New rifle, first session at range

[David R. Pennington]

Finally finished this rifle, new old stock .45 x 48" Boyd Henry barrel. First 3 shots cut same hole at 25 yards. Worked on load combos and windage on sights. Moving out to 50 yards and filing front sight to bring group up into bull. Everything going great then a bad flyer high right? Next shot won't fire. Broken mainspring! Back to the shop. I will have to make a new one.

[Houdini]

Serious bummer.

[Standing Bear]

Awww shucks. What lock is it?

[Daryl]

Finally finished this rifle, new old stock .45 x 48" Boyd Henry barrel. First 3 shots cut same hole at 25 yards. Worked on load combos and windage on sights. Moving out to 50 yards and filing front sight to bring group up into bull. Everything going great then a bad flyer high right? Next shot won't fire. Broken mainspring! Back to the shop. I will have to make a new one.

However, broken spring aside, good start.

[David R. Pennington]

Awww shucks. What lock is it?

It is a mongrel I made up out of spare parts. I found the plate, frizzen and cock in some old parts I bought and was style I wanted so I decided to see if I could make most of the internals. I made a tumbler, fly, stirrup/link, screws and bridle and found (in same box of parts) a suitable mainspring. It doesn't match up to any in TOW catalogue. Comes close to late english style but pin is in wrong place. I have some stock so I will make another and maybe a spare while I am at it.

[Standing Bear]

Man U r talented. Making springs
Is voodoo to me. Good luck.

[hanshi]

Man U r talented. Making springs
Is voodoo to me. Good luck.

That's the way I see it, too!

[Daryl]

No Voodoo - springs are easy for me - Taylor makes great springs.

[little joe]

I hate making them too but I have made 4-5 and all worked good One is 35  yrs old and still doing well.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Springs are actually not that difficult to make - if you know what they are supposed to look like first!  the cutting, filing, polishing, hardening and tempering are all just steps in the process, and once you have a success, you'll gain the confidence to try more.

Here's a funny one...myt friend Don bought a rifle via this site, and when it arrived, the lock had a very spongy mainspring, so he took the lock out of the rifle, and found that the mainspring had been broken, and welded back together in two places.  So I made a new one for this Robbins lock, and it is back in business.


how upload image

[David R. Pennington]

I would hate to see the inlet job needed for those gobbed up welds! I have made a few springs with success, and had a few fails. Always learning.

[Bob Roller]

I would hate to see the inlet job needed for those gobbed up welds! I have made a few springs with success, and had a few fails. Always learning.

I have made at least two springs,one for me and another for a friend.

Bob Roller

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Mr. Roller:  if you see any similarity between the spring in the picture I posted, and the spring you made for your friend (me), that similarity is not accidental.  And it was made from the steel you provided me.

[Bob Roller]

Taylor,
That spring looks good to me.I made one for a Robbins lock some time ago.
I usually do not do repairs on locks made by other makers but I knew Harold
Robbins and he worked in a wheel chair. It's hard enough to do this work when
we are ambulatory.

Bob Roller

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Wow!

[n stephenson]

Taylor, Beautiful spring !! nicer than the original. A friend of mine that passed away a few years ago taught me how to make springs as well as gas welding , two of the best things I ever undertook to learn . Neither are very difficult , they just take attention , to get right . Nate

[David R. Pennington]

I learned to gas weld in high school metals shop. Welded up a biplane fuselage out of chrome molybdenum tubing. All the welds were tested and I had to cut two out and re do them.