I entered the Belly of the Beast

[Austin111]

While waiting for some parts from France...I just couldn't leave my Tanfoglio alone.

Decided today to replace the Hammer Spring and the Trigger Bar Spring. While I was in there, I decided to polish the trigger bar, trigger bar plunger and sides of Hammer.

It was an interesting journey, the biggest challenge was when the Ambi-Safety Detent Plunger decided to jettison across the room. I never dissected anything this early in a relationship, except f or that frog in biology 101. The V12 came out much better than Old Croakie.

The trigger is now super smooth and super light......

Now I just need my permanent mount.

Thanks to everyone on this site that posted and archived their knowledge and to Henning for his videos.

Schematic I used as a map, may not be 100% accurate...so proceed with caution, but it should shed some color-coded light on your location within the firearm.

[Austin111]

Some additional documentation that may augment the Forum postings. I did it for my own recollection. I have a GT V12 so it may be slightly different in other Tanfoglios. Proceed at your own risk, seek advice from a professional gunsmith (not my Bag Man) always test the modified gun via dry fire, pull/push hammer with safety on/off, live fire single round a few times before full action (and all other NRA Safety Rules)..

· Belly of the beast Gap Analysis

· Needle Nose pliers

· Curved Needle Nose pliers

· 1/32 Pin Punch ambi safety (larger for other pins)

· Right side ambi safety is a bear to remove after pin is pushed below hole, don’t assume Hennings video is accurate portrayal.

· Sear Spring re-positioning is easy to forget. Keep a Post -It to remind you to restore to original position.

· Left side ambi-safety on Gold Team has a detent, spring and if it dislodges it is a bear to get back in. Handle with care.

· Hammer Pin-Pin is a vertical pin on left side of frame that holds the hammer pin in. Since Hammer Pin is larger on left side it can’t slip out of the right side of the frame so the Pin-Pin is there to keep it from slipping out the left side of frame. Put a thin flat screwdriver below the Hammer Pin-Pin and elevate it so the Hammer Pin can be punched through from right to left.

· Sear Housing removal is easy, restoring requires significant playing with it. Before you remove it, study its position, take a photo of the placement, height etc. You will still need to ensure the trigger bar, sear and hammer are positioned correctly (takes experience, me? Trial and error), but a photo may help.

· The hammer and hammer spring may jump out after removing Hammer Pin, so cup it on top or do this work inside a large plastic bag (take deep breaths before walking into the large plastic bag).

· Removing the trigger pin is straight forward, I went from right side of frame to left and kept the pin partially in the frame. Trigger has a coil spring that wants to jump, so cup your hand on top or walk back inside the giant plastic bag. Make a mental note of the position of the trigger spring, long leg straight out, small leg right side place down and in the trigger housing. Obvious, until you released you didn’t observe this before removal.

· Removing trigger and trigger bar, photo the relationship of the trigger to the external trigger guard before removal because restoring it requires finesse.

· Trigger bar plunger removal by pressing in both sides of the mag release. Photo to recall position of the Trigger bar plunger when reassembly. Take a pin punch on right side of Mag release to push internal plunger just enough to the left to free the Trigger Bar Plunger Stem. Pull trigger bar plunger up with curved needle nose pliers. IF you remove the mag release, don’t tilt it to the right or risk losing the spring and plunger.

· Replacing the Trigger Plunger Spring…after removal, press down on the Trigger Bar Plunger (top) with index finger and thumb about a ¼ inch to expose a horizontal pin, use small pin punch to push it. Remove Plunger top, replace spring if desired. Reverse process.

Edited September 18, 2015 by Austin111

[kneelingatlas]

Great work!

[Austin111]

kneelingatlas,

99.9% of what I did was based on you posts and detailed photos !!! So thanks ! I'll eventually change out the trigger, sear and hammer, but for now I have to become "one with the gun" !!!

[johnbu]

Taking these guns apart is pretty easy. Going back together is also pretty easy... by the 3rd or 4th time it's done. The first was a lot more "fiddling". Not crazy hard, just getting springs compressed with one hand, parts aligned with another, pin held with another while swinging the hammer with yet another hand!

