parts.  There is a tiny double stacked spring in there you do NOT want to lose.

When you turn the valve body upside down, the metal valve itself and the return spring should come out.  I clean the parts and wipe everything down with a coat of silicone.  Look at all the rust and junk on the towel from inside the tubular body of the valve assembly.  Keep track of that little double spring – it is a small spring in a big spring and they will come apart!!

    

I do the same thing with the brass body as well. You’ll see all the dirt.  I blow it out first with compressed air (be sure to wear your safety glasses) and then clean it also.  The rubber face of the valve will sit squarely on that elevated nipple you see.  Do not oil these parts or use anything that will attract dirt. I tend to use silicone spray myself but use whatever you prefer.  Some guys choose not to use anything for fear of causing particles to stick – it’s your call.

Assembly is just the reverse order.  One big tip – I install the spring on the valve and keep it horizontal during reassembly.  Do not just stick the spring in the valve and drop it all back in the tube vertically.  There are good odds the spring will fall out.  By keeping it on its side, you can then screw the tube back onto the brass body and everything will then stay together properly because the spring will be held in position.  I do not tighten the tube back on very tightly – just firm.

 

Once it is reassembled, push the Test button.  You should hear a very crisp snapping sound as the valve opens and closes.  If it does not sound really crisp, or however it normally sounds, then the spring may have fallen out.

Troubleshooting Your Valve

I have really only encountered two types of problems – either there is air leaking out even when the valve should be closed or the valve sticks wide open.

Sometimes you can simply fix this by Pushing the “TEST” button 3-5 times and see if doing so blows the debris free and it closes all the way.  If if does not, then disassemble and clean the valve per the above.

If that valve is frozen open due to frozen moisture, you really need to warm it up.  You can put a light near by to warm it up, use a pipe heater, etc.  My honest recommendation is to switch over to a manual valve.  Your risk that your valve may stick open when you are not around and cause the pressure to drop and the compressor turn on over and over causing wear and using electricity for no reason.  Some guys will put their valves on lamp timers and only let it run for the time they normally use it – for example from 7am to 7pm.  That is what I do but my hours are 6am – 11pm as I have such a crazy schedule but I do turn my compressor off at the breaker box before I leave the shop.

In closing, I really like the automatic air compressor drain valves and I’ve had my Midwest Controls EAD-25 for quite a while now and it is still going strong.  The hints above have certainly helped me out over the years and can apply to many of the automatic drains that use the electromagnetic valve approach.

Here are Midwest Controls automatic drains on eBay (may not show any if none are listed):

Here are other brands of automatic drains with very good reviews on Amazon:

If you find this post useful, please share the link on Facebook, with your friends, etc. Your support is much appreciated and if you have any feedback, please email me at in**@*********ps.com. Please note that for links to other websites, I may be paid via an affiliate program such as Avantlink, Impact, Amazon and eBay.

Blades and Edged Weapons Including Khukuris

April 2017 – My EDC Knife is a ZT 0350BW

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A while back I screwed up the blog and re-posted an old post about my every day carry (EDC) knife being a Kershaw Compound.  While that was a great knife, I did eventually replace it – with my daughter’s approval.  I have always liked Zero Tolerance knives.  Think of them as a higher end brand to Kershaw.  Both are owned by KAI USA, so I think it is fair to say that.  In the past I owned a ZT 200 and that was just way too big to be an EDC.  It’s a huge folder but not something I wanted to lug around in the shop all the time.  I actually sold it and wound up buying a ZT 350.  The 350 is way slimmer and lighter but still has assisted opening.  It’s a hair over 4-1/2″ long when closed and about 7-5/8″ when open.  It’s about 0.518″ wide not including the belt clip and my digital scale says it weighs 6.2 oz.

Size and weight are important to me because I keep this in my front pants pocket.  I don’t want a ton of weight dragging down jeans, sweats or shorts nor do I want to have it really noticeable or uncomfortable.  On that last note, big and heavy knives suck in the front pocket – they need to go in a belt sheath, which I don’t want to wear unless I am camping or hunting.

The knife is designed by Ken Onion, who happens to be one of my favorite designers.  In addition to the very ergonomic handle he designed, the blade is made from S30V steel, which is excellent.  Now this is not a safe queen.  I dug back in my records and I’ve been using this since 2015.  I can’t tell you how many boxes, cords, ropes and plastic pails this thing has opened.  I don’t recall ever using it to pry things open but suspect it would hold up pretty well.  The following photos are of the blade in April 2017 and I didn’t bother cleaning it up.  The ZT black finish has held up remarkably well.

