English Fowler / Trade gun question.

[Stephen E.]

Yep.... I did it.....
I purchased a Trade gun from Veteran Arms instead of Pedersoli....
But here's the reason, followed by my question :

I am a member of an SAR Honor Guard for our local Chapter and we do a couple parades a year, set up a booth once or twice a year, and fire at Grave markings a couple times a year.
Never with live rounds, only powder.
I didn't need a flintlock to hunt or compete, just for Ceremonial use.
My Patriot was Militia and that is how I dress for our Ceremonials, therefore a Trade gun was my choice.

The musket goes Boom when it needs too, and I have no complaints in that regard.
But boy, to pull back the cock to set it for fire is fierce.
Just so darn difficult to set to fire on Command 'Make Ready!'.

What, (if anything) can I do to correct this?
Is there something I could do or am I looking at finding a gunsmith ?

Appreciate worthwhile comments, and have already been told 'you get what you pay for' so.....
Thanks !

 

[Brokennock]

I'm confused, are you asking about the difficulty of cocking a musket you already had, or of the new trade gun?

 

[ohio ramrod]

Sounds like you have a very heavy mainspring.A good gunsmith who works with traditional guns could easily fix it, but modern gunsmiths could do more harm than good. I had a friend who would buy low cost traditional guns and then take them to his local gun store to have them worked on and they often made them worse, Then he would bring them to me to get fixed right.

 

[rich pierce]

Could be the strength of the mainspring, could be rough surfaces giving friction, could need lube, could be an inletting problem hindering movement of internals or the cock. Likely several factors are at work.

 

[Hatchet-Jack]

Take the lock out of the stock and try cocking it. If it functions more easily then it might be as rich said some obstruction in the lock mortise. Black it with inletting black or candle soot, put it in the stock, cock it, remove it and look for imprinting.