DAISY PARTS FOR SALE

Thanks for the tip, stevec. I ended up finding that I can order new replacement parts directly from Daisy (what a concept!), so I will just do that. I've had both levers off to compare them, they're the same design so I'm good to go. Also ordered up a forearm and forearm band to replace the plastic one on the Model 104, so I'll end up w/what amounts to a Red Ryder carbine! haha

Just received my order from Daisy. Got a metal lever, a pair of front sights (one like original, one fiber optic), a trigger assembly in case I ruined mine, and for my "Red Ryder Carbine" (yard sale Model 104 w/a Red Ryder stock, etc.) I got a wooden forearm and blued forearm band to replace the plastic one and a set of new screws to replace the buggered up hardware on it now. Order came FedEx, total order was $15.00 plus $9.00 shipping, and took 6 days from ordering to delivery.

 

Trigger

My biggest complaint w/the plastic trigger was the ratchet affair the legal staff dreamt up. Cocking the gun felt and sounded like something was broken! So I set out to remove the ratchet. Removing the trigger assembly is fairly simple- not as easy as the old stamped steel trigger, but not bad at all. The buttstock needs to come off then, after removing the screw that secures the trigger assembly, put the safety in the middle position (like a 10/22) and it slides out the rear of the receiver. Once the trigger is in hand, removing the spring that holds the steel ratchet rack in tension allows the gun to be cocked 'normally'. The spring is very stiff so wear eye protection!! The whole sound/feel of cocking the gun is now a ton better w/o all the monkey motion. Quiet and buttery-smooth just the way it should be.

 

FWIW, the hole through the receiver of a plastic trigger gun is in a different place than for the steel trigger so replacing the plastic trigger/safety assembly with a steel one ain't happening w/o quite a bit of fussing. The plastic trigger pull is somewhat stiffer than a Daisy w/a well broken in steel trigger, even w/the rearmost 'secondary' trigger return spring removed. But the pull has smoothed out with use (plus I've gotten used to it) and is now not a hindrance to accuracy.

 

Front Sight

My Red Ryder shot 3" to the right at 55'. Kentucky windage worked okay but I wanted it to shoot to point of aim. The front sight is basically a plastic plug that fits into the end of the barrel. It has ‘fingers’ that support/align the shot tube. First I removed the front sight and swapped it out for the new fiber optic sight to see if it changed the POI. It did, but I can't shoot w/FO sights worth a hoot. So I tried the new stock-type sight to see if it was any better than my original sight. It was better, but still shot to the right. To correct for this I used three layers of masking tape on the right side of the sight. This moved the shot tube to the left just enough to correct it to shoot to POA.

 

Metal Lever

This was the main reason for the order I made to Daisy. The curved metal cocking lever was only $3.00 (same price for plastic)! The catch was shipping, so I decided to add the other things because they would basically ship for free. It's hard to describe how much better the metal lever feels except to say Daisy should use them on all their lever guns and forget the plastic lever ever existed! The new metal levers have a nylon insert where the receiver "pinches" the lever to hold it in the closed position. At first I wasn't sure I liked that idea, but in use it works flawlessly.

Looks like you have turned the 104 into a handy little Red Ryder.
With the Long Stock RR you have one to fit just about any shooter.

If you have younger or not so careful shooters the ratchet is not a bad thing, better than a sharp rap on the knuckles.