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Trouble bulding my Hawkins rifle kit

4K views 12 replies 7 participants last post by  'zonie 
#1 ·
I am having some trouble with my hawkins rifle. When I pull the hammer back to full cock, set the back trigger, then gently squeze the front trigger the hammer only falls to half cock and not all the way down. But if I pull really hard on the front trigger, the hammer goes all the way down.

From what I can see it seems as if the part on the trigger that is to hit the sear on the lock is not tall enough or the the sear is not big enough.

I think this cause the part of the trigger that goes up goes higher when I yank on it instead of just squese the trigger.

Any help would be cool....
 
#2 ·
eab said:
I am having some trouble with my hawkins rifle. When I pull the hammer back to full cock, set the back trigger, then gently squeze the front trigger the hammer only falls to half cock and not all the way down. But if I pull really hard on the front trigger, the hammer goes all the way down.

From what I can see it seems as if the part on the trigger that is to hit the sear on the lock is not tall enough or the the sear is not big enough.

I think this cause the part of the trigger that goes up goes higher when I yank on it instead of just squese the trigger.

Any help would be cool....
Had the same problem with my renegade a few weeks back. Check all of the screws that hold lock together. I found after several firings that the little screws that hold the plate on had loosened and caused misalignment of the internal parts. Tightened them all and the problem disappeared. Let me know how you make out.

Renegade
 
#4 ·
I tightend the screws, no luck, its not the wood that is getting in the way, I thought that at first.

I sort of fixed it though. I put a bunch of heat shrink wrap (used for covering up solder joints) on the sear. Now the sear is large enough for the trigger to hit the sear to make the hammer fall.
 
#5 · (Edited by Moderator)
Some locks use a "fly"...a kind of little metal pivoting finger that blocks the 1/2 cock notch as the trigger flies forward....other locks don't.

On the lot of locks that don't use a fly, if you squeeze the trigger slowly and don't let follow though move the sear back enough, the 1/2 cock notch will catch the sear and the hammer doesn't fall, just gets caught at 1/2 cock.

Set triggers just "slap" the sear, and there is little movement of the sear...it "jumps" out of the full cock notch, but isn't held out of the way by continuing finger pressure.

IF something is limiting the sear's rearward movement...the amount it moves AFTER it's disengaged from the full cock notch (what is usually called over travel), then your lock sounds like it's 1/2 cock notch is going to catch. NOT good...beats the devil out of the sear and the 1/2 cock notch.

The bad news is that you'd have to (1) be use to taking apart the whole lock assembly (2) know how much to stone back the catch of the 1/2 cock notch to get it out of the way BUT still work as a 1/2 cock (3) not get fustrated when you'll have dissassemble-stone a little bit--reassemble about a dozen times to get it right.

IF you know how to take apart the lock (and the kits usually come with assembled locks FOR A REASON...really need a spring vice to do it right) could mount the parts on the outside of the lock, then hand move them through their movements and spot the problem.
 
#6 ·
OK the half cock notch is on the sear. to get at the sear I realy dont have to take much of the lock apart. So, should I remove some wood on the stock around the sear to get it to move fully back or shoud I file the half cock notch on the sear?
 
#7 · (Edited)
Ok I just looked at it agian and I was wrong. The half cock notch is NOT on the sear. It is not that hard to dissasmble the lock though. I did once before. Was a dickens to put back together but I managed. So what needs to be done?

If it is any help this is what the Lock sorta looks like
http://www.thehawkenshop.com/images/LARGE/LLKketlanfFLB.jpg

except in precussion.
 
#8 · (Edited by Moderator)
eab said:
Ok I just looked at it agian and I was wrong. The half cock notch is NOT on the sear. It is not that hard to dissasmble the lock though. I did once before. Was a dickens to put back together but I managed. So what needs to be done?

If it is any help this is what the Lock sorta looks like
http://www.thehawkenshop.com/images/LARGE/LLKketlanfFLB.jpg

except in precussion.
The notch is on the part that the hammer fits onto...the sear fits into that notch (and onto the full cock notch). IF you have a safe way of taking the mainspring out, can run teh lock by hand. What you will find is that if you move the sear just enough to release it from full cock AND DON'T MOVE THE SEAR ANY FARTHER, when you rotate the hammer, the sear catches in the 1/2 cock notch.

This linc had a good picute of both notches:

http://people.howstuffworks.com/flintlock2.htm
 
#9 ·
Alrighty got it to work for real now! Took me long enough. Wasn't that hard to take apart the lock thanks to a nice vice on my work bench. Only anoying part is having to put it back together countless times to see if it worked....

Thanks all of you very much!
 
#11 ·
falling to halfcock

pard--
you have either broken or lost the fly in your lock it lets the lock slip over 1/2 cock to continue its travrl

hawk--



eab said:
I am having some trouble with my hawkins rifle. When I pull the hammer back to full cock, set the back trigger, then gently squeze the front trigger the hammer only falls to half cock and not all the way down. But if I pull really hard on the front trigger, the hammer goes all the way down.

From what I can see it seems as if the part on the trigger that is to hit the sear on the lock is not tall enough or the the sear is not big enough.

I think this cause the part of the trigger that goes up goes higher when I yank on it instead of just squese the trigger.

Any help would be cool....
 
#13 ·
I'm betting Hawknest is right.
Any sidelock gun which has Set Triggers needs to have a "fly" in their lock to block off the half cock notch from the sear while the tumbler (the thing with the full cock notch, the half cock notch and the spring pushing against it) is rotating (or if you prefer, while the hammer (cock) is falling).

This fly by the way is why if you are gently lowering the hammer from a full cock position to the half cock position, you MUST ALWAYS go PAST the "half notch" position and then come back UP to it.
There have been cases where a hammer has been gently lowered to "half cock" and the sear just stopped on the fly without entering the notch. Under these conditions, the slightest tap or bump can make the sear release the hammer.
 
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