8 ga

[charlie cleveland]

boys i wasjust lucky on this find... charlie

[charlie cleveland]

i wonder whats usally the cause of a hammer not holding back on one of these old hammer guns... i shot the old gun this evening the left barrel... woulda shot the right barrel but the hammer don t hold to good... charlie

[OH Osthaus]

Originally Posted by charlie cleveland

i wonder whats usally the cause of a hammer not holding back on one of these old hammer guns... i shot the old gun this evening the left barrel... woulda shot the right barrel but the hammer don t hold to good... charlie

can you feel the tension from the spring?

it could be the notch in the tumbler is damaged or dirt has accumulated and blocked it

or the tip of the sear is damaged

[Allen Peterson]

Congratulations Charlie on the 8 ga. I know you like those big bores.

[charlie cleveland]

I can feel it catching some and it will hold sometimesi think your rite about it being dirty thanks allen i do like the big bores i may have to use brian s page on the tear down of a hammer gun i have got fair on hammerless at repair but never pulled the side plates off a hammergun charlie

[Dean Romig]

The innards of a hammer gun are a whole lot easier to access than a hammerless.

[OH Osthaus]

you'll find a side lock much easier to get into. you don;t need to remove the stock to get at the workings

there is a bolt/pin next to the left hammer that goes through and comes out in the same spot on the right side plate

you should be able to remove both locks once this is out. with the lock out, you can see if dirt or wood splinters getting in the way. Clean the lock's insides with a toothbrush (use an old one or your wife's - solvents taste terrible )

now you can hold the lock in hand and cock the hammer to see if the nose of the sear catches in the tumbler's notch. Just keep a firm grip on the hammer when you need to trip the sear's extension (sits at a right angle to the lock - enters a hole in the stock to meet the triggers). you do not want this dry firing.

If a good cleaning resolves the issue - great news. other wise you need to decide if the issue is the sear or tumbler. taking a lock apart is not that hard once you have done it a few times- its a bit daunting the first time. But you could just send the lock to someone like Brian a lot easier than sending an 8 bore.

If the lock works fine out of the gun, then look to the trigger, is it not properly resetting in place and keeping the sear from coming all the way down. I actually had one that this was all it was. took the triggers out, cleaned them , took out a slight bend, and cleaned the slots in the stock they go in and everything was good to go.

let us know how it goes.

one hint- when I take a lock apart- i draw the plate on a piece of paper. then tape each piece and screw on that paper with an arrow drawn to the spot on the outline of the plate to remember where it sits. I have taken many locks apart. but it still do this- I don't lose small parts and have fewer DOH moments putting it back together. and watch the small parts, some try to escape. this is a job for a clean workspace. I do it on a large white towel.

[charlie cleveland]

when i get a spare moment i will tear the locks down with this info and brians drawings i should be able to do this if not i will ask for help for sure gosh its cold here tonight suppose to be about degrees i think my coputer board needs cleaning or up dateing all the letters run together tonite cannot even put a number on the board charlie

[OH Osthaus]

Cold?

Just had the dogs out

It's a balmy 3 degrees here and it's clear so it will go down some

[Bill Zachow]

Charlie, just be very careful when you remove the side plate. It is very easy to chip out some stock wood that has been "glued" to the plate from old oil. I have found the easiest way to get the plate moving from the stock is to loosen the plate screw enough that it is proud to the left plate and then tap it gently with a plastic hammer. This will cause the right plate to move. Good luck. Bill