Hammer gap on L&R lock

[Beepy]

How much free space should be between the hammer and the faceplate? I am trying to fit an L&R lock and I have originally broken the head off the screw that keeps the hammer attached to the tumbler. I then got a new screw and now have stripped the screw its self. I have about 0.063" clearance. I don't remember any of my other builds having this much space. Tumber sticking too far out and needs to be squared up? any other ideas?
Thanks for the input..

 

[hawkeye2]

Are you trying to reduce that gap by just tightening the screw? Once the end of the tumbler is flush with the outside face of the hammer the screw won't move it anymore. If the hammer is centered on the frizzen you should be OK. Though it's a little difficult to see it looks like you have used up all the square part of the tumbler shaft and are up against the shoulder.

 

[Beepy]

Yup the screw is all the way down and the hammer is all the down in the squared portion. The actual 6 thousandths from the face is the rounded part of the tumbler that is no longer square to fit in the hammer square hole

 

[hawkeye2]

You could file a little of the round part square but you would have to dress the end as it would stick through the hammer. You might have to shorten the screw too. 6 thousandths is the thickness of 2 pieces of paper, sure you measured the gap right? Again, it the hammer centered on the frizzen?

 

[Pete G]

Tumbler shaft is too long, send the lock to L&R for warranty service.

 

[Beepy]

K I will try to get ahold of them. And I meant 6 hundredths .

 

[Eric Krewson]

I had the same problem on an L&R lock that I have posted enough that people are probably sick of it. I sent it back, the fix didn't go well, I ended up fixing it myself.

 

[NorthFork]

I'm REALLY NOT trying to be a jerk, but that lock looks very crudely made. I get it that the lock plate and hammer need filed and finished but what I can see of the 'internals' looks very crude.

 

[bpd303]

I had the same thought about the crudeness of the parts. I would not be happy with that lock, unless L&R said the internal parts need finishing.

 

[Beepy]

Wellllll I’m too hard headed to send it back. I figure they made these things by hand before.... I ended up annealing the tumbler and re threading it as well as cutting the flats on the square face down and shortening it. (That sucker was hard too I tried at first before annealing and it sure wasn’t going to cut threads). Fit all the parts back together and it seems much better. I also had to make a new screw as I buggered up the replacement screw I got. I rehardened the tumbler with and oil quench and right now it’s in its second tempering cycle. I’m hoping it’s O1 steel since I used the same process I would use on O1 knives. I’ll have to see how it goes.... while I’m waiting I’ll go jump ahead a couple of centuries and work on a No 4 mark 1 I’m de-bubba-ing

 

[toot]

poor quality control??

 

[oldwood]

The problem encountered on Beepy's lock is one of many commonly seen on production locks these days. If you're going to be a m/l mechanic , you need to learn when to file and where to file and what is an actual problem , or not so much. I can name four , big name , "standard of the industry " , lock makers , that have shipped me locks needing basic tuning. It's just part of the gun build. The "how to do it" books don't mention these small idiosyncrasies. I repeat , don't beat up on an individual lock builder , learn to fix these problems , or get someone who can help in the process. The locks of today are light years better than the stuff we had in the beginning. Also , few folks I know are expert in metallurgical science enough to use heat and cold , etc , to work on lock internal parts. If that's needed , the lock goes back........... oldwood