hammer will throw when you push on it, I'm thinkin this isn't right?

[Jim Curlee]

I bought a flinter, my first shooter, or so I thought.
If I bring the hammer back to half cock, and push on it, it will not fire.
If I bring the hammer to full cock, and push on it, it will fire.
It has double set triggers, and the front trigger is set pretty light, could this be the culprit?
Seem's a touch unsafe to me, am I worrying about nothing, or is my lock messed up?
What can I do to fix the problem?
I was told that it's an L&R lock. I can find no marking's on the lock.
Thanks
Jim

[smylee grouch]

Does this happen when the lock is in the gun,out of the gun or both?

[Eric Kettenburg]

You are correct, it's not right.  You have a dangerous problem and it could be due to a whole host of issues:  worn sear or tumbler, mortise interference, trigger interference etc.  A problem like this which is very much a safety issue not only to yourself but to others really needs to be addressed asap by a competent gunsmith.

[Standing Bear]

You don’t say and your name thing in the corner doesn’t tell us where you are at least in general. I’m near Austin TX and if you are not too far away I’ll look at it for you. If you post something like “Central Kentucky” someone may volunteer.

The 4 L&R locks I have in service work well and the makers provides good support. If either the sear or the sear notch on the tumbler is broken you could see this. If either of these a new part is in order.  No big deal and just a few $.

Also if the sear bar is being pressed on by the trigger leaver it could cause your situation.  If this the case it may be a very easy adjustment or it ma be a little involved.

Remove the lock and the trigger away and take a couple of pics of both.  If you have trouble as I do posting pics, send me a PM and we’ll share email addresses.
TC

[Jim Curlee]

Decided to take the lock apart myself, 17 degree's with a 20 mph wind kept me inside today.
It appears to me that the end of the sear bar where it contacts the notch's in the tumbler, is worn pretty badly. This will not allow the sear to seat fully into the notch.
Since there's a capital D on the inside of the lock plate, I contacted RE Davis for lock replacement parts.
I was thinkin about just sharpening up the end of the sear myself.
Should the sear be hardened?
How about the tumbler?
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks again
Jim
 

[smylee grouch]

I would send the lock back to Davis, they are good to work with and will get the right parts in the right places.

[OldMtnMan]

Does it have an adjustment screw to set the set trigger? I'm not sure i've never owned an L&R.

[Scota4570]

"I was thinkin about just sharpening up the end of the sear myself."

That is probably part of the reason it failed.  You do not want a knife edge.  You want a flat surface that engages a mating  surface on the tumbler.  With a knife edge, the pressure on the sear is too much for the metal to withstand and it breaks or wear out quickly.

I see a lot of locks with the knife edge, brand new locks.  I think it is very poor practice. 

Should the sear be hardened?
Yes,  But not to hard or too soft.  IT is important to draw it to the correct temperature.  In use to soft and it bends, too hard it crumbles. 

Just dressing the sear will move the full and half cock positions of the cock foreword.  That may or may not matter.  You will need to harden and temper it properly too.

Unless you really know your stuff, I would suggest you send it back to the maker and have him fix it.  This is a safety issue. 

[bob in the woods]

I need to comment on the reference to having work done by "competent gunsmiths "     I had a fellow call me for help after dealing with  " the best known gunsmith in the ******** area ...been in the business for 45 years "     I'm sure he has, but he sure doesn't know squat about historical flintlock firearms.  His only reference was coil spring powered foreign made "reproductions"  Avoid these guys like the plague or you risk having ruinous work performed on your gun

 

[Sharpsman]

Send it in to L&R for a rework! Those boys will treat you right and while you're at it......check to see if the current 'throw' is positioning your flint over the center of the pan and fairly close to it. If not....the L&R men can fix it where it does!

They won't break your wallet!

[smylee grouch]

If there is a large D on the inside of the lock plate, I think it's a Davis lock but what ever make it is I would send it back to the maker.

[Pukka Bundook]

Re "Gunsmiths" as Bob in -the -woods says, they are not all adept with old style locks and such.
This brings me to a second point;
If the lock is not too expensive, then this is  a Great time to figure it out and fix it for yourself!
Locks aren't a black art, and we shouldn't be afraid of working on them. If we make a part and it doesn't work right, scrap it and make another.
We don't learn anything by sending things back to the maker, but we Can learn an awful lot by making/altering/adjusting and fine-tuning parts ourselves.
Thankfully, I never had the money to get things fixed by 'proper' gunsmiths, so had to figure it out and make the bits myself.  We can lean a lot if we do it this way.

Just a thought.
R