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Half cock issue on new lock

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dkloos

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Well, I went out today to test my new Bedford County longrifle I built, and encountered an issue. About three shots in, the hammer began to get hung up on the half cock notch. In other words, when I pulled the trigger (at full cock) the hammer only went forward to the half cock position and stopped. I opened the frizzen and fired it dry (I normally wouldn't ever do that) and it is indeed being hung up on the half cock notch when fired. How can I fix this? Thanks :thumbsup:
 
This may not be relevant, but I had the same problem with a T/C Hawken kit that I assembled. The first few rounds were fine, but then it began getting caught at half-cock, but only if I used the set trigger. I pulled the lock and found that screws on a plate holding the fly had vibrated loose. Tightening them fixed the problem. It occurred again, and tightening them with a bit o loctite has solved the problem.
good luck
bramble
 
The "fly" is a very small part that is located on the side of the tumbler at the "half cock notch".

When cocking the lock to half cock, the nose of the sear pushes it back out of the way so that the sear can enter the half cock notch.
When the lock is brought to full cock, the sear jumps over the fly and engages the full cock notch.

When the sear is released from the full cock notch, the fly blocks the sears entry into the half cock notch so that the sear jumps over it and allows the hammer to fall without interuption.

If your gun has a Set Trigger, it should have a lock with a fly.

The design of the flys varies with the lockmaker. Siler's fly is about 1/16 wide X 3/16 long with a small pin sticking out the side of it. This pin fits into a hole in the bottom of a notch cast into the side of the tumbler.
L&R's locks use a tiny plate about the same size with a hole in it. The hole fits over a small pin in a notch in the tumber. The pin is integral part of the tumbler. The L&R fly can be installed upside down and if it is, it won't work correctly.
The Siler fly cannot be installed incorrectly.

Hope this helps.

zonie :)
 
Thanks for the description... when I get home tomorrow i'll take a look at the lock and see whats going on. I should note that the lock functions perfectly fine when taken out of the mortise and "fired" by itself. Any other ideas would be appreciated, and if I figure it out i'll post an update. Thanks again!
 
If the lock works when its out of the gun, then the problem is almost certainly that something is binding in the stock mortise. Don't be cranking those lockbolts down as hard as you can. You can collaps the thin edges of the wood in the lock mortise, and that will bring parts of the lock in contact with the bottoms of the mortise, where the wood will bind the parts from moving properly. Put some lamp black, or lipstick on the inside edge o the stirrup, and tumbler, and " fly ", and install the lock as you have done. Cock and lower the hammer a couple of times. If its binding something, the marking dye will transfer the part that is being bound, to the wood in the mortise. Its a simply matter to remove the extra wood with a chisel, or even a pocket knife. I like to seal the wood in the mortise by applying a very thin coat of stock finish. Anything to keep moisture from the air, rain, or from cleaning the gun into the wood and causing it to swell. If you store you gun standing on its buttplate, you lock may have oil, or water that has seeped into it and caused the wood to swell and bind your lock. If so, you will have to wipe the mortise with alcohol to break down the oil, and evaporate it before sealing it with stock finish.
 
Hangfeyer said:
Well, I went out today to test my new Bedford County longrifle I built, and encountered an issue. About three shots in, the hammer began to get hung up on the half cock notch. In other words, when I pulled the trigger (at full cock) the hammer only went forward to the half cock position and stopped. I opened the frizzen and fired it dry (I normally wouldn't ever do that) and it is indeed being hung up on the half cock notch when fired. How can I fix this? Thanks :thumbsup:

Are you using set triggers? Is not I do'nt think it an issue with the fly
Jeff
 

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