Author Topic: My sear is too short  (Read 2763 times)

Offline David R. Pennington

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2929
My sear is too short
« on: August 22, 2013, 04:41:55 AM »
Well I thought I had it right but I guess I miscalculated. Everything set up just right and the lock sparks great but the front trigger won't trip the sear. I smoked the sear and found out the rear bar hits on the very end of the sear but the front bar just misses it. What's the best fix? Weld a little extension on the sear? Any suggestions?
VITA BREVIS- ARS LONGA

Offline bgf

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1403
Re: My sear is too short
« Reply #1 on: August 22, 2013, 05:35:54 AM »
On first reading, I missed that it was missing side to side.  You could probably just solder a small tube (brake line?) over the sear bar to extend it, or draw the sear out a little longer on the anvil if it is plenty thick for that.   

Offline bob in the woods

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4555
Re: My sear is too short
« Reply #2 on: August 22, 2013, 05:47:18 AM »
I had the same problem with a Chambers late Ketland lock that I used on a fowling gun.  Drawing out the sear bar is not a big deal . Either way, draw it out, or add to it per the last post, it's an easy fix.

Offline Long Ears

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 722
Re: My sear is too short
« Reply #3 on: August 22, 2013, 06:00:22 AM »
Careful with the heat on the sear. It is tempered. Bob

Offline kutter

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 715
Re: My sear is too short
« Reply #4 on: August 22, 2013, 07:13:46 AM »
I've silver soldered (hard solder) extensions to sear arms that are too short on alot of guns,,mostly SxS shotguns and they've worked out just fine.
Use a simple lap joint to give it a bit of extra strength. Hold the nose of the sear right in the vise jaw to act as a heat sink. Set everything else up with flux, part wired or clamped and ready to go.
Quick heat w/a torch (I use acetylene) and a touch of the silver solder wire to the joint and it's done.

Let it cool, file it to shape and length.

Welding is easier if you have the equiptment to put a little bit on the end of the arm w/o burning through it.
I just find silver soldering easier for such things.

Slipping a piece of close fitting but small dia tubeing over the arm is decent fix too and can be soft soldered instead. Make sure there is enough room below the level of the original arm for the trigger to still function with the new extension in place as it'll sit lower (and higher) when in place.

Several different ways to do it.

On the long tanged sears of most SxS (cartridge) shotguns, many are mangled with plier marks and simply bent inwards to catch the trigger blade. Hardly workmanlike and on a sidelock, you usually don't have a sear w/a tang that long anyway.

Offline JDK

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 692
Re: My sear is too short
« Reply #5 on: August 22, 2013, 01:50:53 PM »
If you have the room, cut another trigger plate and offset your trigger hole closer to the lock side.  You will have better pull closer to the pivot then you would extending the arm.  Enjoy, J.D.
J.D. Kerstetter