1926 model 8 obsession!

[rfisher]

Hello all... So glad to have found this great resource! Have a 1926 35 cal. Model 8 I inherited from my dad. Wonderful memories making swiss cheese out of 50's era car bumpers with dad. Has sat neglected for number of years so finally bit the bullet so to speak and tore it down for inspection and cleaning. Wow was I surprised. There ain't no firing pin spring and no firing pin bumper spring. Always wondered why it would jam after 2-3 firings. So my immediate concern/question is where I can find these springs or improvise with something close? Everything else seems to be in good shape and accounted for. Also are these guns just cleaned and oiled or are they greased. Mine is filled with a greaselike substance epecially in the barrel jacket section. Any help would be appreciated and thanks, Bob

[rfisher]

Just found out my gun may not have had the springs to start with.

[Sarge756]

Welcome Bob. Always means something more when a rifle is passed down and you know something of the history." Car bumpers".....had to be fun. The lubrication of the barrel springs can be as recommended by our friend Jack1653......" a light coat of Rem-Oil". I have nothing against Rem-Oil but for springs on the 8 and other rifles I prefer Rig. Just don`t over do it. You may not be old enough to remember the old Brylcream commercials...."A Little Dab Will Do You" but it would apply here. A light coat of Rig inside the barrel jacket and on the barrel will stay in place and give you all the lubrication needed. Again, welcome and hope you will share some photos of your 1926 model 8 with us.
Joe

[Roger]

Sir,
Welcome aboard. I've got some family heirloom guns, and they are extremely important to me. I'm glad you were able to inherit your Dad's model 8.
My best guess as to why your gun is jamming,would be that it needs a good thorough cleaning and re-lubing. Sarge is quite knowlegable when it comes to these old rifles and his advice is good. I do put a drop or 2 of oil on the rails inside the receiver where the the bolt carrier rides back and forth. I learned this from hunting with Auto 5 shotguns 35 or more years ago. They are very similar in design and they were actually a parallel development with what became the Rem. M-8 and FN 1900 rifles. Too much oil on firearms can sometimes be a bad idea. But when it comes to old school long recoil guns, you most definitely need enuf oil to cause smooth operation. This can be especially true in very cold weather,which we always hunt in,here in Iowa.
Good luck with your m-8 ,and have some fun with it. Don't be afraid to ask if you need any more assistance.
Thanks for your time,
Roger

[rfisher]

Thanks for the great info Joe and Roger. Hope to have the gun cleaned and reassembled this weekend. Bob