Radom Guy
Member
I have an old Beretta Tomcat (manufactured in 1997, I bought it used). The firing pin is broken. The retainer pin in the slide that holds it in place is approximately 1mm diameter (approximately 0.040"). I do not have a 1mm punch. I have tried thin drill bits, grinding down the diameter of a 1/32" punch, then heating the respective pins/drill bit to red hot over a flame and dropping them in salt water to harden them. They still break or bend, regardless of how hard I tap them down (too light does not move the retainer pin obviously). I would gladly buy a tempered 1mm punch individually or in a set if I knew that what I was buying would work.
One other thing I actually tried was taking a brand new Beretta replacement retainer pin and pushing the existing pin with it. The brand new retainer pin started bending almost immediately, so I did not continue that route.
I tried heating the slide where the retainer pin is with a propane torch, but I did not get the slide and retainer pin red hot, as I am concerned about the slide metal and its finish becoming damaged. Perhaps I do not need to worry about that, I do not know. The Tomcat being an open top slide microcompact gun is very thin for about half the length of it. I even get nervous putting it in a vise, but I have rubber type vise jaw protectors on the vise jaws. Putting it in a vise is a minor issue that I can resolve, though.
Any tips to do this successfully on my own? The nearest gunsmiths that I know are about a half hour drive out of my way, and time is extremely tight. Plus, I would like to do it myself anyway, as you all understand.
This whole thing is pretty maddening, to feel beaten by something so tiny!!
It may take me a little time to reply to folks or give your comments a thumbs up, but I will definitely be reading them.
Thanks in advance.
One other thing I actually tried was taking a brand new Beretta replacement retainer pin and pushing the existing pin with it. The brand new retainer pin started bending almost immediately, so I did not continue that route.
I tried heating the slide where the retainer pin is with a propane torch, but I did not get the slide and retainer pin red hot, as I am concerned about the slide metal and its finish becoming damaged. Perhaps I do not need to worry about that, I do not know. The Tomcat being an open top slide microcompact gun is very thin for about half the length of it. I even get nervous putting it in a vise, but I have rubber type vise jaw protectors on the vise jaws. Putting it in a vise is a minor issue that I can resolve, though.
Any tips to do this successfully on my own? The nearest gunsmiths that I know are about a half hour drive out of my way, and time is extremely tight. Plus, I would like to do it myself anyway, as you all understand.
This whole thing is pretty maddening, to feel beaten by something so tiny!!
It may take me a little time to reply to folks or give your comments a thumbs up, but I will definitely be reading them.
Thanks in advance.
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