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Removing hammer from side plate.

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Flintlock

50 Cal.
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Son-in-law brought home a nice old Traditions Pennsylvania rifle but the hammer (cock) is slightly misaligned. I ordered him a extra hammer just in case Or I will heat and bend the existing hammer. Anyway for the life of me I can't remember if one can simply remove the hammer without dissembling the lock, seems I've done this in the past but just don't remember things as well anymore.
 
walks with gun
Don't know about your specific gun, but all my ml rifles can have the hammer/cock removed by simply removing the screw in the cock.. Remove the screw and gently pry the cock away from the side plate. I alway pry with one on each side of the screw hole to prevent binding. It is usually a tight slip fit which is what it should be.
Flintlocklar :wink:
 
Larry (Omaha) said:
Don't know about your specific gun, but all my ml rifles can have the hammer/cock removed by simply removing the screw in the cock.. Remove the screw and gently pry the cock away from the side plate. I alway pry with one on each side of the screw hole to prevent binding. It is usually a tight slip fit which is what it should be.
That is a great way to bugger the hole in the cock or snap the tumbler shaft. The cock should fit tightly and shouldn't be easily removable.
 
Remove the screw, and all internal parts from the tumbler.
Set the lock plate with tumbler on a socket, larger enough to go around the tumbler, and sit flush on the lock plate.
Tap the square shaft in the hammer with a square brass punch till the tumbler falls into the socket, and the hammer will be left free on the punch.
 
Dane said:
Remove the screw, and all internal parts from the tumbler.
Set the lock plate with tumbler on a socket, larger enough to go around the tumbler, and sit flush on the lock plate.
Tap the square shaft in the hammer with a square brass punch till the tumbler falls into the socket, and the hammer will be left free on the punch.

I like to take a punch that is small enough to go into the screw hole so that it doesn't run the risk of expanding the end of the tumbler shank. There is, however, one shortcoming in that it's possible to bend the lockplate if the hammer is real tight and you use too much force.
 
hawkeye2 said:
I like to take a punch that is small enough to go into the screw hole so that it doesn't run the risk of expanding the end of the tumbler shank. There is, however, one shortcoming in that it's possible to bend the lockplate if the hammer is real tight and you use too much force.
Remember that the tumbler is hardened and using a pin punch at the bottom of the hole could fracture the shaft. This is why a square punch the size of the shaft is recommended.
 
Black Hand
That is a great way to bugger the hole in the cock or snap the tumbler shaft
Hey just for the sake of discussion: How are you going to bugger the hole if you remove the cock straight up?
That is why pressure must be equal on both sides.
Anyway that is my take and each to his own method.
Flintlocklar :wink:
 
Cause you're prying it from two different sides on a hardened shaft.
A square brass punch will take care of it.
Let's not make this more difficult than it is. It's something you have to do on every build. More than once!
 
Larry (Omaha) said:
Hey just for the sake of discussion: How are you going to bugger the hole if you remove the cock straight up?
That is why pressure must be equal on both sides.
Anyway that is my take and each to his own method.
If you can accurately gauge the pressure exerted by 2 screwdrivers jammed between the cock/lockplate and can keep the stresses equal without ANY rocking of the cock, then more power to you.:shake: :shake:

Personally, I'll disassemble the lock, use a square punch and avoid the chance of damaging the tumbler and cock or gouging the lockplate.

There are usually 2 ways to do something:
The correct way and the way that leads to creative cursing, lots of extra work and added expense...
 
After working on many hundreds of original and repro military and civilian locks these last four decades plus, I have found there is no best way to remove a tumbler from the hammer - all of the time, though I also don't pry the hammer off the tumbler.

Using a Square end Bronze/Brass Drift and supporting the lock plate properly to remove the tumbler, is good idea if the tumbler will come free that way. But in my experience with many original and repro locks, that won't free the tumbler. Still, it is good way to begin trying to free a tumbler.

If a good quality drift pin punch is just a bit smaller in diameter than the interior diameter of the threaded hole in the tumbler and it goes in and out easily, I have never found it will cause a tumbler to break when used to tap out the tumbler. If a tumbler is hardened to the point it is that brittle; then the full and half cock notches will fail/break/chip far too soon as well.

So try the square bronze/brass punch first and if that fails, then go to the good quality drift pin punch in the cock/hammer screw hole.

Gus
 
I back the hammer retaining screw out about three turns and then give it a whack. Then the hammer Is loose and Is easily removed once the retaining screw is removed.
 
marmotslayer said:
I back the hammer retaining screw out about three turns and then give it a whack. Then the hammer Is loose and Is easily removed once the retaining screw is removed.


this is my method as well. I use the wooden hammer handle or large screwdriver handle or nylon machinist hammer & a light to moderate tap loosens it right up. I've done this to several dozen T/C hammers over the years & ain't broke anything yet.
 
If you look at L & R lock site , they tell you to put it in a vice that is far enough apart to clear the tumbler, and tap it out with a punch that will fit in the hammer screw hole.
This is under Info then-flintlock parts diagram.
 
Artificer said:
After working on many hundreds of original and repro military and civilian locks these last four decades plus, I have found there is no best way to remove a tumbler from the hammer - all of the time, though I also don't pry the hammer off the tumbler.

Yep, :thumbsup: but I have pried the hammers off on occasion.

I would make something that works like a gear puller when I did.




William Alexander
 
Yes, a miniature puller would simplify the process as long as the fingers would slip between the hammer and lock plate.
 
Log Cabin Shop, in Ohio, sell a hammer puller, but it will cost you $80,and its made by L&R.
 
I always strip the lockplate, put it on 2 parallels that are close to the tumbler and use a square tipped brass drift that fits into the hammer square. It's not that big s deal to remove all the internals of the lock.

If the hammer is pounded on w/ the lock internals assembled, it's hard to properly support the lock and the bridle screws are getting the brunt of the force.

Using a round pin that fits into the tumbler screw hole can fracture the tumbler and is warned against by Jim Chambers..... can damage the tumbler and he probably has first hand knowledge.

Backing the hammer screw out a few turns and then banging on its head is a good way to ruin the threads, especially if the fit is tight.

So in the end, why chance it by removing the hammer from an assembled lock or by using other "lazy" ways to do it?.....Fred
 
Here is my cock/tumbler remover. As you can see I used the finest materials and spared no expense in its production,(he says tongue in cheek). I actually had to write what it is on top of it to keep from throwing it away every time I clean off my workbench.

The tumbler falls neatly into the hole instead of possibly skittering across the shop floor like it did when I used vise jaws to support the lock plate.

ivjcCaL.jpg
 
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