doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DIY Gunsmithing @ doublegunshop.com When a double cocks too soon

I have a S x S at the 'smith right now that, I assume, is cocking too soon when the barrels go down. The reason I think this is that it wants to close itself from the fully open position, to the point that it is aggravating to reload. You have to hold the barrels down to have enough "clearance" to reload the chambers. I didn't discuss the potential cause of the problem with the 'smith, but will do so when I pick it up after it is adjusted.

Isn't the cause of this malady most likely that the hammers are recocking too soon, thus causing the springs to be further compressed, which causes the barrels to want to close a bit?

Also, how could a double get out of adjustment this way? I can't get my mind around anything except that it must have come that way from the factory. Could any type of wear cause this?

SRH

Maybe a barrel check mechanism? Some of mine have to be held open to load, but not to the extent they try to close on their own...Geo

I misstated that, Geo. It doesn't try to completely close itself, just closes to the point that you can't get shells in the chamber without holding the barrels down. I wasn't as clear as I meant to be.

SRH

How old is the gun ? Has it been re-jointed ? Sometimes the fore end iron pushes on the back of the fore end hanger on the barrels to cause the spring back.

Remember many sxs were made that way, so one the shells were inserted the gun would close a bit and keep the shells from falling out of the open gun.

http://www.16ga.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=20531

Mike

Could be the Sears have been worked over and shortened or the hammer bents messed with causing the Sears to drop in too fast. No matter which it is, your cocking dogs are under tension from the mainsprings. I am assuming this to be a typical boxlock.

No, Steve, this is a sidelock gun. It is a high condition L C Smith that I have had for some years. The thread Mike provided the link to makes me think it is a common thing for Smiths, and it may be that I don't need to have it messed with at all. I took the gun to Jim Kelly to have some very tiny, and new, cracks stabilized just behind the lockplates, and the inletting relieved a few thousandths. I called and spoke with his wife since then, and told her to tell him to look into this barrel tension issue while he had it there.

Maybe I should call back and get him word to just check it out but not do anything about it until we talk?

Thanks all, SRH

Given the mechanics of the Smith guns, i woild think the issue being the point that the sears are engaging the hammers. The sears should be longer or the hammer notch farther back. Which will allow the hammers to cock later.
OR the hooks on the cocking cams or cocking spurs on the hammers could be worked down to make the hammer not move back as far when cocking. That is the cause of the issue... the hammers are being caught by the sears too soon and they are being pushed back farther past that point when opening, and then mainspring pressure is wanting to close the gun back up some until the sears stop movement.
If the gun is unmolested, it likely was just not set properly when made.

Thanks, Brian. That is exactly how I had it figured, but wasn't sure. I'm sure Jim will know whether it needs any adjustment or not, and if so what needs to be done.

It doesn't stop me from wanting to shoot the gun, but it is frustrating.

SRH

I think its working just like it is supposed to...Geo

It is extremely annoying and I have had couple of Smiths that did that.

It may well be, Geo. But, if Smith designed it the way, to prevent shells from falling out of the chambers as has been proposed here ............ it's a bridge too far, IMO.

All my best, SRH

Not sure where I read it, probably Brophy or the other LC book, but I don't think it had to do with not dropping shells. The design feature which I think was called barrel check was to prevent unnecessary wear to the hinge when the gun was carried open...Geo

That is a reasonable explanation. It does, however, come at a cost. That being greater aggravation in reloading.

I am cautious not to carry a doublegun open and let it "bounce". The longer the barrels (which I favor) the greater the strain on the barrel lug as the gun is carried open. Allowing the mainsprings to cushion some of that stress makes a lot of sense. I used to think a good way to carry a hammergun, while bird hunting, was loaded, hammers back and breech open. I now have serious misgivings about that.

SRH