Hawken lock problem

[rogerpjr]

I think I'm having an issue with the lock on the TOW Bridger Hawken I'm finishing up for my daughter. The lock is one of Ron Longs original Hawken locks that Davis now makes. The front edge of the hammer hits the back of the snail part of the tang when it is fired. It hits hard enough that the tang will actually move forward about 1/16"when the barrel is out of the stock. I relieved the back of the snail a good bit but that didn't help. I'm hoping that the hammer hitting the nipple and the barrel being held by the keys will solve this but I can't put the barrel in right now to see if this will stop the movement as it is about ready to start the process of turning the brown into black.

Is this normal for the hammer to hit the back of the snail like this and would it hurt the looks too much if I were to relieve the front of the hammer?

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

I'm confused.  Please post a picture ... that'll clear it up for me, at least.

[Don Stith]

I assume you set it up such that the nose of the hammer hits the nipple. That will stop the forward progress of the hammer.  I guess ideally the hammer hits the nipple just a fraction before the tumbler stops on the bridle. Probably not many built that closely.

[Bob Roller]

I assume you set it up such that the nose of the hammer hits the nipple. That will stop the forward progress of the hammer.  I guess ideally the hammer hits the nipple just a fraction before the tumbler stops on the bridle. Probably not many built that closely.

Maybe a short coned nipple or a hammer cup bored too deep.
Pictures are a big plus if possible.

Bob Roller

[rogerpjr]

I guess I should have waited until the barrel was done and in place as I pretty much answered my question. When the hammer comes down on the nipple it stops the forward edge about 3/32" short of hitting the snail. Sure does have a powerful mainspring though but I'm not going to mess with it though. Just have to make the ramrod and cone the muzzle and she'll be finally done. Once I figure out how to post pictures I'll put some up, Overall it came out pretty good.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Here's a picture of the Hawken I'm working on presently.  It has the same lock you're using.  I bored out the hammer cup, broader and deeper, and also cut out the nipple seat in the snail so everything came together well.  I have a feeling that your issue is not with the hammer, but with the extra metal in the breech along the forward and left side of the nipple seat.  On the breech that I am using, before I did the work on it, it would have been difficult to use a nipple wrench because of the interference.