Trojan safety help

Chaz Doebler · 05-15-2013, 11:08 AM

I just got a first year Trojan, and the safety does not hold the front trigger, and the automatic safety rod has been removed (I am assuming, it doesn't work).

Before I tear the old girl apart any guesses as to why the safety won't hold? I have had Foxes and Smiths apart before but never a Parker, so I don't know what to expect.

Can I fabricate an automatic safety rod, and does anyone have specs for such? My old LC Smith guns would just take a flattened out nail cut to length, I am assuming the Parker rod is a little more complex.

Are there any good references online for pulling the stock. I hate to take more apart than what I need to.

Thanks,
CHAZ

Kensal Rise · 05-15-2013, 11:43 AM

Chaz:
There are good instructions for taking a Parker apart on this site. However... GREAT care must be taken not to damage the stock. This is because the sears must be removed before the (unaltered) butt can be dismounted. The best trick is to tie the action and butt together with a bungie cord while you remove the sears.

But... if you are a novice at gun work, my recco is NOT to do this at all. A pro can get things apart without damage or buggering screws. The safety rod is possibly the cause. Possibly. And folks here can supply you with a replacement if it comes to that. Much better than trying to make one.

Chaz Doebler · 05-15-2013, 12:05 PM

Just took it out and shot it and it doubles too. Gotta love 100+ year old shotguns. It is a restock, so I figure the trigger plate isn't clearanced from the sears enough. I will check that out while it is apart.

Update. I have it apart except for the sears, maybe with any luck I can leave them in. I pulled the trigger plate, moved the safety a few times, and put the plate back in, and now the safety seems to hold (without the screws). Is it possible the gun was assembled with the safety in the incorrect position and this caused all the problems? The safety did move forward and backwards, and held the rear trigger just not the front trigger so it seems unlikely. It is just such a simple system it is mind boggling that anything could go wrong.

I think maybe I have the doubling issue figured out. I had the same problem with an Uggie boxlock. With the gun apart and the sears back in you can check the relationship of the trigger plate and sears. When I have the gun back together there is still some room to pull the front trigger away from the sear, spring tension is the only thing keeping the trigger against the sear. On the rear trigger there is no clearance, the trigger is against the sear. You can see just by looking that the rear trigger "blade" is higher than the front trigger. While this explains why the left barrel would double when firing the right, it doesn't tell me what is wrong in the first place. It could be the trigger plate was inletted too deeply when it was restocked? Possibly that is giving me the trouble with the safety also? I fixed the Uggie by filing the trigger, but until I find out if the safety issue is related I don't want to do that.

Thanks,
CHAZ

Kensal Rise · 05-15-2013, 05:17 PM

Chaz:
Since your gun has been restocked, all bets are off. But I'd look to the wood before modifying any metal part. The problem with the Parker safety is that its inlet position in the stock is very critical. In a restock, you potentially have problems. Even in an original gun, any component that depends on wood to hold its position is in danger. All you can do is go carefully. Barring that, seek a pro. Hard to be of more help on line.

B. Dudley · 05-16-2013, 08:59 AM

Chaz,

The safety could have been getting slid off the trigger with pressure. And yes, since the gun was restocked, that throws a large amount of variables into the mix that can be causing the issue and also the doubling. Being a stock maker myself, I can tell you that there is a lot of on and off fitting and adjustments needed at the end to get the safety and replated parts to operate correctly. If the trigger plate is any deeper or shallower that originally, this will effect the operation of the safety. And the operation will also be different if the gun is cocked vs. un-cocked.

And regarding your auto safety reset rod. If the gun was restocked and the rod left out. The stock head may have not been drilled out for the rod. So, if you are to put one back in, you may need to drill it out. Not too difficult. Just need to remove the tang screw bushing and the safety jacket assembly and get the hole drilled at the right angle. I do make new safety pushrods for Parkers. If you want, I can share the plans with you. I will PM you.

Chaz Doebler · 05-16-2013, 12:58 PM

The gun is off to a professional. As Clint Eastwood put it "a man's got to know his limitations."

I found that one of the sears had been machined, causing it to drop way down towards the trigger plate at the other end, and the hammer on the other side almost looks like it has a casting defect where the sear bears on the hammer. There is a "peak" of metal in the center of what should be the cut out for the sear to ride in.

I actually had gotten the safety to work, but I couldn't get the front trigger "plate" to back off the sear due to the sear hanging down so far. The sear was so low on that side that the gun would fire before the front trigger had moved far enough to touch the safety stop. That is why the safety would seem to work without the sears in the gun.

Hopefully I didn't do any damage with what I have done so far. I am just going to put it back together and send it out next week. On the plus side I could now take a Trojan apart and put it back together blindfolded.

Thanks for all that offered information and suggestions.
CHAZ