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Need help to correct dented/bent milled trigger guard

Gerst

Senior Member
I have been trying to correct the “battle damage” on a trigger guard and have had some success but it is still not “right.” The rear seems to be bent out a few mm and there is still flattening at the front/bottom.

Should I heat it up in the oven and start pounding? I have a hammer with plastic on the outside so it won’t tear up the metal.

Any ideas?
 

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You’re not gonna get anywhere with that hammer. Use a light weight steel ball peen with a mirror polished face.

I should ask, is it part of a matching rifle? If it is I wouldn’t do anything at all to it. I’m assuming it’s not because I know you wouldn’t do that to a matching rifle with legitimate or suspected battle damage.

Either way, heat applied might mess with the finish, especially if you utilize a torch. A reblue may be necessary, especially if the latter is used.
 
Wow. Is that tg part of a matched rifle?

#912. Bolt mismatch. Rest matches.

I’m sorry guys, I can’t stand dents, rust, dust, streaks and scratches. What can I say?

The bolt is number 9879 which is one offered on the parts mismatch thread. The rifle is a 42/40 #912 qq
 
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You’re not gonna get anywhere with that hammer. Use a light weight steel ball peen with a mirror polished face.

I should ask, is it part of a matching rifle? If it is I wouldn’t do anything at all to it. I’m assuming it’s not because I know you wouldn’t do that to a matching rifle with legitimate or suspected battle damage.

Either way, heat applied might mess with the finish, especially if you utilize a torch. A reblue may be necessary, especially if the latter is used.

I wouldn’t use a torch. I was thinking of putting it in the oven to heat the whole thing. Would 450 be enough to soften the metal any? Works great for pizzas!

The hammer I have is a Husky and it doesn’t leave marks and it won’t “bounce.”

If the dent is battle damage the guy must have put his full weight on the guard because nothing else has even a scratch. If the dent had been any deeper the trigger wouldn’t work. I have alreadyremoved most of it. It may have been done after the war. Either way, I don’t like it.
 
I put a temporary trigger guard on it while I’m working on the other one. Ironically, this trigger guard almost matches the mismatching bolt!

Frankly I think the stamped ones like nicer.
 

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I would try to open it from inside the tg. I would try hard wood wedges.

I used a bolt and nut combo to push most of it out but it is still “askew.” It is difficult to apply pressure to the exact area.
 
I’ve got carried and used K98ks with tg bends and prangs worse than that and I like them. Leave it alone. You stand a very high chance of doing more damage trying to “fix” it. You’ll add dents, heat marks, perhaps worse bends, and run the risk of cracking it. More damage has been done to original K98ks trying to “fix” them than by leaving them alone. IMHO.
 
I’ve got carried and used K98ks with tg bends and prangs worse than that and I like them. Leave it alone. You stand a very high chance of doing more damage trying to “fix” it. You’ll add dents, heat marks, perhaps worse bends, and run the risk of cracking it. More damage has been done to original K98ks trying to “fix” them than by leaving them alone. IMHO.

Yes, I’ve considered all that. I’ve been very careful using heavy tape and metal strips and even wood to avoid metal-to- metal contact. I will not use a torch. Once I get to a point where I can’t straighten it out any more, I’ll stop and remount the part. If I can stand it, I’ll leave it on. If I can’t I’ll remount the stamped guard and put the other in my parts bin with a note to whichever of my kids/grandkids ends up with the gun and they can decide. They can always sell the byf stamped part which is very nice.
 
Unless that bow is heated cherry red and the guard is properly fixtured, you'll never get it precisely right. And by trying to form it cold, you run the risk of doing more harm than good.

The dent was formed when the metal was cold and the metal wasn’t damaged. Heating just one part of it doesn't sound like a good idea.

