Any gun smith's on here- I got a project

The goal is to modify (improve) a cricket rifle for the back pack or inside the hull of a kayak. I bough the improved sites but I buggered the top thread installing the rear one (that is right above the dang serial number on the receiver) meaning if I ship it to you it is a fire arm instead of a firearm part. .

In removing the factory sight I now have a spare drowning lock (L bracket) that used to sit above the bolt which was straight out (think WW2 military bolt) and I would like to turn it down along side the stock. I am NOT worried about heating the finish up b/c a guy that owes me a favor can cerakote parts for me.

If you want to PM me that is fine. If you are willing to share ideas or advise I'd appreciate it.

Here is the improved site video by Artison Tony. As you can see, the screws are tiny and even if I found a chaser I am afraid I cannot see what I am doing

Well there is no video for starters. But you could tap them a little larger if need be say 3/4" NPT so you can see them.

If you have the sizes, I more than likely have the right taps and screws here and could send them to you.

Midway sells the taps to do the job. I bought a gun that had buggered up threads and after running a tap down in, good as new.

so you buggered the thread and need it tapped oversized ?

I would chase it first might be all you need.

Just don't make the stock any lighter or you'll end up with a flinch

Lol, alot of gun for him??

LMAO good ones.

Pete I am like you I am hopin to chase them and then drop in some redneck Loctite (fingernail polish) and never worry about it again until I break the freakin plastic sights (if anyone knows of steel that will fit I want a set). I give it an 8 outa 10 chance that will do the trick. If that didn't work then I'd have to tap it out over sized.

On the bolt, there are plastics so any heat at all would reguire disassembling even more small crap. I may just cut the obvious thing down a little at a time so that heat can dissipate... anyone think ithat would work?

They sell a nice little scope for them.

Now that's pretty darn cool. I think I am going to get a Cricket for a garden gun. It is pretty accurate? Or that boy a sniper with it?

That was a few years back, but yes its pretty darn accurate. You can hit a rabbit in the head from 25+ yards every shot. And yes he's always been a great shot! Still is. This coyote, his last kill running at 125 yards or so, one shot one kill, small mangy coyote but a darn good shot...



He's heck on rabbits!

WELL I HAVE NEVER DONE A BOLT ON A CRICKET AND LIKELY NEVER WILL BUT I HAVE DONE A TON OF THE OLD SPRINGFIELD BOLTS BUT I WASN'T WORRYING ABOUT PLASTIC. IF I WERE DOING IT, INSTEAD OF BENDING THE ENTIRE BOLT HANDLE PARTIALLY MAKE A V CUT WITH A HACKSAW IN THE BOLT HANDLE WHERE YOU WANT IT TO BEND DOWN MORE PARELLLEL WITH THE STOCK AND ACETYLENE TORCH WELD IT TOGETHER THERE. [ORDINARY CLOTHES HANGER WIRE IS JUST FINE FOR THE METAL TO FILL WITH THE GAP WITH] FAR LESS HEAT WITH THE LOCALIZED WELD THAN HEATING THE HANDLE TO BEND IT. FILL A LITTLE LET IT COOL WIRE BRUASH CLEAN IT AND FILL SOME MORE
JUST A THOUGHT

Feeding grounds it is as accurate as about any other 22 single shot but the original sights are not only junk but the back sight is mounted on a cantaliever where it sits right above the bolt face basically so dropping a shell in is tough. Loading a short or a CB round with gloves on b/c its cold to dispatch something would take a miracle.

I will be haulin it for the lack of weight and small size so I bought the upgraded sights and did away with the rear sight mount that was in my road anyway. For the back door or a shed the scope would be perfect.

Jayme- he is much better lookin than you but the way he shoots is a sign he just might be your boy LOL

Unless they changed the rules you can send it to a LICENSED FFL for repairs and they can send them back to you. I sent my FFL back to them when Barry got in and have not kept up with the rules.
To your original delima without seeing it I would GUESS the original sight screws are machine screws size 6 with a 48 thread per inch these being the most common size for scope bases and rings and sights. With 8x40 being the second most common. You will not find the 6x48 tap in garden variety stores you might find an 8x40. Before you get carried away first determine if the hole ya buggered is a blind, or a through if it’s blind you will need a plug tap even more uncommon. Brownells has them. the # 31 drill is correct for 6x48 tap. I don’t remember for sure but I think #27 drill size size is correct for 8x40 tap. This will be the next larger size. Probably.
To do the bolt it should be detail stripped and a heat sink applied to hardned areas. A threaded insert should be
Installed in the rear of the bolt to prevent the bolt body from folding in when heating the bolt handle and bending it. Pm me if you have any specific questions. Sawing/Grinding then welding might be the preferred solution for the low profile bolt but be advised many economy priced bolt actions THE BOLT HANDLE IS SOLDERED TO THE BOLT BODY And if you don’t have the correct alloy and flux you will not be able to get it back on. Best of luck to ya.

chase the threads and use locktite let it sit a few days before trying it

if that fails later

since your not afraid to red neck it up a bit just JB weld it in place put some on the treads of that stripped screw use a tooth pick to put a bit under the sight and let it set up

your likely to break some other plastic part on that gun before you bust the sight

I was never a fan of the cricket

Scuba will make that a great shooter!
I want to see it with the sight screw holes tapped out to 3/4” npt.
A cricket with a bazooka!

Catcatcher and CMCF- thank you both that gives me a few things to consider.

Pete, it's probably going to end up a dispatch tool- for a $100 rifle I may use the old cloth electricians tape to hold the sight down LOL. That might outlive the plastic parts.

In cricket's defense, I made one run traps with me for 3 or 4 years in a row up in Kansas. If the plastic survived that then maybe we are all underestimating it.

Willy F- Scuba might be a good tool for this repair!

PS: Is it bad manners to accept a mans help and still refer to him as a tool when I am online? I sure hope so

pass on the cloth electricians tape , got a cracked stock Steven's that was being held together with that tape , didn't work every well. cleaned up the crack saanded it all and epoxied it all back together , much better , you still need a dowel rod to knock your spent shell out because they went through extractors and no more parts available

I was talking with a guy who was building trade gun ML from a SS hydraulic tubing , he fit it for a breach plug and put a lock on it , he figured he would mock it up by epoxying the sights on , 20 years later it worked so well he never got around to cutting the dove tails.

his plan had been a little heat and the epoxy would release , he never got around to it

FYI Cricket Chipmunk is 30" long and the Henry Youth model is only 33" overall length and holds 12 rounds (16 shorts). It is 2lbs heavier though.