replacing external hammers

B

brybenn

CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Rating - 100%
53   0   0
Location
southern ontario
I have a 1892 hammer gun that age has negatively caressed. The left cracked and has been welded. I'm told it's of cast iron. Upon shooting a round of skeet the right side hammer has birthed a crack which leads me to lack faith in the aged metal. This leads me to seek new hammers.
Is there a place to obtain a new set of hammers? Are external hammers interchangeable?

Secondly what kind of hassel am I looking at if I try to open this old Charles Daly side lock?
 
Hammers are not interchangeable.
You could try w ww.dixiegun.com. They offers pairs of hammers. They would have to be installed and adjusted as necessary. The square holes would need to be cut. Your hammers will not be cast; probably forged. Should be repairable by welding.
"Open"? Do you mean disassemble? Screws might be frozen. Usually old guns can be disassembled without doing any harm, if things are approached thoughtfully and carefully, using screwdrivers that fit.
Was your Charles Daly made in Prussia/Germany? If so, it will be a quality gun.
 
Yes it is Prussian. It sports Linder proof marks. I had a gunsmith remove and reinstall the hammer for me as I didn't know what was involved or the proper way to do it.
It hadn't been fired for about 60 years until I received it. I've shot a round and half of skeet thru it
The guy that welded it told me it was cast iron and a real pain to weld. Myself I'm no metal expert. However I'm worried the hammers will continue to crack
 
brybenn said:
The guy that welded it told me it was cast iron and a real pain to weld. Myself I'm no metal expert. However I'm worried the hammers will continue to crack
Click to expand...

As Tiriaq said, the hammers are not cast iron but they do have inclusions that make them difficult to weld. I had a hammer welded by a friend who was a very skilled welder and I gather it took him quite a while because of inclusions bubbling up in the welded area. I am tempted to suggest silver soldering (high temperature type 45% silver, 55% copper) if it is a crack that is opening up. The advantage is that it does not melt any metal away.

cheers mooncoon
 
I thought about silver soldering. Wasn't sure if it would be strong enough. For now it is a hairline crack that goes about 3/4 the way around the rabbit ear. I'm scared that any shot may crack it thru and send the tip flying
Guess sights and barrels are silver soldered. Would I just build a bead over the crack and follow it around the hammer?
 
Should be possible for fluxed silver braze to flow into the crack. Might be an idea to soak the hammer in something to eliminate any oil first.
Did your gunsmith show you how to disassemble the lock?
 
He showed me the screw to take out first. I've never opened a side lock before. I have a general knowledge of their internal workings but I'm much more familiar with box locks
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom