37SBS: Repaired

After the failure to load or eject when I took the 37 to the range the other day, I spent a couple hours on the living room floor with screwdrivers and oil and parts diagrams.

I tore everything apart, carefully cleaned and oiled what few pieces might still have needed it, and then reassembled it with frequent reference to a parts diagram at Numrich's.

No go.

I swore at it a few times, got up, stretched, then tore it back apart and got another 37 out of the safe to compare.

With that in hand, it took about ten seconds to identify the problem. Part number 19 on the diagram, "Shell stop spring, left", was reversed. It's got a ramp on one end and a hook-nub on the other end. It will fit into the slot either direction. If the hook-nub end is forward, it narrows the magazine tube just enough that a 12ga rim won't slide past it.

I took that piece back out, turned it around, and put the ramp end forward. Reassembled... and ran my snap-cap through a couple dozen times with perfect cycling. The action is a little stiff, as I expected to be the case... but all the internals have a fresh coat of CLP and I hope to run it through a lot of rounds next month at Blogorado.

I'm chicken to carve on the original fore-end grip to add the retention strap... so I ordered a new one from Numrich that I won't mind so much if I bugger it up. Meantime, I'll start working on cutting the leather to shape and size...