A customer brought in a nice (except for surface rust, accumulated dirt and firing debris) Winchester 54 for complete disassembly and cleaning. During initial inspection, I noted that it took the fingers of both hands to get the 03/03A3/military Mauser-type safety to begin to engage the cocking piece. Once the safety lever began to capture and disconnect the cocking piece/striker from the sear, the safety would not fully go ON due to hitting the ocular bell of the scope (but that is a different topic). Once the thorough rust removal, cleaning, lube and reassembly was done (the rifle cleaned up very nicely), the safety did not want to go ON at all. Rechecked the reassembly OK. Ended up having to mill the safety engagement shoulder on the front upper aspect of the cocking piece back 0.020″ for the safety to engage. Never touched the cocking piece or the sear other than cleaning them along with all other parts. There remains plenty of trigger disconnection. Question: is the cocking piece where the safety lever contacts it through hardened, case hardened or not hardened? If originally hardened, suggestions for any hardening or rehardening needed. Thanks.
Don’t know about what it has on a Winchester. I worked on a Spanish Mauser that had similar issue. I had to refit after replacing the safety and cocking piece. It was to cut a small sloping notch on the cocking piece for the camming action of the safety to start. Normal high carbon steel files would just skate off. I had to use cutting wheel, followed by diamond file, even cutting quite deep below the surface.
I say it is hardened through. I wouldn’t want to monkey with the heat treat anyway. Just leave it when the fitting is done. -TL
Answer
You have the gun and parts. Is the cocking piece where you milled hard all the way thru or just surface hardened? You can examine the cocking piece where you cut and where the safety engages and see if the safety is wearing a groove in the cocking piece. I believe those are semi permanently installed on the firing pin so I don’t think I would harden it at all…..there should be enough surface area between the two parts where it should wear and last a long time. Ken
