doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Schematic or photographs of Tobin guns??

Yesterday I picked up a Woodstock Tobin, 12 gauge, serial # 18988.
According toHunter'sbook this is the fourteenth gun that was assembled by GB Crandall, from the parts that he had purchased from Frank Major Tobin. The gun needs some work, which I started today. The safety is not operating. It's been a few years since I've had a Tobin gun apart but I seem to recall that the flat spring under the upper tang should have a rectangular slot in its front end which engages the top of the safety toggle and links it to the safety button. Is my memory correct or am I having another senior citizen's moment? It looks to me as if someone made up a replacement safety spring but neglected the rectangular slot. A photo or a schematic would sure help!!

Ron,

Check US or Canadian patent offices. Many patent drawings and texts have been scanned and are online. Check Google. They have a patent search. I have found patent drawings to be helpful with my recent Levefer exploration.

Phil

I doubt Clarance M. Wollam's Patent No. 498,043 is going to help as it shows different bolting and doesn't show the safety at all. About the only thing I can think of that might help would be the parts list and cut-away drawing in the Tobin catalogue repro from Cornell Publications.

Ron,
If nobody else get a pic for you, I will try to take one of my Tobins apart tomorrow and photograph it for you.
Ross

Ron,
That which you have described is exactly correct. The lever has a knife edge on the end to allow installation. Some Tobins have a rod which provides automatic safety engagement at opening, some don't.
Low pressure loads only, eh? A goodly number of Tobins are off face from eating modern high pressure ammunition. The lump doesn't wear, usually, instead, the action bar bends. Lot of material hogged out from under those lockplates in the creation of a Tobin. I use my restocked 16 to great effect with Eley VIP loads.
Best,
Ted

Thank you all for the responses. This is what makes this the best site around for double gun lovers. As I said in my original post, there is a long flat spring there but no slot cut in the end of it where it should engage the toggle. A photo would help immensely but I can probably muddle my way to a working solution without, if necessary. With a lot of care and a small grinding wheel in my Dremel tool, I should be able to cut the required hole.

Suggest you contact:
Museum Restoration Services
P.O. Box 2140
Picton
Ontario KOK 2T0

VOL.14 No; 1, of the The "Canadian Journal of Arms Collecting,"
contains a reprint ot the Tobin catalogue circa 1911. This catalogue shows the action of the gun and a complete pictorial
index of the components of the gun. Vol.34 No.3 also contains info on Tobin including copies of the patent drawings.
Museum restoration services has some back numbers of their publication available. Mr James Gooding is the person to contact.

Many thanks Roy. I'll contact them tommorrow. Too bad woodcock season isn't open. I shoot them south of Cherry Valley. Could kill many birds with one stone, so to speak!