doubling - then broken hammer

[Oaklander]

My IMBEL/DSA would double from time to time if I short-stroked the trigger. Like the other poster said - *not fun.*

The trigger pull was also very light - especially considering I hadn't done any trigger work.

Anyway, yesterday the bolt failed to close, it also didn't want to open. I pulled the dust cover off and saw that my hammer was broken and was jamming the bolt and preventing it from closing.

Upon closer inspection, it turns out that my hammer broke clean in two!!!

Not sure if it had a crack that was a cause (or a result) of the doubling.

The hammer that was in there was the original IMBEL, AFAIK.

I'll probably just go ahead and replace the entire HST. I already have enough compliance parts, so I don't *have* to go US Made.

Questions:

1) Has anyone had this happen before?

2) Should I go with U.S. made or the original Steyr, FN etc., HST?

Thanks!!!

[Sig220]

I have never seen it happen before. Are you sure you did not have any pins back out causing the hammer to get cocked to the side??

I would go with the original HTS, if your parts count is correct. I think they are more durable:smile:

A plus for the original military is they are cheaper then the US made HTS.

[bykerhd]

I would go with Steyr parts if you can find a set. You can't get much better than what the Austrians had unless you could find same condition, original FN manufacture. But, I would take Steyr STG over old, beat to crap FN made G-1 parts.

[Oaklander]

Well, I checked - and everything else seemed OK. Maybe when I baked the paint, it screwed up the part?

I also forgot to mention that I put in a new gas piston, and it was really slamming the bolt back before I adjusted the gas down - I'm thinking that, combined with the doubling, and maybe my 500 degree baking job was enough to push an "iffy" part over the edge?

Thanks for the tip on the Steyr - just ordered a HST from Falcon - looks like the best deal out there!!!

:)

[Para Driver]

why did you paint the FCG??????

[Oaklander]

I was curious to see how well the paint I was using would hold up to heat and CLP, etc.. I *thought* that the FCG parts could handle the baking heat, since they get hot anyway.

I may have been wrong.

k

[gunplumber]

nothing wrong with painting the FCG, I do it to almost every one. The older DSA's are cast - could just have been a flaw in the casting.

[Oaklander]

Thanks everyone for the info!

[gunnut1]

500 degrees? Dang man why so hot?

I am not a metallurgist but won't metal start to change about that temp? At what temp does the temper start to draw out?

[gunplumber]

I'm not a metalurgist eithe, but I see no issue with 500 degrees - other than being a waste of electricity. 300 works just fine.

That being said, when I was welding para bolt carriers, the welding would cause slight warpage - longitudal twist measured in the rails. 12 hours in a 500 degree oven straightened it back up - called "normalizing" I understand.

[owlcreekok]

2barearms has some parts on Marketplace. One of the lots has an Imbel FCG in it, among other things, for $30. (shipped, IIRC) He's a stand up fella. Done deals with him many a time.