The S30V steel really holds an edge but it can be a bear to sharpen.  If you want a working edge, a Lansky Blade Medic pocket sharpener or diamond rod can help.  If you want a razor edge, I would recommend a Ken Onion Work Sharp (KOWS) belt sharpener or it will take forever by hand.  I use my KOWS all the time because it is quick and easy but do take both the Blade Medic and the rod on camping trips.

If you are interested in how I clean and lubricate my flipper knives so they continue to open smoothly, please click here.

So, there you go – that is my current EDC and I highly recommend it.

If you find this post useful, please share the link on Facebook, with your friends, etc. Your support is much appreciated and if you have any feedback, please email me at in**@*********ps.com. Please note that for links to other websites, I may be paid via an affiliate program such as Avantlink, Impact, Amazon and eBay.

Air & C02 Rifles and Pistols

BNM Custom Airguns CP1002 Pistol – First Trigger Experiment and Match Grips

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I bought a cool CP1002 pistol from BNM Custom Airguns.  Now they focus on making exceptional breaches and that Tippmann stock adapter is very cool also.  In talking with Sergio, because there is such a strong aftermarket with businesses that specialize on certain aspects, he has not bothered with the trigger.  Now that makes sense – triggers are really something that an individual has to decide on – do they want one stage or two?  Long pull or short pull?  Light pull or heavy pull? and so forth.

After doing some reading, I decided to install a roller trigger, thicker sear and adjustable sear spring.  They were all available from Alchemy Airwerks on eBay so I bought them and a few other items to try in the future.  Now there are a ton of options and I’ll try some others as well but this was a first try and it did help.

Years ago, I bought a digital Lyman trigger gauge that I am very fond of.  You basically install a 9 volt battery, hold down READY to zero it and then press Ready again to take the measurement.  You do this by putting the black fitting on the feeler on the trigger in the same spot as you slowly pull the trigger with the gauge.  My readings were all over the place from 4lbs 2.8oz up to 5lbs 5 oz.  In other words, it was heavy and inconsistent.  Couple this with how thin the stock trigger is and it really makes for a poor trigger.

Before you do anything, make sure the pistol is empty and that there isn’t any Co2 in it plus make sure the pistol safety is set to fire or you risk losing the spring and detent.  Notice that last part.  It’s a heck of a good warning to bear in mind – have it set to fire and protect it from being bumped.  That doesn’t always work out so well hence this post.

Second HUGE recommendation – Be sure to have one of the fuzzy work mats.  I’m not telling you this to be cool – they serve a real purpose.  The fuzzy surface cushions soft parts so they don’t fly away.  There is an unwritten shop law, the smaller the part, the further than darn thing will bounce never to be found or not without some monumental search with magnets, flashlights and a clairvoyant.

So here are the steps bearing in mind we really want to talk about the safety spring and detent:

