Broken Sear Spring

[burgessrudy]

I took my Pedersoli Brown Bess lock apart for the first time tonight to polish all the inside surfaces. It was as expected never polished well. Everything was going well until I was trying to reassemble the parts. When I tried to reassemble the sear pivot screw it of course would not go in because the sear spring was pressing against the body of the sear bar. I tried for over an hour to push the sear pivot screw and sear bar up but to no avail. Then I got my spring vice to compress the sear spring. I bent the spring. Then I tried to straighten it back out and it broke.

What is the proper method for reassembling the lock and to be able to get the sear pivot screw back in place? Thanks!

 

[Zonie]

The following applies to the U shaped springs made out of flat spring stock which are common to locks used in the 17th-19th century:

IMO, the proper way to remove the sear spring is to loosen the sear spring screw about two turns, then gently pry it away from the lockplate.
When the small tab on the spring disengages from the lockplate the spring will rotate upward releasing the pressure on the sear.

To install your new spring, after you've removed the sear spring screw, slide the screw thru the springs eye and start it into the hole just far enough to bring the spring tab down enough to start to touch the lockplate.
Using your thumb, rotate the rear of the spring downward, compressing the nose of the spring against the sear until the little tab slides into the notch.
Push the spring flat against the lockplate and then tighten the screw.
zonie

 

[TANSTAAFL]

A tried and true method, helps prevent the "aw fecal matter" primeval scream.


Every normal man must be tempted at times to spit upon his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats.
H.L. Mencken

 

[mazo kid]

Yep, I tried to put sear springs in like you were doing until I stumbled on Zonie's method some time ago. MUCH easier!! Emery

 

[burgessrudy]

My sear spring arrived from VTI parts a supplier of Pedersoli parts. It took all of 5 minutes to reassemble the lock using the method described above. It took two hours of frustration and breaking the spring by the old method.


Thanks!!!