How do you reinstall the strikers on an old Savage 311 type sxs shotgun? There must be a special tool for this trick. The springs go in against the auto cockers, and now the fun begins. I have tried lots of ways but still can’t get them in enough to start the pins, HELP!!
OK first clamp the receiver in a vice with the firing pins pointed down and the tangs up. Now install the cocking lever and its spring and start the hammer pivot pin and get it thru one side and thru the cocking lever. Now install the mainspring and plunger. Then lay the hammer in position on top of the mainspring plunger.
With a screw driver that fits the full cock notch press the hammer down into place…….more or less. Then while the hammer is pressed down from the outside of the gun start a punch that is a bit smaller than the pivot pin. The punch will hold the hammer compressed most of the way then using the punch to pry and move the hammer start the hammer pivot pin and then drive it all the way in. Now drive the hammer pivot pin thru the hammer and out the receiver and repeat the process for the other hammer. Good luck. Once you have done a couple you will find what works best for you and you will see that the 311 really isn’t that hard to reassemble.
Reply:
In Brownells Gun Kinks I, you will find the dimensions of a tool and how to use it to install the 311 hammers. I have made an installation pin with a tapered, hardened point out of a piece of 1/2” round stock turned to the pin size and 1 1/2 times the length of the original pin. The Brownells tool leaves you a little short of perfect alignment so the tapered end allows you to line up the holes as you go through side to side adding the parts as you go. I then drive the tool back out using the original pin, keeping back pressure as you go thru each joint. I plan to make a second one of these tools to be able to align all of the sears and sear springs at the same time. Thus giving me a means to test all of the parts before I put the pins back in.
