What the heck

[SDSmlf]

the holes in the drum face are for a three pin spanner. i doubt they go into the fire channel.

Would then expect to find a forth hole in the shadows.

 

[deerstalkert]

Would then expect to find a forth hole in the shadows.

sometimes there are 4. i have 2, 3 and 4 pin spanners.

 

[kyron4]

Unscrew it and see what's going on out of sight.

This.
Lets see some pictures.

 

[SDSmlf]

sometimes there are 4. i have 2, 3 and 4 pin spanners.

Just expecting 4 holes based on the spacing of the 3 we can see in the photograph. It could also be someone with a drill that likes plenty of decorative holes having a go at things.

 

[waksupi]

Oh my.

 

[Notchy Bob]

got a dumb question. would it be safer to shoot first time with sand bags on it and a string on the trigger. im just asking. not trying to be smart butt. da g that scares me lol

We’re getting into safety issues here, boys. Time to get serious.

If this is a used rifle, now in your possession, the first thing you do is to make sure it is unloaded. Put a dowel down the barrel and mark it at the muzzle, then pull it out and lay it by the barrel, with your mark even with the muzzle. If the rod appears not to have gone all the way to the bottom of your bore, something is in there, and getting it out is your first priority. Don’t try to shoot it out. Some idiot may have loaded it with smokeless powder. If you think it’s loaded, check back with us for help, or take it to a gunsmith.

Once that’s out of the way, field strip it. You’ll need some good screwdrivers and a nipple wrench. Remove the ramrod. Half-cock the hammer. Turn the rifle lock side down and take the lock bolt(s) almost all of the way out and push the head(s) with your thumbs to push the lock out of its mortise, then take the bolts the rest of the way out. Inspect and clean the lock the best you can.

it looks to me like your trigger guard is pinned in place, which surprises me, and will complicate removal. If it is pinned, you may not want to remove it. Try to inspect that trigger assembly the best you can through the sear arm hole in the lock mortise, and looking up through the trigger guard. Is it just a simple trigger, or does it have springs and adjustment screws?

Remove the barrel. You might have a hooked breech, which makes barrel removal easy, but we don’t know that. Start by removing the tang screw, then push out the barrel pins or wedges. If it has wedges, it’s obvious which way to push. Pins usually go in from the lock side, out from the side plate side. Use a properly sized pin punch and make sure it doesn’t slip. Pins don’t need to come all the way out… Just far enough to free the barrel. Lift the barrel from the stock. Remove the nipple and cleanout screw from the drum.

Assuming the barrel is not loaded, clean it thoroughly, inside and out, and inspect the bore.

When You’ve gotten that far, check back in and let us know what you’ve found. More pictures would help.

Good luck!

Notchy Bob

 

[cebusey]

I've heard of venting percussion rifles by boring a small hole, either in the side of the drum, facing away from the shooter (gas is ejected forward and slightly up), or through the middle of the cleanout screw, so gas is ejected out to the side, as on a flintlock. I think this would reduce compressed air while loading, but it seems you would lose some energy in shooting.

I've never seen a drum done like that. I think the first thing to do is to get a properly sized gunsmith screwdriver and remove the cleanout screw, just to see what you find. It might very well be a spacer for a too-long screw, as @TechMoron suggested. If that's the case, fit a shorter screw and get rid of that weird spacer. At any rate, you'll have a better idea of what's going on. Maybe also straighten a Gem clip and probe those little holes to see how deep they go.

As for the trigger, I enjoyed some of the comments above, especially the "double-tap" remark, but honestly I've never seen anything like it. Is it just a perforated trigger, or part of an assembly with adjustments? Some sort of "tactical joke?"

I don't know what to make of it. I'd have that rifle on my workbench taking it apart at the first opportunity, just to find out what's up with that drum and trigger. I would not remove the drum from the barrel, though. That looks like a CVA or Traditions rifle, and they had a unique breeching system. It looks like a traditional breech setup, but it isn't. The drum and breechplug need to stay in the barrel. No problem with removing the cleanout screw, though.

Looks like the front lock bolt is missing, too. It may not be absolutely necessary for holding the lock, but it does support the ramrod retention spring in CVA rifles. you can probably get a replacement bolt and spring from Deer Creek.

Please let us know what you find.

Notchy Bob

I have a target rifle made by Judge Resley and it has a very small hole drilled in the muzzle facing side of the snail. It appears to aid in quick or positive ignition as it eliminates any back pressure allowing better flow for the cap flame. Rifle had been bubba'd and the patent breach was full of unfired powder and the vent was soo blocked I only discovered it when removing the unburned crud- also the idiot had replaced a cleanout screw with an allen set screw that was so long it blocked most of the snail internally. Correcting these issues made ignition faultless though I do suspect the set screw was the main culprit.

