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tumbler allen setscrew?

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MiddleJohn

MiddleJohn

old fart
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I guess I should start a new thread on this.............

Took the tumbler out of my early 45cal. TC hawken and discovered a very, very small allen setscrew in it. When I removed the screw from the tumbler I could find no reason for it being there.

Anyone know what it is for? (It took the smallest allen wrench I have)
 
A case where a picture would truly be worth a thousand words.
 
MiddleJohn said:
I guess I should start a new thread on this.............

Took the tumbler out of my early 45cal. TC hawken and discovered a very, very small allen setscrew in it. When I removed the screw from the tumbler I could find no reason for it being there.

Anyone know what it is for? (It took the smallest allen wrench I have)
Click to expand...
MiddleJohn, Look at your other topic you started my friend.

T/C tumbler swap

Respectfully, Cowboy
 
I have a Mowrey with the set screw in the tumbler. Adjusting it pushes the trigger release out towards the very edge of the sear.
It reduces\eliminates the trigger creep and results in a very light trigger pull.
I have been told this is a feature on all Mowrey tumblers but have no evidence to back that up.
 
Griz, if you are referring to the Brass & steel framed Mowerys the early ones didn't have the adjustment screw. I had a brass one and I was sent a replacement tumbler with a screw for a repair and and additional 2 tumblers for 2 friend's guns.
 
hawkeye2 said:
Griz, if you are referring to the Brass & steel framed Mowerys the early ones didn't have the adjustment screw. I had a brass one and I was sent a replacement tumbler with a screw for a repair and and additional 2 tumblers for 2 friend's guns.
Click to expand...
Mine is steel and has the round shaped tumbler. The former owner has an access hole drilled and plugged in the top of the receiver so you could adjust the set screw without taking it apart. Very handy...
 
Griz44Mag said:
Mine is steel and has the round shaped tumbler. The former owner has an access hole drilled and plugged in the top of the receiver so you could adjust the set screw without taking it apart. Very handy...
Click to expand...

Good idea. The early ones didn't have the support pin on the far side of the tumbler either. When I got the new tumbler I had a friend drill the frame and install an Oilite bushing pined in place as well as drilling for the tumbler support.
 
Grenadier1758 said:
I'm with bubba 50 here. Unless we have a visual of what you have, Middle John, we can do little but speculate and most likely be wrong.
Click to expand...

Sorry to all for not responding sooner.......been out of town.

Hope these photos help. The tumbler is a TC early production.

Any more ideas?

It's so hard I can't imagine someone could have drilled and threaded it.
Appears more like a factory job to me. And there was no spring under it, must have been removed by some PO.
So I guess it is for adjusting sear engagement originally as was suggested.
PC180004.JPG

PC180003.JPG

PC180002.JPG

PC180001.JPG
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Well the half cock notch is broken completely out. Was the fly there when you disassembled the lock? The fly is the little part that always falls out requiring at least an hour search with a flashlight and magnet leading some to rename it the SO#. If it wasn't there (fits in the "V" shape cut in the side of the tumbler) it will explain the broken half cock.
 
Whatever it is there for, it is not like the screw some of the CVA and Traditions locks have to adjust the depth of the full cock notch.

I actually was so interested in your pictures that I took my TC Hawkens lock out of the stock and studied it. If I'm seeing this correctly, the half cock notch looks like it is completely broken off. That explains the area below the little shelf that is what is left of the half cock notch with the broken looking metal under it. If it is, your gun cannot be set to half cock.

Putting that screw where it is could keep the sear from engaging the full cock notch as deeply as TC designed it to do.
In that location, if the screw was adjusted so it did not stick out of the surrounding surface, it would do nothing.
If it was backed out so the hex end was standing proud of the surrounding area far enough, the forward side of the sear would bump into it. This would keep the nose of the sear from being able to go completely down into the full cock notch.

I haven't seen many TC locks but the ones I have seen don't have anything like this screw in them. I would guess that someone annealed (softened) the tumbler, drilled and threaded the hole and then rehardened the tumbler.
If they didn't temper the tumbler after it was hardened, that would easily explain why the half cock notch on the lock is broken.

In any case, using the gun with that tumbler in it is dangerous. I strongly suggest that you get a new tumbler for your gun.
 
Zonie said:
Whatever it is there for, it is not like the screw some of the CVA and Traditions locks have to adjust the depth of the full cock notch.

I actually was so interested in your pictures that I took my TC Hawkens lock out of the stock and studied it. If I'm seeing this correctly, the half cock notch looks like it is completely broken off. That explains the area below the little shelf that is what is left of the half cock notch with the broken looking metal under it. If it is, your gun cannot be set to half cock.

Putting that screw where it is could keep the sear from engaging the full cock notch as deeply as TC designed it to do.
In that location, if the screw was adjusted so it did not stick out of the surrounding surface, it would do nothing.
If it was backed out so the hex end was standing proud of the surrounding area far enough, the forward side of the sear would bump into it. This would keep the nose of the sear from being able to go completely down into the full cock notch.

I haven't seen many TC locks but the ones I have seen don't have anything like this screw in them. I would guess that someone annealed (softened) the tumbler, drilled and threaded the hole and then rehardened the tumbler.
If they didn't temper the tumbler after it was hardened, that would easily explain why the half cock notch on the lock is broken.

In any case, using the gun with that tumbler in it is dangerous. I strongly suggest that you get a new tumbler for your gun.
Click to expand...
 
Zonie,

The fly was in place when I took the lock apart although the tip is a bit mangled. The screw was set flush with the tumbler, so I doubt it was contacting the sear. The half cock notch break has that fine granular appearance that a broken file would have. And when I hit it with a fine file, it doesn't bite at all. So it is hardened. Perhaps too much?

If someone drilled and tapped that hole themselves, they did one heck of a nice job. That hole is dead-on centered and threaded clear to the bottom. I taught metal shop for 35 years and doubt I could do as well on that little piece. It really looks factory!

"Tis a puzzlement" as I think Yul Brynner said.
 
It’s unbelievable what some of our members here can do. Something like drilling and tapping a hole in a tumbler is normal place for them. Even better and beyond factory work!

Factory work can’t touch some of the works of art that some here are more than capable of producing my friend.

Respectfully, Cowboy
 

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