Mine have been apart 4-5 times each getting polished and a few more swapping in Xtreme parts. Much less worrisome now, but all your challenges were also found! Good job sharing and also thanks to the good professor Atlas for showing what to do and how to do it.

[basman]

Taking these guns apart is pretty easy. Going back together is also pretty easy... by the 3rd or 4th time it's done. The first was a lot more "fiddling". Not crazy hard, just getting springs compressed with one hand, parts aligned with another, pin held with another while swinging the hammer with yet another hand!

The first few times it defiantly felt like I needed another set of hands. thanks to the folks on the forum who gave me the know how to try it!

[Bamboo]

Good work, thanks. Tagging for future reference.

[bayougump]

Some additional documentation that may augment the Forum postings. I did it for my own recollection. I have a GT V12 so it may be slightly different in other Tanfoglios. Proceed at your own risk, seek advice from a professional gunsmith (not my Bag Man) always test the modified gun via dry fire, pull/push hammer with safety on/off, live fire single round a few times before full action (and all other NRA Safety Rules)..

· Belly of the beast Gap Analysis

· Needle Nose pliers

· Curved Needle Nose pliers

· 1/32 Pin Punch ambi safety (larger for other pins)

· Right side ambi safety is a bear to remove after pin is pushed below hole, don’t assume Hennings video is accurate portrayal.

· Sear Spring re-positioning is easy to forget. Keep a Post -It to remind you to restore to original position.

· Left side ambi-safety on Gold Team has a detent, spring and if it dislodges it is a bear to get back in. Handle with care.

· Hammer Pin-Pin is a vertical pin on left side of frame that holds the hammer pin in. Since Hammer Pin is larger on left side it can’t slip out of the right side of the frame so the Pin-Pin is there to keep it from slipping out the left side of frame. Put a thin flat screwdriver below the Hammer Pin-Pin and elevate it so the Hammer Pin can be punched through from right to left.

· Sear Housing removal is easy, restoring requires significant playing with it. Before you remove it, study its position, take a photo of the placement, height etc. You will still need to ensure the trigger bar, sear and hammer are positioned correctly (takes experience, me? Trial and error), but a photo may help.

· The hammer and hammer spring may jump out after removing Hammer Pin, so cup it on top or do this work inside a large plastic bag (take deep breaths before walking into the large plastic bag).

· Removing the trigger pin is straight forward, I went from right side of frame to left and kept the pin partially in the frame. Trigger has a coil spring that wants to jump, so cup your hand on top or walk back inside the giant plastic bag. Make a mental note of the position of the trigger spring, long leg straight out, small leg right side place down and in the trigger housing. Obvious, until you released you didn’t observe this before removal.

· Removing trigger and trigger bar, photo the relationship of the trigger to the external trigger guard before removal because restoring it requires finesse.

· Trigger bar plunger removal by pressing in both sides of the mag release. Photo to recall position of the Trigger bar plunger when reassembly. Take a pin punch on right side of Mag release to push internal plunger just enough to the left to free the Trigger Bar Plunger Stem. Pull trigger bar plunger up with curved needle nose pliers. IF you remove the mag release, don’t tilt it to the right or risk losing the spring and plunger.

· Replacing the Trigger Plunger Spring…after removal, press down on the Trigger Bar Plunger (top) with index finger and thumb about a ¼ inch to expose a horizontal pin, use small pin punch to push it. Remove Plunger top, replace spring if desired. Reverse process.

I have prolly ruined 4-5 safety pins over the last few years. The smallest punch is good to get it started out then I have an old Allen wrench I'll use to tap it out the rest of the way, just gotta be easy or can booger up the pin. I actually have one safety that a cheap punch broke off in and I can't get it out to save my life. I've tried drilling and everything else, lol

[Austin111]

Bayougump,

I tried with 1/16th from an old set and had the punch stuck in there for about 10 minutes as I decided how I was going to explain to my wife that the Tanfoglio comes with a pin punch built right into it !!

When I finally pried it out with pliers and the "jaws of death", I bought this set of punches. They are very strong BUT, the sleeves that are on them are useless and need to be removed.

This is not an advertisement...just a set that has a strong 1/32 punch......

Rennsteig Parallel Pin Punches with Sleeve (Pin Remover Tools) - 8 Piece Set.