 

[sussexmuzllodr]

Could be a impromptu salt and pepper shaker for your venison steaks?

 

[Rawhide67]

Trigger looks like it's from a modern pistol, like the latest Ruger lcp or something similar. I would have the whole gun looked at before shooting it.

 

[Mike in FL]

Holes in the trigger is a custom touch on 1911 pistols. The entire rig is just someone's notion of making it unique. If it is a good shooter, I'd do whatever to make it look right.

 

[Nwtradegunner]

What is going on with the drum on this rifle? Looks kinda like a plumbing fixture. Are the three holes vent holes? I hope not. Never seen one like this before.

View attachment 288354

 

[Nwtradegunner]

If it’s CVA; be careful with replacement of the drum. When they manufactured the rifle; their drum screwed right into the barrel and breechplug. Then a long drill was inserted into the barrel and drilled out a hole for ignition to travel from the nipple through the drum and into the bore. There was no wrench faces on the original drum and the drum could be removed with a pipe wrench; but that would wreck the drum. If a new drum was put in; there’s a possibility of a cavity between the drum and the bore!

 

[Billy Boy]

What is going on with the drum on this rifle? Looks kinda like a plumbing fixture. Are the three holes vent holes? I hope not. Never seen one like this before.

View attachment 288354

What state are you in? You could have exceeded your allowable carbon footprint…

 

[Johnny Tremain]

the holes in the drum face are for a three pin spanner. i doubt they go into the fire channel.

I had not thought of that, cool. Makes more sense than what I thought of.

A primitive air vent, like Mike's hot shot nipples that sent the air pressure out the vent holes for better ignition.

 

[Nobody85]

1980s Juker pistols and rifles are known to blow the drum out of the barrel with pressure. I had a Juker Kentucky pistol that blew out it’s drum 30 years ago. Someone might have re-tapped it and replaced the drum with something that was laying around that would fit the bill… Look at the barrel. If it’s a Juker, or it’s made in Spain; there’s a good chance that’s what that is.

 

[mjthornhill]

i blew up the picture until i could tell that the drum is one piece. still think the holes were for tightening it with a spanner.
interesting piece regardless.
wonder about missing front lock bolt.
should you take that lock off show the inside if you can. it looks exactly like my cva mountain rifle lock, but the insides will tell.
ps that drum reminds me of a co2 bottle for a pellet gun. who knows?

Never say “ blew up”.

 

[sturmkatze]

Just take it to a black powder gunsmith. Take free internet advice for what you paid for it.

 

[oldschoolhunter55]

We’re getting into safety issues here, boys. Time to get serious.

If this is a used rifle, now in your possession, the first thing you do is to make sure it is unloaded. Put a dowel down the barrel and mark it at the muzzle, then pull it out and lay it by the barrel, with your mark even with the muzzle. If the rod appears not to have gone all the way to the bottom of your bore, something is in there, and getting it out is your first priority. Don’t try to shoot it out. Some idiot may have loaded it with smokeless powder. If you think it’s loaded, check back with us for help, or take it to a gunsmith.

Once that’s out of the way, field strip it. You’ll need some good screwdrivers and a nipple wrench. Remove the ramrod. Half-cock the hammer. Turn the rifle lock side down and take the lock bolt(s) almost all of the way out and push the head(s) with your thumbs to push the lock out of its mortise, then take the bolts the rest of the way out. Inspect and clean the lock the best you can.

it looks to me like your trigger guard is pinned in place, which surprises me, and will complicate removal. If it is pinned, you may not want to remove it. Try to inspect that trigger assembly the best you can through the sear arm hole in the lock mortise, and looking up through the trigger guard. Is it just a simple trigger, or does it have springs and adjustment screws?

Remove the barrel. You might have a hooked breech, which makes barrel removal easy, but we don’t know that. Start by removing the tang screw, then push out the barrel pins or wedges. If it has wedges, it’s obvious which way to push. Pins usually go in from the lock side, out from the side plate side. Use a properly sized pin punch and make sure it doesn’t slip. Pins don’t need to come all the way out… Just far enough to free the barrel. Lift the barrel from the stock. Remove the nipple and cleanout screw from the drum.

Assuming the barrel is not loaded, clean it thoroughly, inside and out, and inspect the bore.

When You’ve gotten that far, check back in and let us know what you’ve found. More pictures would help.

Good luck!

Notchy Bob

its so nice to come here and get good solid advice from these guys.thank u sir

 

[buckleymarka56]

I have a CVA , Kentucky long rifle, from the 70s.
I want to remove the breech plug and scrub the surface rust off.
I know I'll have to remove the drum, and nipple.
Any tricks to get it off.
Thanks in advance
Mark

 

[deerstalkert]

Never say “ blew up”.

reminds me of a stewardess one time when our plane started descending and i woke my wife saying, "we are going down now".