Siler Sear Bar Issue

[greymount]

I am inletting my lock on a pre-carved Dickert and the sear bar on my large Siler lock is too long.  The bar is bottoming out in the mortise and is not allowing the lock to be fully pushed in.     Do I cut a portion of the sear bar off?  How much should I cut off?  How much of the sear bar is required in the mortice to work effectively.

[Stophel]

Generally just drill the hole deeper to clear the sear. 

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

The sear bar must go only just past the trigger's vertical plane.  Everything else gets the grinder.  Don't remove any more wood from your delicate stock than is required, IMHO.

[David Rase]

Taylor is right on the money.  Grind off any sear bar that extends more then about 1/8" past the contact point of the trigger.
DMR

[coutios]

I agree with Dave and Taylor, Just take a look at the sear. If you can see a mark where the trigger bars are hitting just gring everything past that point (save about a 1/16) off. If you can't see a mark, just put a little inlet black on the top of the Trigger bars so they leave a mark where to grind...

Ian's and Jim's class is at the Cabin this Saturday...Stop By.....

Regards
Dave

[Lucky R A]

    That is what that little wire or slider thingie on your calipers is for.  You do have a set of calipers don't you?   Just measure from the bottom or your lock plate inlet to your trigger bar, add I/8 inch and transfer that measurement to your sear bar on your lock measuring from the inside of your lock plate to the end of the sear bar,  mark that spot and cut off anything left over.  Or the short version Taylor & Dave etc. are right.  Remember most gun parts are rather generic, and are made to fit a wide range of applications.  You have to cut to fit and re-contour for best results.   

[George F.]

    That is what that little wire or slider thingie on your calipers is for.  You do have a set of calipers don't you?   Just measure from the bottom or your lock plate inlet to your trigger bar, add I/8 inch and transfer that measurement to your sear bar on your lock measuring from the inside of your lock plate to the end of the sear bar,  mark that spot and cut off anything left over.  Or the short version Taylor & Dave etc. are right.  Remember most gun parts are rather generic, and are made to fit a wide range of applications.  You have to cut to fit and re-contour for best results.   

Well thanks for the tip with the calipers. I didn't know that, and it didn't occur to me either. My head must be made of lead, or worse!  ...Geo.

[Don Getz]

Personally, I would rather remove wood than steel.   You have to realize that this gentleman is rather new to the building
game.  If you get him into grinding off steel, the next thing that will happen is that the sear bar will be too short, then
what?    I would rather deepen the hole, that extra metal on the sear bar won't hurt a thing............Don

[Vivian Oblivion]

Personally, I would rather remove wood than steel.   You have to realize that this gentleman is rather new to the building
game.  If you get him into grinding off steel, the next thing that will happen is that the sear bar will be too short, then
what?    I would rather deepen the hole, that extra metal on the sear bar won't hurt a thing............Don

With all due respect Mr. Getz, a sear that is ground too short is easily and inexpensively replaced. A 9/32" hole inadvertantly drilled out the off side of the stock right at the edge of the panel OTOH, not so simple (if worst case senario's are being considered).

[rdillon]

I shorten the sear on most of the guns I build.  I don't like to drill my hole too deep either.  Not too hard to do just do as was said above with a pair or calipers or inlet black.

[George F.]

I think both views are well taken considering the experience of the builder. Drilling a hole through the lock panel is not a nice thing to confront a new builder, considering that he will use either a pointed paddle bit (speedbore bit), or a twist bit which can grab and pull it's way completely through the wood. Then again shortening the sear bar to much, which is disheartening, but not much of a catastrophe compared to a hole in the lock panel. Parts are mass produced and can be easily replaced. We all bring years of mistakes that work out fine. That's why it takes me soooo long to finish a gun, figuring out how to fix my mistake the best way.   ...Geo.

[Randy Hedden]

Personally, I would rather remove wood than steel.   You have to realize that this gentleman is rather new to the building
game.  If you get him into grinding off steel, the next thing that will happen is that the sear bar will be too short, then
what?    I would rather deepen the hole, that extra metal on the sear bar won't hurt a thing............Don

Don,

I have to agree with you, I have never cut the end of the sear bar off short.  Making the hole a little deeper is much easier then grinding on the sear.  I seriously doubt the little extra depth of the hole is going to affect the integrity of the stock.

Randy Hedden

[Curt Larsen]

I tend to agree with what George has said.  It is a little bit of both.  I measure the length of the sear bar and try to adjust the depth of the hole accordingly.  It is hard to replace wood if one drills too deep.  Also, I think that the tip of the sear bar is often the sprue location during casting.  Obviously the remaining part of the sprue can be ground off without any problem.  What Taylor has said about the actual length of the bar needed for good leverage with contact with he trigger is right on. 

Curt

[Stophel]

Usually a Siler sear is barely long enough for me as it is (no scrawny barrels for me!).   

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Exactly, Çhris.  They're made that way, I presume, because they have to fit into a variety of situations.  I've never had to lengthen one, though.  Perhaps on a Blunderbuss.

[Don Getz]

Since this guy is new to gun building, this is just one of many things he will encounter in building the gun.    If he can't
deepen that sear bar hole to the proper depth, without going out the far side, he is in for a long session of gun building.
This is just one of many little things that one has to figure out........hmmmm, I wonder if he has one of Dixon's books on
gunbuilding?...........Don

[J.D.]

Personally, I would rather remove wood than steel.   You have to realize that this gentleman is rather new to the building
game.  If you get him into grinding off steel, the next thing that will happen is that the sear bar will be too short, then
what?    I would rather deepen the hole, that extra metal on the sear bar won't hurt a thing............Don

Sear bar too short, off set the trigger to the shooting side. Many originals were built with the single trigger off set, so why not?