I was Shooting my LC Smith today. It’s a 12 ga. OO with ejectors and it doubled on me twice. I thought maybe I hit the second trigger by accident but it did it again after several more shots. I stopped shooting it at that point. I’m glad I was only shooting 3/4 oz loads!!! Any idea what would cause it to double?

sop...have a smith smith inspect, clean, lub and test fire...

then follow his advise...

Was the gun taken apart recently? If so someone might have tightened the screw under the top lever one turn too tight as this will raise the trigger plate causing the sears to possibly rest on them. Another possible is that the side plate connecting screw is too tight. It should be flush on the right side lock plate.

Was it the left barrel that went both times?

If the same barrel was fired first both times when it doubled, and that is the sequence it always happens in, I would suspect the tumbler/sear relationship on the second barrel's lock. Oftimes the sear notch has become rounded where the sharp edge should be, and just needs stoning to recut the proper geometry. But, there are many other ills, concerning the geometry, that can be out of whack.

That said, the only way to know for sure is to take it to a good trigger man/smith. I have learned to do most of my trigger work myself, but the learning curve is tough and tedious.
If you don't have a burning desire to learn trigger work you would be much better off leaving it to a pro.

SRH

Addendum - Try removing the second barrel's lock and cleaning it thoroughly, then lightly lubing it. It is entirely possible that crud or debris have gotten into the sear/tumbler and are causing poor engagement.

This is David's image, and the superior edge of the sear is getting rounded as Stan said



I did have a 16g ejector Smith that would occasionally double if I wasn't careful to fully open the gun to seat the sear in the notch.

It was recently taken apart so I will Check the screws mentioned. Then Test fire it some. If it continues off the smith it will go. I have No desire or knowlage to be messing with the triggers. Thanks

I've learned the hard way, just load the one barrel. If the other hammer drops being on a snap cap or empty chamber is more comfortable than a double. I might not be smart, but I learn quick, :-)

That was my plan. I’m not recoil shy but wow it was a suprise.

Jerry Andrews
jskve@aol.com
http://lcesmith.boardhost.com/index.php

single trigger master!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Your gun has an inertia trigger which relies on recoil to disengage the trigger during the "involuntary pull". Suggest you repeat test using loads the gun was designed for, e.g. 1&1/8th oz

I have never heard of an Inertia trigger on a two trigger gun.

There you go again Miller... reading all of the information before commenting, instead of jumping to wild conclusions about things that were never said.

We see a lot of that around here, even from ex-CIA Intelligence Analysts.

For those who handload, a primed empty shell case is a good way to confirm doubling in a gun without cocking indicators without hammering either the stock or your shoulder.

"For those who handload, a primed empty shell case is a good way to confirm doubling in a gun without cocking indicators without hammering either the stock or your shoulder."

Keith not necessarily true as recoil can cause a gun to double if the sear is rounded or one of the screws mentioned is too tight.
One loaded shell and one primed shell would be better.

Take the locks off and compare the workings.

One loaded shell and one primed shell would be better.

Umm , I think that is what was intended.....

Sigh... yes, that is what was intended. Loaded shell in right chamber, and a primed empty in the left. Pull trigger on loaded chamber, and if the other hammer drops, the primer on the empty shell will detonate, and there will be an indentation from the firing pin. Reverse the process by placing the loaded shell in the left chamber and the primed empty in the right to test for doubling on the other lock.

It is a good idea to perform this test on a new (used) gun. It may be helpful to repeat the test on each barrel several times because a gun with worn sears or other problems may not double every time it is fired. OK?

I pulled the locks today. They look fine. So off to the Smith it will go. It’s the right barrel that doubles. I shot it a bunch the other day. Loading a live round in one barrel and the snap cap in the other. I can actually get it to fire closing it hard ( on a snap cap) The front trigger has a very light pull so I assume the problem is in the trigger.

or the sear..

Or, just shoot the other barrel first if chokes aren't a problem.

When I've noted a double with a gun and I was at the range or in the field, I'd take a shell and cut the hull part way down and remove the shot & powder, then use that to show a double. I've never had a 2 trigger gun double. My issues were all trying to figure out single triggers.

ALL my doubling issues have been with two trigger guns...Geo

ALL of mine were with shotguns.......

I've had an equal number of doubling issues in shotguns with one trigger, and with two. I've had it with hammerguns, and with hammerless. Single trigger guns still have a separate lock for each barrel, and each lock is subject to problems.

A bad sear/hammer/tumbler engagement is not limited to one trigger type.

SRH

My first double was an old J Stevens Arms & Tool Co 12 gauge. It was a 2-trigger gun & doubled on me once when I pulled the back trigger first. An investigation revealed the holes through the sears for the axle were worn & the sears could rock a bit. The left sear sat just a bit lower than the right one so if they happened to get together & the back trigger was pulled it would lift both sears. There was space between the sear bodies so I put a small coil spring around the axle to keep the sears pushed apart & it never doubled again as long as I had it.

There are enough different possibilities as to the cause that a Hands-On diagnosis is essential for proper diagnosis. In the case of my old J Stevens as long as the right trigger was pulled first it was not truly a safety issue, more of an inconvenience. "IF" it is from a worn sear tip or bent in the tumbler this is a definite safety hazard. Pulling the other trigger first is not the answer in this case as any abnormal Jar could set it off, & it might not have to be all that abnormal. It should definitely be tended to.

I dropped It off at the smith on Friday. I could make it to fire by snapping the barrel closed. Shooting the right barrel first so it doesn’t happen isn’t my idea of safe!!!! Plus I would never sell it with a problem like this. But I do Know guys that would. I know of one individual that if he’s selling a gun beware there is a reason!!!!