Hard to open VH

[Greg Franklin]

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!! I have a very nice 1904 VH, but it is very hard to open once the triggers are pulled. It opens without problem after it has been opened. I suppose there is dirt and/or the need for lube in the cocking mechanism, but have no clue how to proceed without screwing something up..... Any help would be appreciated.

[gman]

Had the same problem with an older Trojan. Very much needed oil as it was very dry. Oiled the hinge pin and then had a trusted friend go inside and carefully oil. Gun was clean but dry. Worked fine afterwards. I believe you can definitely notice cocking these SxSs. You do not want to take things apart if you are not sure of things. A pro cleaning after 100+ years probably would be good idea. Just my opinion.
Good luck

[TARNATION !!!]

Greg: The most likely cause is a build up of "grunge" over the years. (Grunge = dried hard oil, rust, mud, grit, seeds, chaff etc). The cut outs in the frame that allow the below pictured parts to move can be clogged. The bolt group could be clogged and even rusted somewhat. The top lever will have a tough job to make everything move properly if the mechanism is clogged with grunge. Here are some images of the parts involved. If you are mechanically inclined, you can fully disassemble your gun (check the FAQ's). Make sure you use only hollow ground turn screw tips or you will be upset when a screw gets burred. If you are not comfortable with doing the job, have a gunsmith that knows Parkers do the professional clean up. Members on the forum will know someone in your area. If you want to see the guts of a VH, check my albums for "second chance gun" - a work in progress (I keep saying that but one day it will be done ) Also, there is a bit of mechanical info posted in the album with each picture.
Cheers,
Jack

The square top bolt slides into the barrel lug cut-out just to the right of the serial number

[Greg Franklin]

Thank you both! "Tarnation": thanks for the pix and hints; I will check your albums, etc. Hope you have a wonderful Holiday season.

[VH20]

To solve this problem, we need to define a few things first, and then do a few tests.

First we need to define the problem:

"Hard to open once the triggers are pulled" is too vague. Specifically,

1) "Hard to open" means, a) hard to move the top lever? or, b) hard to open the action? (I'm assuming the latter, but either is possible)

2) "after the triggers are pulled" means, a) only after firing live shells? or b) ANY time the triggers are pulled, regardless of shells or not in the chambers

The reason this is important is because the specific symptoms are what point you to the possible cause.

Let's assume that the top lever isn't what you're talking about. So, taking a systematic approach, lets start with an empty, cocked gun and remove the forend. Now open the gun and try and take the barrels off. Do they come off easily as they should? If so, we know that the de-activation system for the cocking mechanism is in working order. Now re-assemble and dry fire the empty gun and try to open it. If it is difficult to open, re-cock it and close it, dry fire again, and remove the forend this time before trying to open it. Since you have confirmed that this will de-activate the cocking system (as it should), if the gun is still hard to open you now know that the difficulty is in the cocking mechanism.

On the other hand, if the problem only occurs after firing live shells, load it up (fully assembled) and fire each barrel. Now remove the forend again and try to open it. You now have de-activated the cocking mechanism, so if it is still hard to open you know that the shells are sticking in the chambers (the resistance you feel is caused by the extractor trying to force the stuck shells from the chambers). The most likely cause for that is, as Bill? suggested, the shell rims being a little too big for the rim recesses of the chambers. This can be dependent on the brand of ammo being used, and sometimes the fix is as simple as changing brands. It is possible that the situation doesn't exist with unfired shells (they don't stick until they expand from firing) but it can also happen with certain new, unfired shells. In that case, the gun will also feel a little resistant to closing when loaded, because the rims are being forced down into the recesses.

Make sense? A little sleuthing on your part should point you in the right direction to the cause. Make sure to report back what you find.

Jim

[Greg Franklin]

VH20:
Thanks for the infomative reply. I know what I will be doing with my free time next week! I appreciate your time and consideration. Great folks on this forum. I will let you know what I find.

[terc]

Maybe there is not a problem at all. How hard is it to open? After the initial opening you say it is easy to open.
Maybe you are just describing the hammers being recocked. It is harder to open most doubles the first time after fireing.Once they are reset the spring tension is no longer felt.
Just a thought.
Dave

[Greg Franklin]

Originally Posted by Dave Tercek

Maybe you are just describing the hammers being recocked. Dave

I thought of that too Dave, but it was a little harder than one would have expected.

ACTION REPORT: After a little lubrication and quite a few cycles of the mechanism (dry firing, opening, closing, etc.) the gun now opens much easier than originally found. I think it must have sat in someone's closet for a very long time. Now I have to give it the "test by fire" and see how the old girl handles it. Thanks for your help.

[Opening Day]

Greg if it is working better now, you have a build up of crud in there, you need to take the gun apart and clean it and then relube it.You may have to soak the parts for a while and get all of the dried grease and oil off the parts.

[Greg Franklin]

I know. I would like to disassemble and clean, but I have not done that before and will have to do a little research about the process. Perhaps I can find something in the FAQ to help. That is my next step. Thanks.