Quote from marshall on 01/15/08 at 05:52:26:I found the hole, and the spring was still in the bottom of the hole, so I reinstalled the little pin, and then put the stock pin back in. Here are some photos:
But, I am puzzled. The purpose of the "little pin" seems to be to keep the larger stock pin from rotating in its hole. Why? I can't see the benefit. It seems to be a superfluous part. What difference does it make if the stock pin is prevented from rotating?
The purpose of the spring-loaded retaining pin is to prevent the complete removal of the stock/bolt pin, which isn't necessary to simply clean the firearm. I think the idea behind the retaining pin is sound, in that it helps prevent the accidental loss of the essential stock/bolt pin, which only needs to be completely removed for installing certain accessories, or for more advanced maintenance procedures.
Question: With the spring-loaded retaining pin reinstalled, can you still completely remove the stock/bolt pin by only pushing on it?
If you can, something is wrong. I'd first check the stop area at the end of the notch in the stock-bolt pin, which the retaining pin catches to prevent complete removal. It might be flawed, thus preventing the retaining pin from doing its job.