Can a decent pin be made from a drill bit?

[WVGunman]

While trying to replace an extractor on a Marlin 1894 I foolishly bent the extractor pin. I then DROPPED the pin and couldn't find it. This came at the end of a long, frustrating comedy of errors.

I took a drill bit the approximate size and snapped off the base without the grooves cut into it to make a new pin. I put that piece into a drill and smoothed then beveled it using sandpaper and a file. It went in pretty easy, and seems faily snug. I could not just push it out.

I'm a little worried that if this pin drifts it could chew up th action. I also have no idea how durable this might be compared to the original pin. Drill bits are made to take compresssion, not the tensile forces this pin would be under. Should I order the replacement part (it's very cheap) or am I probably fine?

 

[Col. Harrumph]

Yeah, I'd probably just order the factory replacement. That said, pins like that aren't under much stress... was it that easy to snap it in two? Blue Locktite would address your concern with drifting.

 

[bob97]

Drill bits are very hard steel. If you bent the original pin it was much less hard and less strong. I would try to get a suitable pin

 

[WVGunman]

Yeah, I'd probably just order the factory replacement. That said, pins like that aren't under much stress... was it that easy to snap it in two? Blue Locktite would address your concern with drifting.

I put the bit in a vise and hit it from the side with a hammer. Cheap bits are brittle, and break on me all the time. Good idea about the Loctite.

 

[WVGunman]

Drill bits are very hard steel. If you bent the original pin it was much less hard and less strong. I would try to get a suitable pin

I was beating on the original pin with a hammer though (okay, I was pretty fristrated at that point.) It just would NOT go back into the hole from whence it came! Wouldn't the bit being hard steel be a good thing, and make it a better pin than it would be otherwise?

 

[Obturation]

I was beating on the original pin with a hammer though (okay, I was pretty fristrated at that point.) It just would NOT go back into the hole from whence it came! Wouldn't the bit being hard steel be a good thing, and make it a better pin than it would be otherwise?

Not really, as youve seen- hard materials are brittle. They'll crack or shatter from impact instead if absorb some and possibly deform. The hardness of items that are engineered properly are taken into account, harder isn't better.

 

[ericuda]

Can you anneal the bit to soften it up.

 

[Obturation]

Can you anneal the bit to soften it up.

But how much? It's not an easily controlled thing, the material matters as much as the heat treatment.

 

[whughett]

Interesting views on hardness and brittleness. No experience but I watch a lot of blacksmithing and knife forging. Hardness and being brittle don’t necessarily go hand in hand. Tempering seems to be the key.

 

[doubleh]

Drill bit shanks are not hardened, only the twisty part is. Don't believe me, take a file to one and see. The shank cuts easily, the drill part doesn't. Drill chucks don't grip well on hard steel. Also drill bits are slightly smaller than the size of hole they drill. Purchase the correct size pin.

 

[shoobe01]

Buy a proper pin. Parts are generally available for all but the weirdest guns. I have made parts when unavailable, do not enjoy it or trust them fully even after years of service.
https://www.gunpartscorp.com/products/403490E


If making one, I'd go with pin or rod stock from McMaster before I picked random stuff from my shop (well, for my shop, I might go into the pins and dowels drawer and see what's there!).

Hard agree on using the proper hardness. Improper materials will cause wear to the more expensive, harder to replace items. A too hard pin could cause the extractor to break, which might have additional effects you wouldn't like.

I'll also note the original appears has some mechanical retention (the peened out area on the back) so again, I'd use that instead of hoping that some retainer compound is a suitable replacement.

 

[Jim Watson]

Geez, when did we get afraid of drill shanks as pin material?
If you were making a lot of pins the same size, the usual stock was drill rod, but for a one off, the drill itself was adequate.

 

[shoobe01]

I mean, if field expedient, temporary, non-moving, etc. etc. sure. But it's easy to buy the parts in this case.

Drill rod is nice mostly because it already comes in 1.34 zillion sizes, that are very round and held to a tight size tolerance. Drills themselves are a good-enough second but may have been bent or chipped in service. I keep my old / broken ones not just in case I need to sharpen one shorter, but for scrap sure.

It's just not needed for a common gun, in an important operating area.

 

[Jim Watson]

Well, I guess paying $7.50 shipping for a $0.50 pin could be considered a fine for losing the darn little thing.

 

[sparkyv]

...been there, done that!

I was beating on the original pin with a hammer though (okay, I was pretty fristrated at that point.) It just would NOT go back into the hole from whence it came!