I definitely agree that your tutorial will indeed help me, regardless of the differences in some of the pieces between our respective shotguns.

If you have not yet already returned the shotgun to its owner, then could you please take detailed close-up photos of that trigger spring and the bend(s) to which you are referring? I'll have to look again at home this evening after work to see whether there is a channel in the trigger plate for that... I never noticed (nor knew to look for) it before...

Below are two images (if upload is successful). In the first, a pin punch is illustrating the rear of the channel for the wire spring. The second shows the spring laying in the channel.

Also, the trigger spring pin is on it's head above my index finger in the second photo.

I'm not at home right now, but I don't recall any such channel, nor any extra threaded hole into which a trigger spring pin might even screw...

Okay, I will send out some emails to see what I can learn about the designs of Crass and Lewis and when changes were made.

In the meantime, if you are having trouble figuring out what - if anything - you are missing from the trigger plate assembly, upload a few photos of it.

Bach,

The shotgun that I am working on is actually a Lewis model, confirmed by Mr. Snyder. Lewis models were made with serial numbers starting at 55000.

The similarities are quite numerous, but some of the tutorial (which is 2/3 completed, by the way) is not going to apply to a Crass.

Lewis Model pins (refer to album):

Crass Model pins (unlike the Lewis model, the Crass has sear pins that screw in from the outside of the receiver):

Jeff,

If your shotgun is still disassembled and it's at all possible, could you please pass along the basic dimensions of the cam tensioning spring (that curved one you have laid out in the photos on page 1 of this thread)? I would need wire diameter, overall length of the spring, outside coil diameter, and # of coils. I'd like to make a replacement for the Lewis model and that would, at least, give me a good starting point.

Thanks either way.

I can reassemble my Crass, I just need help and guidance on how to properly install both those v-shaped mainsprings on each side...

I also figured out which parts I am missing, and your tutorial on timing the locking bolt will surely help as well...

Okay, I am extremely busy through Wed. Hopefully, I can finish up the complete tutorial by next weekend. However, in the meantime here is my version of the installation of the mainsprings and hammers.

Tools:

5/32" pin punch
1/4" pin punch
flathead screw driver (approx. 1/4" blade and 8" long - longer is fine)
bench vise OR several c-clamps
turnscrews

Parts:

mainsprings (2)
mainspring strain pins (2)
hammers/strikers (2)
hammer pins (2)

First, secure the screwdriver handle in the vise (or clamp it to the bench) with the blade oriented horizontally (this will be used as a lever, so keep the shaft/blade accessible).

Next, place the first mainspring into receiver as shown in photo and keep it in place by installing the mainspring strain pin.

Next, support the receiver upside down on the bench and compress the mainspring far enough for it to clear the hole for the sear spring/cocking bar pin (I used the 1/4" punch to press against the leaf of the spring, but many things could work including your thumb if strong enough).

Insert the 5/32" pin punch through the hole in the receiver for the sear spring/cocking bar pin and seat it into the center block on the receiver (see photo). The mainspring will now be pressing against the pin punch and you're halfway home.

Next, wedge the blade of the clamped driver in between the pin punch and the mainspring and rock the front of the receiver downward so that the driver - acting as a lever - further compresses the mainspring.

Place the hammer into position and with it's through-hole aligned, install the corresponding hammer pin. The 5/32" punch will now fall out.

*NOTE: try not to release pressure on the lever until the hammer pin is screwed down quite far (ideally, all the way - but half a turn shy will be secure enough not to bugger the threads).

Remember that the 5/32" pin punch is a near perfect fit, but 11/64" will probably fit a bit better. I would find the best fit before getting started, just in case a Crass model is a bit different in that way from a Lewis.

today I received a package from Numrich/Gun Parts Corp with 12 parts I had ordered from their Ithaca Crass page for my shotgun; unfortunately, only 3 of the parts fit, so now I have to send back the other 9... :(

Ah, fun isn't it? I went through my box of Ithaca parts and it was slim pickings for the Crass model, but I have a few. What are you still looking for?

And have you reviewed my earlier post on the mainspring install? Any questions on it?

For my shotgun, I am missing this part (or these parts) depicted in the following three (3) photos [these are all photos which others have already posted in this thread so far]:
http://i842.photobucket.com/albums/z...psc57cfea1.jpg
Al labeled those two parts as (48) Trip Spring and (49) Trip Pin

http://i842.photobucket.com/albums/z...psed04708f.jpg
http://i842.photobucket.com/albums/z...ps00a3df92.jpg

From the Gun Parts Corp - Crass Hammerless website, I thought that was part no. 1154850 - Cocking Bar Spring [PLEASE CORRECT ME IF I AM MISTAKEN], but regardless, the part I received did not fit as depicted in those three (3) photos, for it was too short to span the distance between the threaded hole and the smaller hole for the pin. I received a part like what Al showed, which is shorter than the other two photos with the (single, longer) part in place, as Jeff had initially posted. Additionally, I only received a single part, not two, i.e. I do not have a small diameter pin for that hole to retain the Barrel Locking Bolt...

