Damascus Hammer Gun??? Help

hoytcanon

hoytcanon

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Hello CGN Traders,


Know your strengths... damascus hammer guns ain't mine...

A friend called and has a SXS given to him by his father-in-law, it needs a hammer repair (spring or whatnot). I asked him to send pictures for identification, but I have zero idea what this gun is and where best to send it for reasonable repair, preferably in NorOnt. I would like to give him a general value on the gun so that he knows how much NOT to spend on repairing it... although it has sentimental value to him. I already gave him the standard Damascus barrel warnings.

Thanks for any and all assistance.
 
Without knowing exactly what is wrong with the lock, it is hard to suggest how long repairs would take - and how much they would cost.
While it is possible that parts might be found, in all likelihood parts would have to be made or adapted and fitted. Not the end of the world, but if an hourly rate is being paid...
Could you get a close up photo of the inside of the defective lock?
 
Yes, it was likely made by Janssen. When you say the hammer may need a spring, is it because there is no spring pressure when pulling the hammer back? Or is the hammer just not holding when cocked? If so, the sear and tumbler could be worn or a broken sear spring. If basically no resistance at all when pulling the hammer back, it's likely a broken mainspring. None of these are terribly hard fixes when dealing with vintage guns but when paying someone an hourly rate it can quickly come to the value of a low priced gun.
 
I have no idea what the problem is, I have not seen or examined the gun... all I got was the hammer "does not work." Not really trying to diagnose the problem here, more just identifying and valuing the gun... and maybe getting a recommendation for a NorOnt gunsmith.
 
While I am a firm believer in keeping old guns in the field, it is important to know their limitations. From the picture I can only see black powder proofs, and no indication the chamber is anything but 2 1/2 inch. Even if the gun was in perfect condition with pristine mirror bores, that is all the gun was built to use. Considering these hardware-store imports were very low cost guns to start with, and they've seen a lot of hard use, I would not recommend these for anything other than to be enjoyed as a wall-hanger. I also can't see a competent gunsmith passing such a gun for modern use, or even black-powder use.

After a good working life, it is OK to retire!
 
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On the left lock plate there is a single screw head. This is the lock pin and literally all that is needed to remove the locks is to back that screw out. With the locks in hand it will likely be quite obvious what the problem is. The right hand lock seems to be missing a pin and that may just be loose inside.
 
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