doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Sidelock vs boxlock

I've seen 2 boxlocks discharge when the barrel were snapped shut. One very old French guild gun and the other a Spanish double from the 60's or 70's. The option of intercepting sears is interesting. Don't have any idea hoe they work.

The trigger has to be pulled for the gun to go off. The intercepting sear rides on the trigger and will not allow the actual sear to leave the bent unless it is moved out of the way by the trigger being pulled.

Boxlocks had intercepting sears when they were being marketed as best guns. But, the angle of the sear and the bent is different in a boxlock, and gunmakers figured it was harder to get a boxlock to jar off than it was for the same thing to happen on a sidelock.

Occasionally, an old English or German boxlock turns up that had intercepting sears. The screws remain in the action, but, most of the time the intercepting sears have been removed, in my experience.

This one had ‘em, at one time. Might still be there. The screws are right behind the detonation, breech balls, here in the states:



https://www.gunsinternational.com/g...damascas-bbls-cased.cfm?gun_id=103390652

Best,
Ted

When shotguns discharge at closing the problem is with poor sear/tumbler fitting, not the lack of an intercepting sear. A properly fitted sear is totally safe without other "devices". No reason for a gun owner to have a box lock, or a sidelock without intercepting sears, that is unsafe. You can have light trigger pulls and have them totally safe at the same time. I've got lots of them.

If you're unsure about the sear/tumbler engagement on a gun, check to ensure it is unloaded then push the safety off and bump the butt on the floor (on a rug to prevent butt damage) to see if it discharges. If you can't make it go off, don't worry about it.

I have a couple of checks on sear engagement and hold.

Make sure it is unloaded, close the action. With the safety on, pull each trigger, fairly hard, and observe/listen. Move the safety off after pulling the triggers with it on, observe/listen. Leave the safety off, and open the gun, observe/listen, and, close the gun, with the safety still off, observe/listen.
Stan, I’ve always done your test with the gun in my hands and using my free open hand to give the gun a tap on the butt, with the safety off. Same thing, only different. Most shotguns have a butt that is concave, and I try to hit the stock dead center, hoping to avoid a broken toe-seen that movie before.

Best,
Ted

Absolutely, Ted. Most of my doubles have recoil pads on the butt. I just don't seem to be able to get past that too-short-LOP thing, and if they aren't long enough I grind a proper period pad for them. That protects the butt against damage of the sort you mention. Then again, I always make certain it's the heel that takes the blow, not the toe.