Retrofitting "cocking pin" to older Savage barrels to fit 219B

[Mike Armstrong]

Has anybody tried fitting the "cocking pin" that was added to 219/220 barrels (and mentioned/shown on Garnett's book page 56) to an earlier barrel that doesn't have it?  It LOOKS like it is in the same position as a large pin on the earlier barrels and might be fitted into that hole.  BUT (the BIG butt), I don't have a 220 or 219B barrel here to compare with my earlier barrels.

I'm currently considering buying a .22 Hornet, and have the choice of a 219B or an early Utica 219.  While I like the earlier rifles generally, the Utica rifle is in much poorer condition than the "B" and I like fact that the "B"s grooved receiver means I don't have to make extra holes in either the barrel or receiver (my ancient eyes require a scope for rifle shooting).  Prices are identical (high!).

But if one of the early shotgun barrels I have (a .410 and a 20 without cocking pin) could be simply converted to cock the 219B action by adding the cocking pin, I'd go that way in a heartbeat....

Anybody tried this?  (One problem is that while Gun Parts Corp. has almost all of the internal parts of the 219B, they don't identify any of the pins as a "cocking pin," so I can't compare their schematic with Garnett's pictures in the book).

[Garnett]

Mike, I have looked at both styles of barrels just now.  It appears you would need at least 3 parts.  The pin that protudes from the barrel lug, the spring that keeps pressure on it, and the screw on the opposite side of the lug that holds the assembly in place.  I woul think a skilled machinist could copy the parts and install them in an early barrel lug.  Good luck if you try the conversion, and please keep us posted.  Some "before", "during", and "after" photos would be greatly appreciated.  Garnett

[Mike Armstrong]

Garnett, if I get that 219B, I'll buy the parts and eyeball them and the two barrels ("B" and Utica) to see how close they are.  If it's a matter of just swopping parts, I can do that.  Machining I leave to an actual gunsmith.

I might be able to email you some pix from my tablet, but have never figured out how to post them on websites, and my desktop PC may need a lot of updating to get there, so unlikely.

I'll let you know what happens but whatever happens will be in a few weeks since the seller is going on a work trip and will "think about" my offers while he's gone.  And if it doesn't get done by 3/22, I'll be on a road trip in Baja and western MX for three weeks after that, so it might be a while.

Mike Armstrong

[Garnett]

I look forward to hearing from you.

[Garnett]

This is a little late, but I checked, and as of this morning, Numrich has all 3 parts to make this conversion on an early barrel.

[Garnett]

I purchased the "cocking pin" on Ebay yesterday for $10.30 including shipping.  The owner had lots of 219/220 parts but did not have the screw and spring.

Update 3-5-17.  I later purchased the pin and spring, but Numrich did not have the screw.

[Garnett]

I purchased the screw for $2.00 plus shipping from Gun Broker.

[Chad4372]

Were you able to make this work?

Chad

[Garnett]

Chad, I just purchased the parts in case I had a need for either of them sometime in the future.  This was a project that Mike Armstrong was thinking of doing.  I would think for a skilled machinist, it would be a simple job.  Drill one smaller hole for the pin and a larger short hole at the top and thread it for the screw retainer.

[Mike Armstrong]

Guys, I never got there since I found later model barrels that would fit on my 219B and 220D without the modification. 

When I moved to CA from NYS ten years ago we downsized dramatically and among the casualties were my drill press/miller and Unimat, so the modification would have had to be done by hand drill, etc.  In my experience, hand tools are never an adequate substitution for machine tools....and I have PLENTY of that experience! 

Recently I fabricated a 20x40' tubular steel frame for a portable native plant nursery for one of our local wildlife reserves.  By manual pipe cutter, hand drill and bolts.  Discovered why they invented the drill press and lathe.  My 75 year-old hands, arms and shoulders are no match for my old Bridgeports!