Flintlock weak half cock

[MAPMFF]

Hello all,

Got in a custom gun a few weeks ago, the lock of which is a Pedersoli lock (i'm guessing from a bess) As I always do when I get a new piece I disassemble and clean the lock, this particular one the half-cock is weak and doesn't take much to release the cock which is obviously a safety issue. The "notches" on the tumbler look fine IMO, what could be a culprit?

 

[oldwood]

Half cock notch is too shallow ,or sear nose too short to fit the notch?????? W/o picture , it's difficult to know what to fix. Most likely one or the other , or both, needs attention...............oldwood

 

[dave_person]

Hi,
If it is a Pedersoli Bess lock, the lip of the half cock notch may be mangled. Guys try to lighten the trigger pull on these locks but because of the distance between the half cock and full cock notches on the tumbler, the light trigger pull allows the tip of the sear to lower too quickly against the tumbler as it moves forward and hits the lip of the half cock notch. If that is the issue, it can be fixed by cutting a new full cock notch closer to the half cock notch. If you look at this thread and scroll down a few pages, I show how to do this.
New Reworking a Pedersoli Brown Bess

dave

 

[MAPMFF]

Hi,
If it is a Pedersoli Bess lock, the lip of the half cock notch may be mangled. Guys try to lighten the trigger pull on these locks but because of the distance between the half cock and full cock notches on the tumbler, the light trigger pull allows the tip of the sear to lower too quickly against the tumbler as it moves forward and hits the lip of the half cock notch. If that is the issue, it can be fixed by cutting a new full cock notch closer to the half cock notch. If you look at this thread and scroll down a few pages, I show how to do this.
New Reworking a Pedersoli Brown Bess

dave

Dave that thread is extensive! I'm currently at work I'll give it a good read through tomorrow.

I'll upload a photo of the lock as well when I get home.

 

[MAPMFF]

Alright welp got busy, but here are some photos.

 

[dave_person]

Hi,
That half cock notch looks mangled just the way I described previously. I am guessing that the throw of that cock is very long meaning you have to pull it back a long way.

dave

 

[FlinterNick]

Agree with Dave, it looks mangled up. I followed Dave’s demo on my pedersoli bess (same older Grice lock as the one pictured here). After cutting the notch I went further and case harden the parts in an oven with coal (bone and wood) and tempered so they were all equal hardness, it is possible your tumbler may have not been hardened correctly or has lost its case with use and if the sear is harder it will just chew up the tumbler.

Question: the sear spring looks shorter, like one you’d find on an original second model bess 1777/79 lock. Was it moved? Or is this the Lott lock.

 

[MAPMFF]

@dave_person I guess its long? Though honestly it feels normal, have owned 2 prior besses.

@FlinterNick, I agree, I ordered a replacement sear spring, pedersoli, and it's huge compared to this. So I'm not really sure what the deal is with this lock. When I asked was just told it was a standard pedersoli bess lock.

 

[MAPMFF]

This may better illustrate my issues. Now I'm in an apartment and don't really have many tools past screwdrivers here, who is good with tuning/reworking locks that I could send this off to with decent turn around time.

 

[dave_person]

Hi,
Is it easy to pull the cock back to half cock or is it under strong pressure from the mainspring?. From your video, I believe the half cock notch is mangled. It should have a definite uncut lip that prevents the sear from ever releasing. Either that lip is gone or the mainspring is so weak at half cock that pressure on the trigger actually moves the tumbler forward releasing from half cock. It is not a Bess lock but the internals are based on those locks. I have fixed this problem an several Pedersoli Bess locks.

dave

 

[FlinterNick]

@dave_person I guess its long? Though honestly it feels normal, have owned 2 prior besses.

@FlinterNick, I agree, I ordered a replacement sear spring, pedersoli, and it's huge compared to this. So I'm not really sure what the deal is with this lock. When I asked was just told it was a standard pedersoli bess lock.

it looks like the older pedersoli trade gun that used the Lott lock however the name appears to have been removed. Im not sure if its the same specifications as the grice lock. But i do know there are no ‘drop in parts’ for this lock, the current grice lock parts will not interchange

 

[MAPMFF]

it looks like the older pedersoli trade gun that used the Lott lock however the name appears to have been removed. Im not sure if its the same specifications as the grice lock. But i do know there are no ‘drop in parts’ for this lock, the current grice lock parts will not interchange

It could be, the stock is custom made to this gun, its based off a Philadelphia made Com. of Safety musket, with octagon to round barrel and whatever the lock is.

 

[MAPMFF]

@dave_person I gotcha, it is very easy to pull back to half cock/cock, and the "clicks" you can feel when it reaches both of those positions are very soft.

 

[FlinterNick]

It could be, the stock is custom made to this gun, its based off a Philadelphia made Com. of Safety musket, with octagon to round barrel and whatever the lock is.

there were a series of custom williamsburg muskets made by navy arms. They were made with pedersoli parts, This could be one

 

[MAPMFF]

Where is a good shop this could be sent to be reworked?