Walther Sportmodell Rifle Meisterbuchse 22LR

[searcher451]

It's great that you have the wherewithall to manufacture a part like this and get your rifle back on the road again. Not everyone has the equipment, or the knowledge, or the skill to make it happen, and their wounded firearm sites in a corner, collecting dust. I'm guessing that a forum member could send you a PM is he/she needed something similar -- price negotiable, of course?

[MGMike]

Originally Posted by nay-aug

Thanks searcher 451,

I was pleased with the results. I plan on shooting another couple of hundred rounds this week with the new pin and I guess I'll use it as my everyday firing pin.

I'll keep my original in the parts cabinet as the spare.

Went back over some of the pictures in the post, the first picture shows a pin with another piece mounted as the actual stricker. I haven't run across that, but I'm sure there are several generations of firing pins.

It was a time consuming fun project, butI like doing this sort of thing and I'll never be without a firing pin. I have a coulpe of blanks left.

Regards, Al

Al, that is a prodigious piece of work, for which you deserve everyone's admiration.

You are quite right, however, that there are "several generations of firing pins." In fact there is a whole clan of them, including scores of great-grandchildren. Precise identification is absolutely vital: the pins vary not only according to when they were made, and for what exact model, but also according to what type of trigger and what type of safety the rifle has. I've seen five types, all slightly different, and can't positively identify any of them. I think Walther changed firings pins like Imelda Marcos changed shoes.

Finding or making a firing pin is practically hopeless unless you have the broken one (or at least a tracing of it) for a pattern. You were fortunate to have an original to copy, but in cases where the pin is missing it's a frustrating wild goose chase.

M

[nay-aug]

I've only ever seen the firing pin out of my Walther Sportsmodell V. Based on the information you provided, I'm sure it would be a total guessing game without the sample as you suggest. Are they similar with only slight variations or completely different pins? The first pin pictured in this post looked similar in the body with a cutout area to hold a spring, but the actual striker appeared to be a seperate piece attached in some way to the main body.

I'd be glad to try and help if someone needs a firing pin. I do have a guy with a waterjet that now understands what the needs are. If someone was willing to provide a sample, I could have a blank priced. Of course the setup cost makes the first one the most expensive and it still would have to be worked/finished by the right person or gunsmith.

Maybe other members are willing to post pictures of good firing pins from their rifles, along with the model/type and we could get an idea of how many variations are out there? Also how different they are or are not? It may be possible the make a semi-finished pin blank that could be finished into several variations of firing pin.

I'm just talking out loud, what are the thoughts of others.

Best regards, Al

[MGMike]

The ones I have seen are sufficiently different that they are nowhere near interchangeable and would require different blanks. All that I have seen were one-piece. The firing tips are where they break, so it's not surprising that repairs have been attempted by making them into two-piece, but I think it makes more sense to cut a slot and braze in a new tip.

M

[nay-aug]

Your a probably right, that would be a quick and easy fix.

If I remember correctly the pin dia. on my gun is only around .090. If that breaks it's a complicated piece just for that tip. If the hole through the end of the bolt was slightly larger even .010, the pin diameter could be increased. That would make it 10% stronger. Only problem is you would be messing with and original bolt too!

I have 264 rounds throught my gun now and everything is still ok, I'll let you know if and when I get to 1000 rounds.

Best regards, Al

[John Smiff]

Al

Thanks for the note. I very recently scored (purchased) a complete bolt. It works and fits my rifle well. So, now I will disassemble the new bolt and use its firing pin as a template to finiish the one I posted. I anticipate iit to be very labor intensive time since I have a lot of initial metal to remove before a final fine shaping. And Hopefully I'll soon try and post a picture with measurements for all.

Regards

John

[nay-aug]

John,

That's great you found a bolt/firing pin, hopefully you didn't have to re-mortage the house to get it done.

Please post the pictures when you can, I'd like to compare it to my firing pin.

Good luck, Al

[John Smiff]

Thanks Al

Found it in a box of dusty, grease covered parts. Wasn't sure at first but took a chance. Almost broke my wrist getting my wallet out when he named a price. Worked out well functions perfectly and looks the same as the bolt with the broken pin. I am a little reluctant to take it apart looks simple to do but difficult to get back together. When and if I do I'll post pictures as promised and send you a picture also.

Snowed In Here

John

[John Smiff]

[kleinkaliber]

You have done yeoman's work in getting a workable firing pin for a Sportmodell V. These pins were very prone to breakage and nigh on to impossible to find. You should be commended for getting this done. I have to echo what MGMike says though: Walther was forever tinkering with the bolt and lock work on the Sportmodells. I personally own three different breech bolts for these rifles made between 1925-1940, all with differing lock work. When you go looking for anything concrete, you find only quick sand. But none of this detracts in any way from what you have accomplished here. KK

Originally Posted by nay-aug

OK Guys,

I finally made a new firing pin after several generations of machining and materials. It worked fine and I fired 54 rounds without incident, not a torture test by any stretch of the imgination.

The process was heat treating (RC28-32), water jet cutting, surface grinding, milling, attempting to turn the pin area (finally rough machining and hand working the pin) and finishing by hand with a Dremel tool. One problem, the cost is way out of sight. I'm not sure all guns accept the same pin. The hand fitting was significant.

I'll post some pictures in the next couple of days so you can see the finished product.

If anybody's interested I could product a heat treated, water jet cut blank, surface ground to a specific thickness (anything less than .125, that's the starting thickness) for $60.00. My pin was ground to .098 thick. A gunsmith would have to finish the blank to fit your gun. I could also try to product finished pins for about $100-$115, depending on the quanity, but it still may require some hand fitting.

I afraid either option is expensive, but that's the best I can do! It's a challenging project! Any pins supplied would be on a best effort basis, I really couldn't warranty them.

Regards, Al