Keep a Tommy 20 From Jamming

Step 5 Put it Back Together

When putting the............toy back together, you need to ask yourself a couple of questions. How many times did I open this gun? Do the screws still fit snugly? When I run it, does it sound loud, make a humming noise (it does that anyway), or vibrate excessively?

If you've opened the gun up too many times, the holes the screw may screw into may be stripped out. That means that you've taken the screw in and out so many times that the threads are gone. This is normal for something like this. If this happens, I have a simple solution-new screws.

Here's what I did. After I put the gun back together (I thought I was done), I tried to test it, and it was so loud I'm certain my neighbors could hear it! So I knew then that something was wrong (duh). I tried to tighten the screws, but they just kept spinning. So, I got 5 wood screws, and tried them.

A quick note before you do the same stupid thing I did when find screws-make sure that they are almost IDENTICAL to the original screws of the exception of one thing-thickness. The screw heads need to be the same size (or they'll get stuck in the hole, and won't even touch where you're supposed to screw them in) and they have to be the same length (or it won't screw in all the way).

So, I (was in a hurry) chose screws that where none of the above. I tried to screw them in, and the wretched little- screws got stuck! I tried everything-hot water on the plastic, screwing it out, you name it (I didn't use a cutting torch). Nothing. The only way I got them out was to make the hole bigger from the inside of the body, found something that would fit in it, and pushed it out while unscrewing it. Learn from my mistakes. Below is a picture of my screws. The one on the left is the original, while the one on the right is the grinded wood screw. This wasn't the screw I ended up using, because the threads don't go all the way to the head. Try to find a screw that's threaded all the way.

So, if you can't find any screw the same length and with the same size heads, here's what I think you should try- Find a bench grinder ( file would work too, but it would take forever), and grind the edges of the screw head down to where it's identical to the original screw head. Next, if you have a pair of bolt cutters, try them. Otherwise, use a bench grinder. Now you need to make the screw about half as long. Do so, and if possible, try to make the bottom pointed. Making it pointed will help it thread.

Once this is done, see if the screws fit. Put them in upside down, and see if you can see the head come all the way to the hole. If it comes through the hole, it's too small, and you need to start over. If it can't quite make it, it's too big, and needs more grinding/filing. Once you've done this, screw it into the threads without the hole. This will help thread it out and make it easier to screw in, and also check to see if it's the right length. If it doesn't screw in all the way, then it's too long, and it needs to be made shorter. You're going to need about a millimeter of space in between the bottom of the screw head and the plastic for a good fit. Less is fine too. Good fit? Screw them in. Repeat this process for every screw, and it should help make your gun quieter.
Proceed to the next step.