New Englander question

[jlangenh]

I recently bought a TC new englander 12 ga. and I am wanting to know if fouling gets behind the lock plate. The design is little different than my renegade. Do I need to remove the lock and clean the inside after every shooting session? I would appreciate any advice from new englander owners.

 

[curator]

The lock on my New Englander fits nice and snug into the stock and around the bolster. I rarely remove it for cleaning but when I do, ther eis never any sign of powder getting into the lock mortice. Yours should be the same.

 

[shootemup]

You shouldn't have to remove the lock every single time, but it's good to do it occasionally.

I've never had a problem with fouling behind the lockplate on mine.

:hatsoff:
Spot

 

[paulvallandigham]

I remove the lock plate as part of my ordinary cleaning protocol, because parts back there will need to be re-oiled, if not cleaned of soot, and residue, that has its ways of getting into the tiniest of cracks. It takes no time at all to scrub it with an old toothbrush, with soap and water, then rinse it under the faucet. I blow the water out of the nooks and crannies, and then set it aside to dry while I clean the rest of the gun. That includes scrubbing the barrel around the nipple or Th on a flintlock, with that same toothbrush, with soap and water. I also remove the nipple Every time, and give it both a soaking and and a scrubbing with that brush, to get the residue off my nipples. Then the nipple is dried, as is the barrel. The Flash channel is cleaned from the hole for the nipple. All this is done to the barrel after I clean the barrel with soap and water.

I dry and oil the nipple, and the threads in the bolster where it is screwed. I oil and check all the screws in the lock to see that they are snug, and then put the lock back in the stock. I check the gun's action for function, and then oil the outside of the lockplate, barrel, and other steel metal parts before storing the gun. This becomes habit. The last time I did this, It took all of 5 minutes to do these things. It takes longer to put my gun away, fill my powder horn with powder, and put more caps in my capper, than it does to clean my gun.

 

[DARMO]

The problem lock on a New Englander is a pain to remove you need to take the tang ount to remove the lock. On mine I was thinking of cutting off the peace on the tang that prevents the lock from comming out.So I domt have to remove the tang every time I want to take the lock out

 

[jlangenh]

That is exactly the reason I wanted to know about the fouling on the inside of the lock. On other TC models it's no big deal to remove the lock, just remove the lock screw. The tang on a new englander has a notch that goes over the lock plate. I don't want to remove the tang every time I clean the gun.

 

[Skychief]

joel, my New Englander has no signs of ANYTHING getting under its lock plate. You will enjoy that 12 gauge. Have fun!

 

[dbutch]

Joel..remove the lock to clean..mine goes under hot running water and dawn soap-scrubbed with a toothbrush..takes 5 minutes ..why take a chance and pit up a good lock!..dry... oil..done

 

[CoyoteJoe]

The problem lock on a New Englander is a pain to remove you need to take the tang ount to remove the lock. On mine I was thinking of cutting off the peace on the tang that prevents the lock from comming out.So I domt have to remove the tang every time I want to take the lock out

I did exactly that with mine since I like to clean the insides, not every time but often.

 

[paulvallandigham]

Tang screws are often wood screws. The secret to NOT damaging the wood every time you put the screws back into the stock, is to first start the screw into the tang hole and stock below with just your finger tips turning the screw. With this light touch, you will feel when the screw begins to return to the existing threads in the wood.

That way, you won't cross thread the wood in the stock, and weaken the wood.

Next, Please put witness marks on the screw and tang so you know EXACTLY where that screw should be when its snugged down. Leave the Gorilla out of your workroom. You can destroy wood by over tightening wood screws. DON'T DO IT!

If you follow that advice, and put some soap(wax will do as well) on the threads of the screw before putting it back into the stock, the wood screws will hold for many years without damaging the wood of the stock. ( The soap or wax helps to seal the wood at the threads, so that bacteria, and evaporating moisture from the wood cells does not weaken the wood over time. This is the same reason we spend so much effort finishing the outside of stocks with a good oil wood finish, followed by putting wax on the stock.) :hmm: :hatsoff: