B&R Strap Swap

[morgan]

I've got a couple 46mm serving trays and want to swap out the straps. Yes.. they're good quality but I don't like the way they taper at the end and in spite of Trusty's recommendation to never attempt a swap.. I must. The allen screws are soft and easily chewed away by the supplied tool but I was able to remove the 2 screws from one strap. It looks like the bar needs to be pushed thru one side or the other but it's not moving. Tried a tooth pick no luck. Anyone have luck with this so far?

[morgan]

Not often I get to ask and answer a question the same day. After trial and error I've discovered that in order to swap straps on the 46mm B&R you should:

1. Remove only one screw for each lug. The bar will slide out either end with some difficulty.

2. You must use something that is the same diameter as the lug in order to tap it through to the other end.

Looking at the lug ends w/ a 20X loop it's clear that the finish work on the cases are pretty bad with jags of metal

that may need to be hammered thru to get the bar out.

3. When you reinsert the screws into the bar don't be surprised if it doesn't tighten up as the metal is made of chewing gum I think. I've considered using spring bars and super gluing the allen screws in for looks.