Casing a DHE - Top Lever Stays Over Right

[Paul Harm]

Do you also release the hammers, or leave them cocked, under tension ? Not to be a smart a$$, but I don't store my guns where they're going to get beat on and break a top lever. It's easy enough to release the top lever but the last thing I'd worry about is the spring loosing it's tension. All my hammerless guns still fire just fine after a 100+ years of staying cocked while being stored. Sometimes we worry too much .

[Chris Robenalt]

Storing fully assembled, use your snap caps. Storing broke down in a case, I hold a block of wood against the receiver and fire both hammers into it. I don't like tension on the springs myself. I don't sweat the small stuff, I just shoot them and hunt, then wipe em down.

[Bob Brown]

I always center the top lever. It only takes a second and I don't like things sticking out where they could get broken or cut the cloth if it shifts in a hard case. It might be put away for a quiet drive to or from the range, but it also might be going in a take down soft case for a trip in a boat or on a quad. It doesn't take much to thumb it to the right before putting it back together.

[Richard Flanders]

I like to take the strain off the top lever spring. Just seems the polite thing to do...., BUT DON'T USE A SCREWDRIVER OR ANYTHING METAL TO PUSH DOWN ON THE RELEASE !!! YOU WILL DING IT UP.

[todd allen]

A Bic ink pen works perfectly for releasing the top lever. (Opposite end from the ball point)

[Dave Moore]

I always bring the top lever back to center, it does not take much to release the catch.
I usually use the earpiece on my glasses because I always have them right there.

Over the years, we have had to have two different repros repaired that broke the top lever from putting the gun in the case with the lever extended. The top lever on the repro is cast and very weak. They both broke in the same place, the narrow point just aft of the screw.
We have never seen an original Parker top lever break.

[Cahaba_Parker]

All, thanks for the input.