Next, was to remove the rear sight assembly. Using the evil class III "fully automatic" screwdriver (Click Here for a humerous reference to this terminology) with a hollow ground bit of appropriate size, I removed the two windage adjustment screws located at the rear sights base where it's dovetailed into the receiver (Left Pic). Once those are out, you merely tap on the rear sight base with a light hammer to drift out the site base. Take care to control the rear sight assembly as you drift it out, as there is a small "S" shaped spring thingy underneath it. Once the rear site assembly is off the receiver, there is a small pin that needs to be pushed out so the aperture housing can be slid off the sight base. Once that's off, the push button that holds the housing in the grooves for each range position will slide out. Inside the housing is a small spring, so be sure to gently pry it out of it's socket so you won't lose it during cleaning and degreasing. Check the picture to the right to get an idea of how the rear site parts relate to each other. My rear sight aperture housing was a tad loose and wobbled on the rear sight base, so I took it out to the vise to squeeze it for a tighter fit. If yours is loose also, be sure and not use too much force to squeeze it, as you CAN go too far. As Gunplumber would say.. "ask me how I know?" Even though *I* was warned of this, I still applied a bit to much force. All was not lost though.. I was able to take a pair of outside circlip pliers I had handy that were used when I built VW engines, to spread the housing back out a skosh. I now have a very smooth, but tight rear sight assembly that doesn't wobble!! =)

Removing the hammer, trigger and sear (H/T/S) went fast!! So fast, that I forgot to take any pics of the actual procedure. The above pic shows how all the parts relate to each other, and I'll try to describe the procedure the best I can. They basically came out with very little effort and no special tools what-so-ever. All the pins come out easily by finger pressure. The only tool I needed, was something to gently pry up the hammer strut assembly that is spring loaded. Be sure the hammer is in the forward (fired) position before prying the hammer strut assembly out. Then rotate the safety selector to the 12 O'clock position and slide it out of the receiver. Next, rotate the hammer/trigger pivot pin retaining plate upwards and off the hammer pivot pin so you can slide the hammer pivot pin out and lift the hammer out of the receiver. Next, push out the trigger pivot pin and the trigger with the sear will come out the top of the receiver. All that is left is to remove the trigger spring and plunger from it's housing on the bottom of the receiver, and removing the sear spring and plunger from the top of the trigger.

All that's left, is the upper receiver latch and takedown lever removal. Looking at the back of the receiver where it mates with the buttstock, you'll see where the upper receiver latch slides back and forth under spring tension in the receiver. Right underneath it, there is a small screw that will need to be removed so the take down lever can be pulled out (Top Left Pic). Next take a pin punch and drift out the pin that retains the take down latch spring and plunger (Top Right Pic). Leave the pin punch inside the hole so you can cover the back of the receiver with your hand to control the latch body spring and plunger, then slowly remove the pin punch. After that, the latch body, spring and plunger will slide right out the back of the receiver. The pic directly above shows the upper receiver latch/take down lever parts and how they relate to each other.

Tada!!! The above pic is of the lower receiver that is now totally stripped along with all the parts and the minimal amount of tools used, sans the evil class III "fully automatic" screwdriver that I promptly put away in the safe. The entire kit has been fully dis-assembled now and all the parts are ready for a thorough cleaning and degreasing. As you can tell by all the pics displayed throughout the "Kit Preperation" portion of my web site, this Dan's Sporting Goods grade III parts kit does indeed have pristine internal parts. A minimal amount of parts will need to be refinished with a Bake-On Finish.

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Shoot Safe!!!

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