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Page AR-15 » AR-15 / M-16 Retro Forum
AR Sponsor: bravocompany
Posted: 5/14/2017 4:55:40 PM EDT
So as the title implies gentlemen, I ask you; has anyone ever filed/ground down the pad and detent housing of an A2 port door to make a small pad A1 port door? Could just be my enterprising engineering student brain at work, but it seems like it wouldn't be too hard of a task. Especially considering small pad A1 doors are getting to be $60-$70 if you can find them. I figure for the $5 for an A2 port door from my local shop then refinishing it via microwave parkerizing, why not? May take a frustrating amount of time with a set of needle files to get the finer detail in but still better than dropping the coin for an original.

Maybe I'm just crazy
Link Posted: 5/14/2017 5:31:33 PM EDT
[#1]
John Thomas (Retro Arms Works) charges $25 to convert an A2 to a 601 style (large square pad), strip it, and reparkerize it.

(801) 441-2801 or [email protected]

I am not sure if anyone has ever converted an A2 to an small rectangle pad. You may want to get a hold of John and ask him about that.

ETA: I know of a place where they have, or had, A1 port doors for $36 recently. PM me if you want to know who.
Link Posted: 5/14/2017 5:32:30 PM EDT
[#2]
Quoted:
So as the title implies gentlemen, I ask you; has anyone ever filed/ground down the pad and detent housing of an A2 port door to make a small pad A1 port door? Could just be my enterprising engineering student brain at work, but it seems like it wouldn't be too hard of a task. Especially considering small pad A1 doors are getting to be $60-$70 if you can find them. I figure for the $5 for an A2 port door from my local shop then refinishing it via microwave parkerizing, why not? May take a frustrating amount of time with a set of needle files to get the finer detail in but still better than dropping the coin for an original.

Maybe I'm just crazy
View Quote


Lots of people have done it to make 601 large pad doors, but I have not seen where anyone has done it for small pad doors.  I think the "hole" in the A2 door is too big to make a small pad door.  What is "microwave parkerizing"?
Link Posted: 5/14/2017 5:37:00 PM EDT
[#3]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:


Lots of people have done it to make 601 large pad doors, but I have not seen where anyone has done it for small pad doors.  I think the "hole" in the A2 door is too big to make a small pad door.  What is "microwave parkerizing"?
View Quote
Hhhmmm I thought that may be an issue. As for microwave parkerizing, I've reparked old small parts like pins and screws before via an old microwave I picked up at a yard sale for $10. Parkerizing solution from Brownell's + cheap glassware from Wal-Mart + microwave = quickly and conveniently parkerized parts.
Link Posted: 5/14/2017 7:09:46 PM EDT
[#4]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:


Lots of people have done it to make 601 large pad doors, but I have not seen where anyone has done it for small pad doors.  I think the "hole" in the A2 door is too big to make a small pad door.  What is "microwave parkerizing"?
View Quote
What he said. I used to make 601 large pad doors and sell them on GB. The hole is too big for small pad doors. I tried one once and filled the space with bondo, and it was okay, but still looked like a hack job.
Link Posted: 5/14/2017 7:58:28 PM EDT
[#5]
Attachment Attached File



I made some.
not perfect, but they work for fillers.
took about 20 min. on the first one.
ron
Link Posted: 5/14/2017 8:31:59 PM EDT
[#6]
Since reproduction 601 large pad doors are available relatively inexpensive I would probably not waste the time and energy to make one unless you feel like doing it just for something to do.  A 603 style on the other hand is a different story.  It's hard to believe that such a desired part is not being reproduced anymore.
Link Posted: 5/14/2017 9:16:43 PM EDT
[#7]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Since reproduction 601 large pad doors are available relatively inexpensive I would probably not waste the time and energy to make one unless you feel like doing it just for something to do.  A 603 style on the other hand is a different story.  It's hard to believe that such a desired part is not being reproduced anymore.
View Quote
I have not seen any 601 large pad doors for sale for $3 or $4,  but I will look.

Some of us have the time, so it is not a waste of time.
Yep! like other thing in life, doing things you like is almost always good.

I agree, I really wish some one would reproduce some of the 603 style.
Ron
Link Posted: 5/14/2017 9:28:49 PM EDT
[#8]
I did that long ago. I filed it down carefully. You can scratch the raised areas of the door pretty easily. Sanded the pad smooth and shot it with the Moly Resin. The moly chips and peels off of the filed down area, so a park would be much better.

