RECEIVER PINS WORKING LOOSE
 

The left and right pins on the lower rear sides of the receiver on my restored VH 16 are no longer snug to the sides of the receiver. They are working outward; and when tapped back in on one side, the pin on the opposite side just pushes out, as if in reciprocation.

Are they interlocking midway across the internal back of receiver, and just need “squeezing”?

Any advice on rendering them as flush to the receiver as on the other Parker guns I have would be appreciated.

I can’t find anything about how they should be seated/secured in any of the books I have, including THE PARKER STORY.

Good Morning Russ - That is one long pin and is the axle for the hammers. Between the hammers the pin passes through a boss (part of the frame) that serves to keep it all tight and in alignment. The pin should fit tightly in that boss to prevent it from working loose. A new pin cut to a slightly closer tolerance or slightly deform the current pin should cure the problem.


Oops... I see that Brian corrected me - Thanks Brian.





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That pin is the axle dor the sears. The hammers axle on two separate locked screws.

Likely whoever restored your gun felt it necessary to polish up the pin, thus reducing it’s diameter some.

You could try some locktite on it and see if it helps. If not, a replacement pin will be the only option. Or drilling and tapping for a fox style pin lock screw. But that is excessive.

My VH does the same thing. I'm going to try small thread Locktite but for the time being, I just keep an eye on it and tap it back flush when needed.

One of my repros does it as well. Yes, just tap it back in place when needed.

It is generally not known, but many of the better double guns, including the Parker I believe, were made up with tapered holes for the various action cross pins. Thus, if a pin is drifted out in the wrong direction, it is jammed through the small end of the tapered hole and becomes undersize in the process. The taper of the hole suffers, too.

Result: When the gun is reassembled, pins are loose, and often drift laterally in use.

So... knowing the proper direction in which to drift out a double gun pin is part of being a responsible double gunsmith.

That is not an accurate statement in regards to Parkers.

That axle/pin we are speaking of has always gone in easier from one side than the other on Parkers I have assembled, leading me to believe the pin may be tapered by maybe a couple of thousandths at most.





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Well... all I will further add to the topic is that measuring a sampling of sear pins here (a number of which are new old stock) show them as NOT being tapered. But, hey, that is only physical evidence.

I do not believe the sear pin on any Parker hammerless gun was ever tapered.