Need advise on repairing antique gun.

[David Price]

A gentleman brought a very nice antique gun to me for a repair on the lock .  The problem is when the cock is released from the full cock position it does not clear the half cock notch.  There is no fly in it, and there never was,  There is nothing rubbing, and or broken or chipped inside this lock.  I will include some pictures.  Let me know what you think. The gun is in such good condition, I don't really want to do anything more than get the cock to drop all the way.  The owner said it worked perfectly when he got it thirty odd years ago.  This gun is in mint condition.

David Price

[Clark Badgett]

Thats a rather nice earlier M1816 musket. Leave it be.

[Dave B]

The need for a stout pull on the trigger prevents the sear from engauging the half cock. The trouble comes when some one wants to reduce the trigger pull then you have a problem catching the half cock notch. I am in the same camp to Leave it alone. They were never to be used for sniping or have a fine trigger pull. If some one has stoned the full cock notch reducing the trigger pull it may require putting a little draft back into it will increase the trigger pull just enough to prevent engauging the half cock notch.

[smart dog]

Hi David,
Dave B likely nailed the problem.  If you remove the tumbler and measure the distances from the center of the spindle on the bridle side of the tumbler to the lips of the half cock and full cock notches, you probably will find they are equal or the half cock notch is greater.  The photos below show a lock tumbler almost guaranteed to catch at half cock if the trigger pull is too light.





Perhaps it is best just to let the gun be however, some owner may eventually try to shoot it and may damage the halfcock notch or sear in the process.  One solution is opening the bend of the sear spring to create a heavier trigger pull.  The other solution is to stone the lip of the half cock notch down until it is equal or lower than the full cock notch.  That way the sear will pass over it with a lighter trigger pull.  If in the past someone stoned the lip of the full cock notch lower to create a lighter pull, your only option to fix the lock may be to stone the half cock notch.  Of course you could install a fly detent but that would be prety radical.

dave