I recently receiver my Boswell (I think is was made by C&H) back from the gunsmith after a clean and blueing. It has not been shot yet although I have dry fired it without shells in the chamber and everything seemed fine. Today I purchased some wooly snap caps and tried those for the first time. After dry firing the first time I can not open the action. The action opens just far enough that I can see the firing pins are still sticking out. Now what?

I'd take the fore end off to open the gun and push the stuck caps out of the barrels with a rod. Then I'd dry fire it again to see if the firing pins were not retracting. Could be the new wool snapcaps are binding...Geo

If the gun still won't open with the fore end off, take a thin butterknife or puttyknife, round the edge, and slide it down the opening to ride over and push back the pins into the frame. the barrels should come off. I had to do that with an LC Smith where one pin was oversize and stuck in the hole. Good luck.

Tom,
Did you dry fire it with no snap caps in it?
I have heard that's not good for the pins or tumblers.Perhaps some damage was done???
Just an idea is all, hope it's an easy fix
cheers
franc

The barrels do not open with the forend off and do not open far enough to slide something between the barrels and action.

Back to the guy who cleaned it or maybe someone else who knows how to screw it back together...Geo

Is it a sidelock ? If so, you can remove the lockplates and then remove the firing pins if it does not have disc set strikers.

If you can open the gun enough to see the firing pins , then try using a single edge razor blade to push the firing pins back into place.

Some snap caps are real tight in the chambers. They might be hanging up there and not on the firing pins. I'd try a wooden dowel down the bores as you try to open tap gentle and see if it helps.

If Daryl's single edge razor does not do the trick

Close the gun completely.

Place a soft pad on the action.

While holding the gun muzzle UP
Use a soft wooden rod (pine) to gently vibrate ( light taps) the action,
tapping the soft pad.

This should allow the firing pins to move back into retraced position.

Gently try to open the action

Mike

"IF" this gun has non-rebounding hammers, which most inside hammer guns do, then the firing pins are locked in by the hammer tension, thus they're not apt to shake down. Can you get something on the cocking levers to cock the gun. Lacking that I would guess you are going to have to remove the locks.
First movement of the barrels should start retracting the hammers, sounds like this one is Lagging & there is not enough tension on the snap cap springs to push the hammers back, thus the pins are locked into the cap.

I think 2-piper's advice will be the method that works, and note that dry firing w/o snap caps sometimes cause firing pins to stick forward.
Mike

Thanks guys. I sent it back to the gunsmith today. I believe 2-Piper is correct. It's covered by the warranty.

Having seen this exact problem before, My quess is that what you need to do is open the top lever bounce the action on your knee to open it. The problem I have encountered is with non-rebounding locks, the firing pin is pushed into the "primer" of the snap caps, and won't let the gun open as the pin is protruding. What I had to do was break the edge around the "primer" in the snap cap. Actually, this is a problem with a lot of snap caps and some are so modified.
Not your gunsmith's fault, fault of the snap caps.
Again IMHO

I'm guessing the firing pins are a bit too long and sticking. I bet the 'smith' just uses added pressure and forces the gun open and sees what happens..... probably nothing? I have an old beater Lang SLE 16b that sticks with most shells. I think the firing pins are a 'hair' too long, but I'm no gunsmith. I just pry it open....maybe I'm a dumbass?? Likely so, I guess. But it keeps shooting after prying it open. :-)

My bet is that Dennis is on the money with his diagnosis. Not insignificant that the owner had no problems until he put a new set of snap caps in it.

SRH

I thought about what Dennis suggested but was worried about breaking the tip of the pin. It was really stuck. In any case it's already in the mail. I hope I get it back before the MEC shoot in Meford, WI this year. It was gone for over a year.

Thanks for all the ideas. I learn something new here everyday!

We're all men here. Push the lever over and force the gun open. Dennis is on my side, I notice. I guess it's too late now, but I bet the gunsmith uses this method.

Now I have shippers remorse.

I wouldn't be too remorseful...you may have made the right decision.

Don't think a thing of it. My Scott locked up on me and I manhandled it open. When the breech separated a piece of wood fell off one of the fillets by the trigger. It drove Trevallian nuts gluing the damn piece back in and cost me me a bundle.
Turns out the lever spring had broken,so ya never know.