doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Need Help - Gun Won't Open

Hi all, need some help here. Today I went in the safe to look at one of my SxS's. Went to open her and was not able to. The opening lever won't move. Now I can't get the bbls off. The forarm comes off and goes on with no problem. I'm perplexed over this one.

Any suggestions on what may be wrong and a way to open her up?

Any help would be great!!! Thanks!!

Greg

Greg,
What kind of gun is this?? I have had problems with Parker repros that needed "tighter" closing to free locking system.
Bob jurewicz

Hi, It's sidelock ejector. F. Saruegatre

Thanks Greg

ease of on/off fe on ejector suggests cocked ready to fire gun. such gun should be real easly to break open. a conundrum for sure.
it's hard to believe but some folks discharge guns on caps or block of wood against standing breech prior to storage thinking it prolongs spring life. what is difference between spring under tension vs. released fraction on an inch?

Not knowing the circumstances, I'd have to think rust or gum up possibly freezing the lever. Another possibility but down the line would be something broken and a bit preventing the lever from moving. If you shake it, does anything rattle? Perhaps introduce some CLP to the lever pivot point as well as the lugs if you can get at them?

Hi all, well I got her open. Still it's kind of odd. I just tapped it a bit with a wooden dowel and she opening fine now.

Strange, oh well.

Thanks all for the suggestions and help!!

All the best!

Greg

Just a thought as to the cause. If some guns are really cranked closed, they will be very hard to open. I learned this by letting a guy who I knew really slammed his o/u closed look at my sxs. He shut it like he was slamming a car door and the gun was jammed. I had to tap the top lever to get the gun to open. I'm not trying to get the closing debate started. Just close them how you like but don't slam them closed. The exception are some o/u guns which seem to need to be closed sharply to trip the bolts.

Glad you used a dowell-and not the old shop rule- "Never force it, just get a bigger hammer from the tool crib"-- CLP-any aerosol solvent to break the crud, then low PSI air pressure with a line dryer to remove moisture from the air stream, let dry on your bench in a warm and lite up area- then with a toothpick or a Q-tip- some lube, such as the newer O/U's like Rugers come with- on the bolt, lever engagement, also the ejector or extractor stem- very lightly- but remember- oil and solvents move- grease stays put-I'd also check the mating surfaces for burrs, nicks, abrasions- sounds like a nice gun indeed. Fox

Michael McIntosh says actions receive far more wear by snapping the action shut rather than holding the lever and closing the gun, then easing the lever over. It eliminates the camming action of the lugs on the locks.
However, I've found that easing it back over does not sometimes go all the way. So I close the action while holding the lever then sliding my thumb off the lever and it snaps back to position.

Kirk Merrington says the proper way to close a double is to allow the wedge that is formed by correctly allowing the lever to snap back as the action is closed to happen, because the designer put a spring on the lever for a reason. There wouldn't be a return spring if the wedge could be formed by holding the lever and closing the gun.
He also said he never saw the holding-the-lever trick until he came to the USA, and doesn't understand what is being accomplished. He also doesn't understand light beer.
McIntosh wrote that a Darne wouldn't work without obturator discs.
A Darne works quite well with or without them.
Best,
Ted