• This community needs YOUR help today. We rely 100% on Supporting Memberships to fund our efforts. With the ever increasing fees of everything, we need help. We need more Supporting Members, today. Please invest back into this community. I will ship a few decals too in addition to all the account perks you get.



    Sign up here: https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/account/upgrades

LOCK install help

Muzzleloading Forum

Help Support Muzzleloading Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Mtman725

The Last Best place, MT
Joined
Dec 11, 2021
Messages
763
Reaction score
819
Location
Montana
So I found an L & R lock here new never installed for the CVA's, good price, no paper work. So I've fit it to the stock working the inletting, removing a little wood at a time till I got it to fit very well and the barrel drops in and the lock works fine. But when I install the triggers, the lock will not cock half or full cock, I've pulled it in and out the trigger group everything looks good. What am I doing wrong?
 
So I found an L & R lock here new never installed for the CVA's, good price, no paper work. So I've fit it to the stock working the inletting, removing a little wood at a time till I got it to fit very well and the barrel drops in and the lock works fine. But when I install the triggers, the lock will not cock half or full cock, I've pulled it in and out the trigger group everything looks good. What am I doing wrong?
Sounds like the sear bar on the lock is lower than original and engaging with the trigger. Does the trigger seem to be locked or not moving freely when the lock is in place? Is the sear bar up against the stock? Just to test things you could shim the trigger plate so it’s not too deep. Once confirmed how much interference you have, you can carefully remove material from the stock or the top of the trigger or bottom of the sear bar.

Sometimes in older guns the with the trigger plate screws and tang screw being repeatedly over tightened, the trigger plate moves a bit as the wood under it is crushed, causing interference. With a new lock, suggested you adjust the trigger and/or sear bar by removing material for a proper fit. But check for stock interference first.
 
Last edited:
I personally would not remove any metal from the sear bar, it's not very thick to begin with. There should be plenty of metal on the trigger bar to make any adjustments needed.

Single trigger or double set trigger?
 
Will the lock work mounted in the stock with the trigger assembly removed?
Yes just fine, so set it a side posted here, then got to thinking about it, always wise to walk away, and not make a mistake. I figured out the the trigger group is setting to deep and hit the trigger bar, don't know if I am calling it by the right name, what about shimming the triggers out to not make contact, with the bar so hard? I've got some tongue depressors, that I can work down and just place them loose, and see if that helps. only thing I can come up with.
 
That shimming the trigger group out is a good method to find out how much to take off the trigger bars.
Yep, go to the hardware store and buy a pinchful of #8 flat washers. Stack em on the screw placed between the trigger plate and the wood until the lock and triggers function correctly. The final thickness of washers is how much you need to remove from something. The top of the trigger bar, not the sear bar, if it was me.
 
so set it a side posted here, then got to thinking about it, always wise to walk away, and not make a mistake.
Hat's off to that wise move, I had to learn that lesson too
what about shimming the triggers out to not make contact, with the bar so hard?
The need to shim the trigger plate is common with many of the older CVA/Traditions models,
It has to do with the tang-bolt that screws into the trigger plate and ham-handed folks over-tightening it and/or older dry wood getting compressed through the years.
Your tongue depressor/pop-cycle sticks, washers, or re-bedding the mortise with epoxy/acra-glas are all methods folks use.
It doesn't take too much of a shim for a good fix. And usually just the front is all that's needed.
You can file the top of the trigger cam if needed, but most times it's not necessary.
 
what about shimming the triggers out to not make contact, with the bar so hard? I've got some tongue depressors, that I can work down and just place them loose, and see if that helps. only thing I can come up with.
That will tell you where you need to go adjustment wise. Might be permanent fix, or temporary until you take some material off the trigger. As I said in post #2 above, a common ‘adjustment’ in older guns the with the trigger plate screws and tang screw having been repeatedly over tightened, the trigger plate moves a bit as the wood under it is crushed, causing interference.
 
i have a irritating habit of making my trigger inlets a smidge deep, thereby causing just what you are encountering.
i shim until i have the proper interface. then i dam the inlet, remove the shims and epoxy bed the trigger plate inlet.
i over fill a hair and then scrape it down to perfection. at least i try for perfection.:oops:
this reinforces the wood and the overtightening of the tang screw can only crush the tang bed.
extra work in a build but sometimes necessary.
 
Well worked on the lock, inletting was slow little bit here and there,I did take off to much behind the hammer and in front of the lock but can easily be filled in. I don't know the right name for the part, I think its the stirrup, used the shims to get an idea of how much to take off, hand filed, and then the Dremel, just small amounts, file it then check everything then out and take off more. Feel petty good about where its at how. Next is to seal up the inletting and fill a few small gaps. Going to glass it To add strength and keep out moister.
 
The fit was good, I filled in the voids and coated the entire lock area behind with glass to seal it up and add strength,lock fits nice and snug. Trigger works well, so next trip to the range.
 
Glad you were able to solve your problems. This forum is a real source of information and advice.

I have worked on several CVA and now Traditions rifles where compression of the wood from over-zealous use of a screwdriver had caused various interference and alignment problems. Small shims cut from an old credit card have worked well to take up space and spread loads. Held the shims in place with a small dab of rubber cement so they wouldn't fall out, but could be removed if necessary.
 
Back
Top