Wayne,
The pin prodruding out of the front of the frame is the unhooking pin. This pin is what pushes on the unhooking slide in the trigger plate. This pin should be sticking out when the forend is off. With the forend off, you should be able to push in on it with your finger and it should spring back. If it pushes in very easily then the unhooking slide is stuck most likely. If all is working correctly, it will push in but be firmer to the touch because you are also pushing on the unhooking slide.
I am surprised you were able to pull the cocking hook screw with the barrels on. Most of the time, this screw head will not clear the water table when the breech is opened.
Like I said previously, most likely you have a gummed up unhooking slide, or a broken slide spring. I recently repaired a Trojan that was very clean inside, but it would not unhook. Sure enough when I took the unhooking slide out and removed the pin from the back of it, the small spring was in about 8 pieces. It had a little movement still with the broken spring, but not enough to unhook the barrels.
Another note, is that if someone has been into the gun before, if the set screw for the unhooking slide was over tightened, that can also cause the slide to stick.
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B. Dudley
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