Traditions Percussion Lock has hair trigger issues

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golden sky

40 Cal
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anyone out there have issues with the sear engagement after fully assembled? My lock is reliable only before i assemble the complete rifle, once its all put together i can only engage half cock, and full cock seems to go off on its own sometimes..

any ideas or tips?
 
anyone out there have issues with the sear engagement after fully assembled? My lock is reliable only before i assemble the complete rifle, once its all put together i can only engage half cock, and full cock seems to go off on its own sometimes..

any ideas or tips?
Is this a single or double set trigger? Without more info and/or photographs it is hard to tell, but a first guess would be that your trigger is in contact with the lock’s sear arm before the lock is at half cock. Take the trigger out of the gun, then see if the lock goes into full cock. If it does, try shimming the trigger. If that works, you could make the shim permanent, or take some metal off the top of the trigger. Just a guess based on limited information you provided.
 
single set trigger.
ah yes, good idea on removing the trigger, I will try this next, maybe try removing the trigger slack spring too. maybe its too close to the searpin
 
single set trigger.
ah yes, good idea on removing the trigger, I will try this next, maybe try removing the trigger slack spring too. maybe its too close to the searpin
I wouldn't mess with the trigger mechanism until other things have been checked out. Sometimes just a cardboard shim to decrease the depth of the trigger inlet will do the job. Also check carefully that the sear arm and all of the lock's moving parts are not contacting wood. I have found that most of the time such problems are a result of faulty inletting. Fortunately, it's the easiest thing to fix.
 
the entire lock and sear works flawlessly until fully assemble. I think you on the right track with the trigger assembly needing to be shimmed. i'll keep y'all posted
 
Don’t forget to check that the lock sear arm is not contacting the stock as @flntlokr suggested. If the bottom of the sear arm is against the stock it could be ‘preloading’ force against it, just as a trigger inlet too deep could. You can check by putting something on the sear bar that will easily transfer to the stock wood, like Prussian Blue, inletting black or even lipstick, that will show where contact is being made.
 
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Sounds to me like your sear bar is contacting the stock somewhere, which is causing it to trip the lock. Put some inletting black, lipstick, or candle soot, whatever you have, and coat the sear bar. Then install into the lock mortise and work the cock as if you are trying to cock the lock. Then remove the lock and examine the area where the sear bar goes. There's a better than average chance you will see marks on the wood in that area. If so, chisel or Dremel out the sear bar opening where the marks show,, and I bet your problem goes away.
 
Hmm, seems I should've read the posts ahead of mine. They say much the same thing I did.
 
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Ok i loosened up the barrel to trigger screw so the trigger assembly was loose as a goose... I got a solid half, and full cock with No accidental firing, that was it guys, Thanks for the help, no i have to figure out how to shim it off the stock a bit
 
Like I mentioned above, some cardboard, or perhaps stiff leather, gasket material. Whatever, the choice is yours. You could even build the seat up with epoxy bedding compound. Nobody will see it but you, next time you pull it apart. I fixed one once a while ago by fitting and glueing in narrow strips of matching wood, then re-inletting to the right depth. When it was done it was invisible (But who's going to look?)
 
great ideas, I will start with shimming to see how much material needs to be added, then maybe 60 minitue epoxy mixed with wood shavings..
 
Ok i loosened up the barrel to trigger screw so the trigger assembly was loose as a goose... I got a solid half, and full cock with No accidental firing, that was it guys, Thanks for the help, no i have to figure out how to shim it off the stock a bit
A piece of popsicle stick or similar works great. Usually fills the slot, and once you figure out the thickness (number of pieces and/or thinned down) pieces you can glue them in place. If you don’t glue them in place, they can fall out when you or someone else disassembles the gun, and exactly where they go is forgotten. I have seen loose shims forgotten about more than once.
 
Popsicle sticks work great for filling the routed out ramrod hole(usually 3/8") in some pre-inlet stocks. They are just about a press fit. A little wood glue and that's it.
 
, then maybe 60 minitue epoxy mixed with wood shavings..
That's what I've done with several. It's easy to see the "cavity/inlet" for the trigger mechanism, where as the inlet for the trigger plate is a separate shelf.
Once you have found the proper needed "shim thickness" for the trigger plate,, and it's usually only needed in front where the tang bolt tightens in against the trigger plate,,
,, then whittle a piece of wood to form/fit the deep inlet and use epoxy or accraglass to bed the plate shelf.
When set, knock the whittled "damn" out of the inlet and you'll have a permanent fix.

It's that easy,, but folks still get stuck needing popsicle sticks or washers,, and ya gotta "whittle" on the popsicle stick to get it in there anyways,,
 
anyone out there have issues with the sear engagement after fully assembled? My lock is reliable only before i assemble the complete rifle, once its all put together i can only engage half cock, and full cock seems to go off on its own sometimes..

any ideas or tips?
How does the lock work when it's out of the gun?
 

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