Finally, can someone please explain the function of this part (these parts)?

For reference, all my parts look exactly like what Jeff Bonadurer initially posted to start this entire thread. Unfortunately, they differ from the shotgun and parts which Al had to create his pictorial tutorial...

In this photo (which looks like my shotgun), can anyone identify the part(s) circled in red and explain their function?
http://i842.photobucket.com/albums/z...psca08df0d.jpg
Or does anyone happen to have better photos of that part (those parts)?


Also, can someone tell me on what the ends of the sear springs are pressing (the portions circled in red) - those are the mainsprings, right?
http://i842.photobucket.com/albums/z...ps78a4bc8e.jpg


Finally, Al, yes, I studied what you posted about installing the mainsprings, and that shouldn't be any problem once I actually get to that step... I have to deal, however, with a few other issues (and missing parts) before I get to that point...

I will upload additional photos of my own Ithaca Crass and post them for reference

Bach, the parts you are referring to comprise the trip assembly. That is what keeps the toplever to the right and the locking bolt in its rear position until the locking lug on the barrel set trips out the pin upon closing the breech.

Apparently, the trip spring (leaf spring) on a Crass model is a bit longer than that found on a Lewis model, and what Numrich had listed under its Crass model parts for sale was a Lewis model spring. It makes sense, the longer spring for the Crass model, since I believe the Crass receiver to be a bit longer than the Lewis.

If Jeff can get you the overall length of his Crass model spring, you can attempt to contact Numrich. Hopefully they will be willing to go through their stock of "Crass model" trip springs looking for the longer one(s) to send to you as a replacement. As mentioned once before in this thread, I had given something like that a try with them before, to no avail. Probably worth a shot, though.

In the next two photos:

1) looks like something to do with the safety/trigger assembly.

2) yes, the front of the sear springs rest on the bend of the mainsprings. Those are the polished surfaces you have circled on each side.

***note: what Numrich seems to have listed as the cocking bar spring is actually the trip spring and has nothing to do with the cocking bar. There is no cocking bar spring. The cocking bar engages the toes in the the hammers directly and any spring force acting on the cocking bar is transferred from the mainsprings through the hammers. From Jeff's photos, the Crass model looks to be identical in this way to the Lewis.***

In the first picture the trigger guard was turned to the left. Your seeing the curved part of the trigger guard behind the second trigger. Here it is in its proper position and also swung to the right.

can you please elaborate exactly how that functions?

without that trip assembly part, I can visualize how the spring keeps rearward pressure on the barrel locking bolt (via the trip assembly pin located in the forward notch of the barrel locking bolt), but what I cannot visualize is how/where the locking lug on the barrel set trips out the pin (which pin?) upon closing the breech...?

I'm sure having that part would help...

gotcha, thanks!

I have never rotated my trigger guard, so that's why it looked off to me...

thanks, Robert!

any chances you have any more photos of your Crass you can post and share, particularly taken apart to any degree?

The locking lug on the barrel set strikes the trip spring directly, moving the trip pin out of the trip hole in the locking bolt so the bolt shoots forward locking the barrels.

thanks, got it, that makes sense!

without that trip spring and its pin on hand, I had no idea the trip pin moved in and of the trip hole in the locking bolt; I had assumed the pin stayed fixed in place...

now to call Numrich / Gun Parts Corp and see whether they happen to have the correct parts for a Crass, not the Lewis parts they sent me...

Best of luck!

If memory serves, then I seem to recall you are about an hour from Numrich/GPC... how often do you get there, and/or do you happen to have a good contact there?

I am, but only get out there when I fish the reservoir or creeks of Sullivan County. Being so close, their shipping is pretty fast and I haven't purchased any restricted parts from them.

We're getting a bit of snow at the moment - why they may not picking up the phone. Not sure of how much they're getting across the river, though.

And no, I have no contact there, just an account.

Well, I finally got around to completely re-assembling (with the parts on hand) my Ithaca Crass from the bag of parts I had received. This forum and thread was instrumental in helping me first figure out which parts I was missing so I could order what was available from Numrich/Gun Parts Corporation and then subsequently figure out the function of each part and how to properly put together this puzzle! I am still missing the trip spring and trip pin because nobody has those available, so I've done what I can to this point. I can open and close the barrels, and it properly cocks both internal hammers upon opening the breech and sets the safety on safe; then upon closing, it locks properly as intended. I can then slide the safety forward and dry fire both triggers with 12 gauge dummy shells/snap caps in each barrel.

So now the question is whether it would ever be safe to actually fire this 117 year old Ithaca Crass SxS 12 gauge shotgun? And if so, then can anyone suggest any weaker 12 gauge recipes which I can load myself?

I use the Falcon Ultra Lite in my PAC Fox:

http://www.rstshells.com/store/pg/24...hotshells.aspx

Also the Polywad Vintager:

http://polywad.com/vintager.html

And this may be of some help:

http://www.shotgunworld.com/bbs/viewtopic.php?t=389200

many thanks!

I'll have the barrels inspected and gauged first