old Dixie flintlock

[fiddler]

The lock in my old Dixie flinter busted. I built this rifle from a Dixie kit back in the 80's. I'm thinking it was called the Dixie Pennsylvania or something like that. The sear and tumbler were getting pretty buggered up and the half cock would only hold about half the time. I took it apart and filed a new notch in the tumbler, cleaned up the sear and re-hradened them. it's better but now the sear spring doesn't have enough travel to reliably hold the sear in the tumbler. I tried adjusting the spring and that's where my luck ran out and I busted the sear spring. I went on-line to the dixie web-site to see about spare parts and didn't have any luck. I ordered the catalog in hopes I'll have better luck there. I really need a new tumbler, sear and spring. I'm hoping I can get direct replacements rather than buy something generic and start filing. Anybody have any idea about how far back Dixie goes with spares for their locks?

 

[Dave K]

I don't know. But, they used to have a service that you could send your parts in and they would search for the right part that fit. I think it is worth asking if they still do. The time I used them, they got back to me within a week.

 

[brubincam]

-----in this years book Dixie has some parts for the old Dixie locks-----

 

[fiddler]

thanks for the info. Guess I'll wait for the catalog to show up and see what I find.

 

[J.D.]

The sear spring isn't supposed to hold the sear in the tumbler. The sear is supposed to engage the full cock notch at a right angle. It is the tension of the mainspring on the tumbler that retains the sear when engaged in the full cock notch. The only thing the sear spring does is lift the nose of the sear to fully engage the full cock notch. It doesn't hold it there.

You filed the notch at the wrong angle.

The face of the notch is supposed to be along a line running through the center of the tumbler axle. So, if the sear isn't holding, the angle of the notch is off.

 

[fiddler]

The sear spring wasn't relably lifting the sear up high enough to catch the notch in the tumbler. It's moot though because I busted the spring. Anyway...........ordered the Dixie catalog and they didn't have a replacement listed. So I took pics of the lock and sent them off to Dixie for their recommendation. They gave me PN's for the spring, tumbler and sear, saying they should fit. Well I got them and it wasn't even close: the spring is too short, the tumbler is too small and the sear is too small. I drove up to Dixon's on Sunday and Mr Dixon fumbled around and found that a Siler sear spring fit perfectly. He couldn't help me with a tumbler or sear though. So....got home installed the sear spring and it works great......until I reinstalled the lock into the stock. Now it won't hold full cock. Turns out that from filing new notches in the tumbler the sear arm is now lower and the trigger arm pushes on it. So...lower the trigger assembly a little and viola! I'm back in bid'ness.