doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com detachable side locks

Apologies in advance for a question I am sure has been asked before, but here goes.

I've been shooting an AyA #2 for a couple of years, and that lever on the detachable side locks has my curiosity. I know nothing about the mechanics of a shotgun, and so have no business removing the locks. But I would love to take them off and see if I can figure out what's going on.

Is this simply a bad idea, and so should I just leave well enough alone? If it's OK to do, does it matter whether I remove them when the gun is cocked or fired?

Thanks.

I would not remove the sidelocks not less something is wrong. If you do remove them you have to do it with the gun cocked.

If it was my gun, I would remove them just for a look and lube. Whether you should, or not, is up to you. What looks like a lever is really the head of the screw that holds both locks in place. It must be turned counter-clockwise to unscrew it. One recommended way to get the locks to jump out is to tap the receiver, just at the front of the lock, with a rawhide or other soft hammer. The right lock can also sometimes be pulled out by screwing the lever/screw into the hole(from the outside, right) it was removed from and pulling the lock out. The left one can then be pushed out from the right. As Egerton said, they should be cocked first and re-installed cocked. Safest bet for your first time might be to have a knowledgeable gunsmith or friend, show you how. He can explain what each part does, as well.

Hello gt90,

Yours is a perfectly sound question. The lever is there so the locks can be easily removed,
for investigating and cleaning.

The locks must be removed cocked, not fired. You unscrew the lever and most probably
the locks will not come off right away. (Be careful anyway, as sometimes they do and you might drop them.)
What you do is screw the removed lever/key into the right
hand lock thread and pull gently to remove said lock. Then you push the left lock out
using a thin wooden dowel or even a Q tip. Keep the safety on and be careful not
to de-cock the locks. When mounting back on be sure to lift the cocking bars
while doing so, otherwise the lock won't seat properly.

I know I am going to get a lot of flack after encouraging you, but if you are
curious, go for it. If you are careful and mind the details such as being careful with
the surrounding wood, you should be all right.

If, by any chance -and I am sure this has happened to all of us who have disassembled
locks- one should become un-cocked, you can cock it using an adequate piece
of wood on the tumbler and keeping the lock properly wedged against another
wooden structure (an inside of a wooden drawer will do).

You can take a look at what you will find by looking at the photo of the bar-action
sidelock pictured here: http://www.hallowellco.com/boxlock.htm#Sidelock

Best,

JC

Jaime beat me to it!

JC

First time I would take it to a gunsmith and have them show you how to do it right. While there they can show you where and how much lubrication you should apply. Over lubing is a bad habit to get into. Take the time to learn what to do correctly and you and your gun will be fine.