New Cocking Lever - Pin won't budge!

[LorDiego]

Here's my dilemma..

after another fantastic transaction with SeattleFungus, I find myself in possesion of a new cocking lever, cocking sleeve, spring and the pin that holds it together. (Plus a few other goodes! Thanks man!)

I cannot, for the life of me, get that damn pin to go through the hole and hold everything together. I understand since its new it should fit very snugly, but the only way I can think of putting that bad boy through is to hit it with all my might with a hammer. I did take a hammer to it, but after a few failed attempts, I figured I'd come to you guys for advice. I understand that it goes from the bottom to the top of the receiver, and both holes on the cocking sleeve seem to be the same. I imagine its meant to deform it once it goes through so it'll be real, real, real, real tight.

I tried getting that little pin to go in every way imaginable, but it always stops short of the flares on the fat end.

So what gives? Should I file the little pin just a touch? Should I put it in a vice and force it to go through the first time, then take it out and try to assemble it back on the Cetme? Should I just take a hammer to it, and hit it harder than I've ever dared to hit anything on a firearm before?

Once again, thanks for the info, me and my beloved Cetme will truly appreciate it.

[rustypirate]

Chances are that the spring is getting in the way of the hole.

I usually use a punch of a slightly smaller size than the pin from the opposite side to ensure that the spring is shifted out of the way of the hole.

[tump]

mine was tight but it went in top to bottom with the splined(?) end first. i had to wack it pretty good with a hammer to get it started.

[drine]

It won't hurt to taper the pin ever so slightly. Mine appeared to be made that way. Also, unless the spring is in the way as Rusty already said, you can touch the through hole with a fine size round file just to be sure there are no burrs.
I'd take it back out and do this on your work bench. Once you get it through without the issue of the spring leg you can assemble it on your rifle.

[leonidas]

I figure I'd throw in my 2 cents from a semi-newb. :2pistol:

The other day when i was cleaning my rifle I had a doozy of a time trying to get that pin back in to place. I wasn't quite sure what the problem was until I saw the spring in the way.

Once I realized what was happening I moved the spring out of the way and tried putting the pin in. Mine wouldn't go in too well either. My pin only likes to go in when it was turned a certain amount apparently and slid in most of the way and had to tap it in the rest of the way.

BTW, it sucks to take apart the mag release, I needed to grind down the bottom part of the slide where the mag rubs passed. The lip was sticking out too far and my mags wouldn't go in without a good bone-jarring slam or press the mag release to get the sucker in.

[LorDiego]

Thanks for the help, the spring is not the issue.

I tried putting the pin through without the spring or the lever, and I still can't get that bad mofo to go through.

[drine]

Something is burred?? A little lite sanding or filing may be in order. If it's that tight, it won't hurt just go slow and test.

[rustypirate]

The only other thing I can come up with is to try putting the pin in from the other side.

I have a couple of rifles with the pin in through the top, and a couple with the pin in from the bottom...

Go figure.

[Peacemaker]

I agree. I have personally had to put the pin through on Century G3s and Cetme from the other side to get it to work.