Total disassembly tips

[TroyS]

Anyone have any tips or tricks for total diassembly? I spent the last two weeks with a magnet cawling through my carpet, bookshelves and couch trying to find the slide hold open spring. I had already ordered 2 new ones from the man in Poland with the surplus parts. I will have 2 extras now. I don't want to have to crawl again. Kids are still laughing at me.

[PA-Joe]

That is why you do it in a pastic bag.

[Curly1]

+1 on the large freezer bag, saved me a few times with flying springs and plungers.

[TroyS]

Thanks guys. Will try take trick next time.

[soram]

+1 on the large freezer bag, saved me a few times with flying springs and plungers.

Amen, to that! BUT, I too had to learn the hard way. For me it was the extractor spring--bounced all of the way across the room, off of the TV, and landed INSIDE a cracker box at my feet beside the chair I was sitting in!

I only looked inside the box in exasperation; because, after 3 hours, I had literally searched the ENTIRE rest of the room.

Despite all of the advice from others, some MUST learn the hard way!

Ross

[juniustaylor]

I've heard a lot of folks use the plastic bag / ziploc bag trick. I've taken mine apart several times and never had any major issues losing anything. I think once the firing pin went launching, but it didn't go far. Other than that, I think if you carefully consider what is going to happen each time you take something under spring tension loose, you will be fine. When I know something has spring pressure or the spring itself is involved, I put a free hand over it or on it as I slowly move the piece. My hand or finger always catches it.

I think one guy took a large cardboard box and cut a large window in one side of it and used saran wrap or some other clear article over it. He then cut holes for his hands to go in the box almost like a sandblasting cabinet. That way he could have full mobility and see what was going on without using a ziplock. All parts would be contained if they got wild and tried flying away.

[Curly1]

I learned my lesson on a star b safety plunger and spring. You really need to have a clear view of the safety to reassemble.

Lost the plunger somewhere in the basement, been using the bag ever since.