I just wanted see if anyone had run into the same situation. “Leave it alone” isn’t an option for me. Even if I broke the thing I already have a replacement in place. I’m not applying enough force to break it. I’m being very careful using threaded bolts to apply pressure. It may be as close as I can get it. I just wanted to know what others have done to remove dents. It sounds like the answer is: “nothing.”
 
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LEAVE IT. If you don't like dents, scratches, dings, etc, you're in the wrong hobby.

The stock of the rifle has lots of scratches and dents, some of them deep. Ive cleaned it with Ballistol but never gave a thought to removing the dents or filling them in with “plastic wood.” A dented trigger guard would be corrected in the field if the dent interfered with the trigger. My rifle isn’t a battlefield relic like a helmet from Latvia. It is a military rifle, fully functional and it looks great, scratches and all. I can accept most dents, but not on the trigger guard. Sorry.
 
The dent was formed when the metal was cold and the metal wasn’t damaged. Heating just one part of it doesn't sound like a good idea.

I just wanted see if anyone had run into the same situation. “Leave it alone” isn’t an option for me. Even if I broke the thing I already have a replacement in place. I’m not applying enough force to break it. I’m being very careful using threaded bolts to apply pressure. It may be as close as I can get it. I just wanted to know what others have done to remove dents.

You misunderstood. By "bow" I mean the entire loop. You know, the part that surrounds the trigger?

Sure, it was damaged cold. That doesn't mean you'll be able to fix it cold. The process will involve heating the entire bow, fixturing the base, and then a controlled stretch from the inside with a special tool. It takes finesse, but it's definately do-able.
 
Think your best shot is well formed tapered hardwood plugs and an arbor press. Especially if you have a true form to model to. You should expect some amount of spring back regardless.
 
You misunderstood. By "bow" I mean the entire loop. You know, the part that surrounds the trigger?

Sure, it was damaged cold. That doesn't mean you'll be able to fix it cold. The process will involve heating the entire bow, fixturing the base, and then a controlled stretch from the inside with a special tool. It takes finesse, but it's definately do-able.

I don’t have the equipment or the skill to fo that. I talked to a machine shop that specializes in firearms and they didn’t even want to tackle it. All I have is a decent vise to hold the part. That’s about it. I guess a blacksmith shop might be able to tackle it but what’s left of the dent and the distorted bow isn’t that bad. Most members advise me to just live with it. I may have to do that. I’m not a skilled craftsman.
 
You have to remember these are not high end engraved custom sport rifles being used on a hunting trip once or twice a year. These are military contracted weapons and most of them were used either on the training grounds or in combat. The scars tell a story. I had a collector buddy here that sold a really cool K98k with a damaged butt plate being hit by a 30 carbine bullet. Could he have replaced the butt plate sure but why it was damn cool and told a story. Unless something affects a rifle's function like a broken firing pin, safety, and missing parts best to leave it alone.
 
I don’t have the equipment or the skill to fo that. I talked to a machine shop that specializes in firearms and they didn’t even want to tackle it. All I have is a decent vise to hold the part. That’s about it. I guess a blacksmith shop might be able to tackle it but what’s left of the dent and the distorted bow isn’t that bad. Most members advise me to just live with it. I may have to do that. I’m not a skilled craftsman.

Understood. Like Eastwood said in one of those movies, "A man's got to know his limitations."

If you DID decide to farm out the repair however, a good blacksmith would likely do a better job than a machine shop.
 
Understood. Like Eastwood said in one of those movies, "A man's got to know his limitations."

If you DID decide to farm out the repair however, a good blacksmith would likely do a better job than a machine shop.


Yes. Machine shops have drills and lathes which make holes and do shaping and grinding but smiths actually shape the metal. One of my old friends learned the trade in Scotland and worked here in Fort Worth making parts for aircraft landing gear. He made me two wedges for splitting wood which are as sharp as the day he gave them to me 40 years ago! Too bad he retired and moved back to Scotland. He knew metal!

Limitations are important, especially when drinking.
 

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