I need to look for that thing. Not sure what I did with it.
Link Posted: 5/14/2017 11:38:54 PM EDT
[#9]
FWIW here's what it looks like when it's "small pad" size.



yeah, it's just that nice.
Link Posted: 5/14/2017 11:46:10 PM EDT
[#10]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
FWIW here's what it looks like when it's "small pad" size.

http://i367.photobucket.com/albums/oo119/hotdogit250/A1%20port%20door%20001%202_zpspjizxhry.jpg

yeah, it's just that nice.
View Quote
Well that certainly answers the question thoroughly. Only possibility to save it from that would be to very carefully try and weld where the "hole" is that shows through to the outside of the port door, below the pad. Welding such a small piece would probably yield some warping issues however. At that point it's likely not worth it.

So another item to add to the list of parts Brownell's needs to get onto.

Or maybe Mike and Harlan can start stamping those out.
Link Posted: 5/15/2017 7:48:44 AM EDT
[#11]
Wolf A1 (Taiwanese T91) uppers come with the small pad dust covers. Maybe you can call wolf and see if they will be getting spare parts in. 

Link Posted: 5/15/2017 7:04:06 PM EDT
[#12]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Wolf A1 (Taiwanese T91) uppers come with the small pad dust covers. Maybe you can call wolf and see if they will be getting spare parts in. 

http://i.imgur.com/rnOhUIV.jpg
View Quote
So interestingly enough, just got off the phone with Tim at the customer service line for Wolf. Asked about the port doors as spare parts and he said it would be a few months before spare parts are available. I explained the reason I was asking and he seemed genuinely interested. Gave me his personal work email and asked me to send him further details.

Could be onto something really good here boys. Who woulda thought that Wolf may be a new supplier for retro parts?
Link Posted: 5/15/2017 9:46:37 PM EDT
[#13]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:


So interestingly enough, just got off the phone with Tim at the customer service line for Wolf. Asked about the port doors as spare parts and he said it would be a few months before spare parts are available. I explained the reason I was asking and he seemed genuinely interested. Gave me his personal work email and asked me to send him further details.

Could be onto something really good here boys. Who woulda thought that Wolf may be a new supplier for retro parts?
View Quote
Very cool!
Link Posted: 5/15/2017 10:35:21 PM EDT
[#14]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Very cool!
View Quote View All Quotes
View All Quotes
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Quoted:


So interestingly enough, just got off the phone with Tim at the customer service line for Wolf. Asked about the port doors as spare parts and he said it would be a few months before spare parts are available. I explained the reason I was asking and he seemed genuinely interested. Gave me his personal work email and asked me to send him further details.

Could be onto something really good here boys. Who woulda thought that Wolf may be a new supplier for retro parts?
Very cool!
Very interesting. The rumor around here when new repro doors where available on eBay a few years ago was that they were from Taiwan.
Link Posted: 5/15/2017 11:41:25 PM EDT
[#15]
Update from Brownells on their reto doors.

http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_2_333/283240_M16A1-EJECTION-PORT-COVER-ASSEMBLY.html
Link Posted: 5/15/2017 11:59:31 PM EDT
[#16]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Update from Brownells on their reto doors.

http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_2_333/283240_M16A1-EJECTION-PORT-COVER-ASSEMBLY.html
View Quote
Nice, now to see who will provide A1 port doors cheaper. Brownell's or Wolf?
Link Posted: 5/16/2017 12:11:02 AM EDT
[#17]
Rifle supply also makes reproduction A1 style doors. I contacted them about 3 weeks ago and they said they should be back in stock in the next 30 days. The page they had them on got removed and got replaced with this page which allows you to backorder so maybe they will show up in stock soon.

http://riflesupply.com/Dust-Cover--A1-Style--Gray_p_297.html
Link Posted: 5/16/2017 12:34:54 PM EDT
[#18]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Update from Brownells on their reto doors.

http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_2_333/283240_M16A1-EJECTION-PORT-COVER-ASSEMBLY.html
View Quote
Hopefully the Brownells one come through soon, along with some of other their other retro line items, seems like things are moving quite slow in that department.  It's keeping the prices on the used market at basically an all time high though.  Of course I don't need any right now anyhow and I have enough for some future builds but it would still be nice to see some of the people out their that have A2 ejection port doors on their retro rifles finally get them swapped out.  Maybe even some of the companies like Troy and Fulton can start using the correct doors as well.
Link Posted: 5/17/2017 9:08:12 AM EDT
[#19]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Rifle supply also makes reproduction A1 style doors. I contacted them about 3 weeks ago and they said they should be back in stock in the next 30 days. The page they had them on got removed and got replaced with this page which allows you to backorder so maybe they will show up in stock soon.

http://riflesupply.com/Dust-Cover--A1-Style--Gray_p_297.html
View Quote
It appears that the second page which was taking backorders has now been disabled also.  I guess those A1 ejection port doors are not coming either.  I wonder what they are doing about all the backorders?
Link Posted: 5/17/2017 5:21:23 PM EDT
[#20]
Huh, yeah I'd like to know about those backorders too. I almost put one on backorder before I got a lead on some legit ones.
Page AR-15 » AR-15 / M-16 Retro Forum
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