  1. When you go to work on the trigger. you remove the right side grip plate and you are looking at a plate held in by 2-3 screws.  On my six month old 2240, it is three small 1/16″ allen screws.  Notice how I have the pistol up on wood blocks to ensure the safety is not pressed.  You absolutely want that to stay on the fire setting.
  2. When you do pull that plate off, be very careful to press the safety pin down.  It is made from cheap plastic and may pull out.  That is exactly what happened to me and the tiny detent ball and spring flew out.  Luckily the fuzzy matte caught both parts.  Click here if you need to learn how to reinstall the detent ball and spring – a new tab will open with a blog post I did about just that.
  3. Back to this story, with the plate off, you can see the trigger internals.  The big spring on the left is the sear spring, the plate at the top is the sear and then you have the trigger to the right.  I would recommend you take a quick photo with a digital camera or your phone so you can see how everything is oriented.  Out of habit, I always take photos now when I am working on complex stuff – guns, cars, etc.  This has saved my bacon many, many times.
  4. So my goal for this experiment was to replace the fixed sear spring with an adjustable one to lighted the pull, the thin sear with a thicker polished sear to improve consistency and the trigger with a trigger from Alchemy that both had a wider face to distribute load on the finger and a roller to ride the sear.
  5. Remove the existing parts.  I have big fingers so I use needlenose pliers on everything.  Depending on the angle, either long precision needlenose pliers or right angle pliers.  Do not lose your parts.  Put them in a cup or baggie for the future.  You will need to use the sear pin so keep it out.
  6. The new thick stainless sear was a tight fit on the sear pin.  I used a benchblock and hammer to gently tap the pin into the sear.  The pin should be sticking out equally on both sides.
  7. My next step was to use my Dremel with a rubberized polishing bur to make the trigger contact surface smooth and shiny on the sear before I installed it.
  8. I installed the trigger first by slotting it into the safety and putting it in the pin hole.  There was a spring washer on the original that I did not both installing.  I then installed the sear and the adjustable sear spring.  In terms of the adjustable spring, I overcompressed the spring to soften it and dialed the adjustment wheel down as far as it would go to lighten the load.  The first photo shows the original parts that were removed and the next two shows the new set up.
  9. Next, I used a pin point CLP applicator to lubricate the sear pin and hammer pin on both sides. This photo was taken when I had the grip frame off the gun.  You do NOT need to do that.  The main thing is the application of the CLP, or whatever oil/lubricant you want to use.
  10. I then put the plate back on the trigger group and function tested it making sure the safety worked, that the weapon fired and that bumping the gun didn’t cause an accidental discharge.
  11. Next, I bought custom target grips made on a 3D printer to fit my hand by PrecisionTargetGrips.com.  They are pretty interesting and really fill my hand.  I did need to use a chainsaw file on the right side to get the hole in the grip to match up with the hole in the grip frame.  I also needed to grind the screw down about 1/16″ so it would tighten all the way on that side.  The left  was just fine.  I liked the result but it is very different from what I am used to.
  12. Okay, the trigger felt better but what did the Lyman gauge show?  The average was 3 pounds 7.3oz and the highest I saw was 4 pounds 4.1oz. 
  13. So the next step was to test it at 25 feet.  I like Splatterburst targets – they are cheap and self-adhesive so I stuck an 8″ target up.  I went for the center first and had to get used to the new set up.  It was shot a 5 round group at about and inch.  The next 5 round set was at the bottom and it was around 3/4″ and then I shot the top and it was between 1/2-3/4″.  All were with the 15.89 JSB Diablos.

So, the experiment did yield a lighter and more consistent trigger.  The wider trigger face also made it more comfortable.  I used a MTM stand to hold the airgun while testing to have a steady platform by the way.  It reduced my tremor a lot and I am sure the weapon could have fired tighter groups if I had an even steadier stand.  For me, a heavy weapon is better as it absorbs my tremor more.  With a lighter gun, I really need a rock solid stand and bench to fire for accuracy.

All in all, I am very happy with the results.  I could lighten the pull up more but will stick with what I have for a while and see how it goes with pests.  I definitely recommend the BNM repeater.  Boy is it slick.

Next up in a few weeks will be installing a BNM system on my Crosman Custom Shop 2400KT.  I have the BNM parts on order, the 2400KT and am still deciding on the stock and scope.

2/25/20 Update:  I’m sad to say the website somehow lost the second post after this.  I tinkered with the airgun for a while and then sold it like so many of my projects.  

If you find this post useful, please share the link on Facebook, with your friends, etc. Your support is much appreciated and if you have any feedback, please email me at in**@*********ps.com. Please note that for links to other websites, I may be paid via an affiliate program such as Avantlink, Impact, Amazon and eBay.

Uncategorized

Check Out Derreck’s M70B1 with our Bulged Handguards

Here’s Derreck’s M70B1 with the wood furniture:

and here it is with our handguard and a Magpul Zhukov-S stock:

  

If you find this post useful, please share the link on Facebook, with your friends, etc. Your support is much appreciated and if you have any feedback, please email me at in**@*********ps.com. Please note that for links to other websites, I may be paid via an affiliate program such as Avantlink, Impact, Amazon and eBay.

Air & C02 Rifles and Pistols

What to do if the Crosman 2240 safety spring and detent ball fall out

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The Crosman 2240 has to be one of the most popular, if not the most popular, .22 caliber C02 pistols available.  In part because it is a cheap and reliable design but also because there is a HUGE aftermarket parts industry out there.  There is one negative right out of the gates though.  It has, in my opinion, quite possibly the worst trigger I have ever felt in my life.  The trigger isn’t very wide so it feels weird on your finger, there is a ton of slop and it is heavier than sin.  Not surprising, there are a ton of tricks and aftermarket parts out there to rectify this.  The focus of this blog post isn’t so much about replacing the trigger and tuning everything.  It’s really about what to do if the basted safety spring and detent ball fall out so I am going to get to that point quickly and post later about my trigger tuning efforts.

