hammer removal

[horseman]

  I am trying to remove the hammer from an M/G flint lock.  I know enough not to pry on it, but what can I do to get it out and off the plate?  Thank you for your help.  Bud.

[Daryl]

Use a proper sized drift in the screw hole, just clearing the threads - holding the lock in your palm, tap on the drift and it will drive the tumbler off the cock. That is the way I do it - after breaking one with the pry method that had worked before on cheap production locks with coil springs and loose hammers.

[Lucky R A]

    An even better way is to make a square punch that is just a bit smaller than the square in the hammer.  You then support the lock plate on each side of the tumbler on the inside and drive the tumbler shaft down through the lock plate and thus off the hammer.  This is what Jim Chambers recommends.  On a really tight hammer to tumbler fit the drift in the screw hole can break off the tumbler shaft.

[Bill of the 45th]

You also need to remove the main spring, any bridle, and at least the sear spring, so you can pull the sear out of the way..  A piece of 1/4" key stock about 3 or 4 inches long, make a good drift.

Bill

[horseman]

 Gentlemen, I thank you for your help.  The lock has everything off but the hammer.  I don't have a drift or brass.  However, I'm head up the road for HomeDepot and will look for something there.  Again, thank you all.  Bud.

[P.W.Berkuta]

I second this way to remove the hammer - I did break the tumbler shaft using a punch inside the tumbler hole.

    An even better way is to make a square punch that is just a bit smaller than the square in the hammer.  You then support the lock plate on each side of the tumbler on the inside and drive the tumbler shaft down through the lock plate and thus off the hammer.  This is what Jim Chambers recommends.  On a really tight hammer to tumbler fit the drift in the screw hole can break off the tumbler shaft.