Plains Pistol trouble...

[TennesseeJed]

The lock holds at full cock but wont engage at half cock, any idea what the cause might be.

 

[Don]

Only way to tell is to take the lock off and look at while you operate the hammer. Could be a bur that only needs a little filing or it could need the tumbler replaced, can't say for sure.These are simple mechanisms and not too hard to figure out.

Good Luck

Don

 

[mazo kid]

Could be something as simple as the fly sticking or the sear binding on wood. Just take the lock off and have a look.

 

[rafterob]

Look closely at the nose of the sear to see if it is broken off. recently had a similar problem and upon investigation found that to be the problem. It was almost imperceptible because it had broken straight off. This changed the angle and it would not seat in the full cock position.

 

[TennesseeJed]

It's not the lock, it worked fine when I took it out.

 

[bioprof]

Jed,

Sometimes tightening the tang bolt or overtightening the lock bolts will cause lock problems. You don't need to cinch them down very tight. Also, be sure to leave the screw that holds the sear loose. If it is tight, it can cause the sear to bind. The lock mortis will keep it from backing out.

 

[TennesseeJed]

After taking the gun apart, it looks like the problem is with the trigger spring.

 

[Billnpatti]

I agree with bioprof, over tightening the lock bolts can often cause all sorts of problems with the operation of your lock. Just snug the bolts, you do not need to tighten them as if you were working on an automobile engine. If they start backing out as you use the gun, you can wrap a tiny bit of teflon tape around the threads. This will keep them from backiing out. If the problem is not solved by not over-tightening, take a look at the mechanism inside your lock for broken or damaged parts such as the tumbler notches or the trigger sear. Sometimes, the lock mortise is not cut deepely enough and may need a little more wood taken away. You can see if this is the case by putting a little bit of lipstick on the high points of the lock around the tumbler. Put the lock back in the stock and properly tighten the lock bolts. Remove the lock and look for any lipstick inside the mortise. if you see any, carefully remmove a small amount of the lipstick covered wood and repeat until there is no lipstick inside the mortice. Go slowly and do not remove more wood than is just enough to keep the lock from bottoming out against the inside of the mortise.