Before you do anything, make sure the pistol is empty and that there isn’t any Co2 in it plus make sure the pistol safety is set to fire or you risk losing the spring and detent.  Notice that last part.  It’s a heck of a good warning to bear in mind – have it set to fire and protect it from being bumped.  That doesn’t always work out so well hence this post.

Second HUGE recommendation – Be sure to have one of the fuzzy work mattes.  I’m not telling you this to be cool – they serve a real purpose.  The fuzzy surface cushions soft parts so they don’t fly away.  There is an unwritten shop law, the smaller the part, the further than darn thing will bounce never to be found or not without some monumental search with magnets, flashlights and a clairvoyant.

So here are the steps bearing in mind we really want to talk about the safety spring and detent:

1. When you go to work on the trigger. you remove the right side grip plate and you are looking at a plate held in by 2-3 screws.  On my six month old 2240, it is three small 1/16″ allen screws.

2. When you do pull that plate off, make very sure that cheap plastic safety pin doesn’t pull out with the plate.  That is exactly what happened to me.  Boy was I pissed.  I was distracted, lifted the plate and watched it shoot out.  Luckily the green matte caught the little detent ball and the spring stayed in the grip frame.  I looked at it and wondered how the heck it went back in.

3. Modifying 2240s is something I’ve taken up experimenting with so I had another stock 2240 sitting near by.  If you’ve ever done an AR, you know the detent pins and springs go in the end opposite the pin.  So, I carefully took the grip frame off the gas tube and sure enough, there was the spring sticking straight up.  It is the hole on the left side of the grip from straight above the hole for the safety cross pin.

4. So, with the mystery solved, I carefully assembled my 2240 with the new roller trigger, stainless sear and adjustable sear spring.  I made sure it all looked good, oiled it, and put the side plate back on (you must put the plate on or it the spring will shoot out – I lost one that way).  Note, the red side of the safety should be on the left side of the grip frame.

 

 

 

5. Having had many bad experiences in the past trying to go too fast, I know to always function test.  I made sure the safety worked first by sliding the safety on and making sure the trigger would not fire.  I then slid the safety off and made sure it would fire.  I also made sure to watch the sear to ensure it was articulating when I pulled the trigger.  That is a basic trigger function test.

6. I then carefully dropped the tiny detent ball down the hole.  The next step is just me – I put a dab of grease on the side of the spring to keep to from easily sliding out.  I view it as cheap insurance to reduce the odds of the spring falling out if I accidentally tilt the grip frame.  You can certainly skip the grease if you want.


7. I put a dab of grease where the sear rubs on the valve.  There’s an old adage that if it slides, grease it — so I did.

8. Next, I carefully mated the grip assembly face up to the gas tube in order to keep the detent spring in place and gently screwed in the front screw (the longer screw) into the frame and then did the back.  Be sure to leave the front a tad loose so you can position the back.  Then tighten them both down.

9. I did another function test but this time actually cocked the empty pistol to make sure it would fire and that the safety worked.


That’s what it takes in a nutshell.

I hope this helps you out.  Click here for a post about the BNM breach and shroud for the 2240

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Are you looking for a family friendly kitchen knife sharpener?

  

I seriously like my Ken Onion Work Sharp knife sharpener to put any kind of edge on just about any kind of knife – folder, fixed, kitchen or even a giant khukuri.  However, that is not exactly family friendly.  To make it easier on my wife, daughters and even me in the kitchen, I bought a nice Smith’s 50090 sharpener that has a coarse carbide side and a fine ceramic side.  This is about as simple as you get.

The unit is rubberized and easy to hold.  I set the unit on the edge of the table so I don’t hit anything when I pull the knife backwards and down and do 10 strokes on coarse and 10 on fine.  This puts a great edge on kitchen knives.  You can actually see the metal shavings on the coarse carbide side pile up.

We use it on all kinds of kitchen knifes other than serrated.  So if you are looking for a sharpener that is simple and effective for the kitchen, pick up one of these Smith units.

2/27/20 Update:  This thing has had a ton of use and is still going!  I use it several times a month to sharpen kitchen knives.

If you find this post useful, please share the link on Facebook, with your friends, etc. Your support is much appreciated and if you have any feedback, please email me at in**@*********ps.com. Please note that for links to other websites, I may be paid via an affiliate program such as Avantlink, Impact, Amazon and eBay.

When Strength and Quality Matter Most