Remington 660 main spring removal issues

[soco]

Gents:

I have an old Remington 660 in .308 (from what I can tell, its essentially a 600) that the father in law left me and I was getting light primer strikes. When I took the bolt apart, I noted that the main spring was covered with rust, as well as inside the bore it rides in within the bolt body. I am going to use a dremel with wool polishing wheels and blue magic metal polish to clean out/de-rust the inside of the bolt, but while I am at it I would like to replace the 60 year old main spring with a wolff replacement. However, when I try to drift out the pin that retains the firing pin, I have had zero luck. I even bent my small punch/drift trying to do it. It's possible there is rust forming within the pin bore, like the rest of the bolt.

I'd obviously like to avoid looking for new parts for an old rifle, but does anyone have any clever ideas beyond "just hit it with your purse harder"? I'm thinking soaking it in oil for a while, and maybe shortening the punch so that it doesn't have such a long tip that can bend/absorb energy, allowing it to transfer it to the pin more directly.

 

[pre64hunter]

If soaking it in oil and having it held firm on a bench block or in a vise padded with something like brass or lead so it doesn't mar anything doesn't work, you could try carefully drilling it out if it's a roll pin. Then if I couldn't find a new pin readily, I'd make one from a nail, or drill bit if you think it needs to be harder.

By the way, those old 660 and 600's had plastic bottom "metal" that usually warped. I would take them off and put them in hot or boiling water, then while hot and soft/flexible, press them flat against the bottom of the kitchen sink that is flat or slightly dished to give them a slight reverse curve or make it flat, then run some cold water on it to hold the shape.
If faded I would shine them with black shoe polish.