Two Quarters Trick?

[Witty1]

I have a few Foxes and never had this type of problem. I bought a 12 ga off the bargain rack but that's another story in itself. I'm a sucker for a good deal, and suffer from A.H. Fox addiction. Quick inspection it seemed like a well used Fox and I couldn't pass it up. I took it to Sporting Clays and pulled the right trigger with a strong click and no bang. The left works fine making the bang sound and smoking the Clay Bird I pointed at.

I talked to a Gun Smith I know and he told me bring the Fox by and bring 2 quarters. Which seems strange but he knows more than me.

So here is the trick;
We cocked the gun, closed it, and disassembled it. Then pointing the receiver and butt stock straight up into the sky we balanced the quarters where the shells would normally sit. I pulled the right trigger and the quarter didn't more. When I pulled the left trigger the quarter hit the ceiling.

The gun smith told me you have a broken firing pin. I have never seem this on a Fox, does this happen often? Also what is the best way to fix this? I suggested buying a new or used hammer and the Smith said no. Is there a preferred way of fixing this?

Best Regards,

[Stan Hillis]

Sounds like he is one-quarter right to me................ sorry, couldn't help that. Can't imagine why he would say not to replace a broken hammer/striker. You could probably get one from Pumpkin Mtn. Gunshop for $25. Lots of his original Fox parts are $25. Buttplate-$25, sear-$25, ejector-$25.

SRH

[CableguyJJS3]

That's a test I perform on any double before purchase. However I use pennies, and I was told to look for 10-15' of height off the pin strike. Just how I was taught, most people look at you a little funny, especially in a crowded arena like a gun show, but knowledge is power as they say. And try not to lose the penny

As for the fix, yes call Pumpkin Mountain and get a new hammer/firing pin. Not hard at all to install, fitting it correctly can be a little fiddly and time consuming, but nothing a set of files and stones and some attention to detail can't overcome. But that would be the first Fox I ever saw with a broken firing pin. I did however recently fix a 20ga Fox with a worn out firing pin...that was also a new one out on me. Good luck though.

[Witty1]

Hey Cableguy it was at a crowded gun show and the quarter came down a few tables away. Despite what the Media tells everyone about gun owners the crowd was more than happy to help find my quarter and return it, good honest people. Thanks for the advise I'll add the trick to my inspection process.

When we took the Fox apart it was only the firing pin broken or somehow worn off. So technically the Hammer was fine just the pin was gone. As we know on a Fox it's all one piece. The old gun smith told me he has repaired Fox pins before but fairly rare. He grinds the head of the hammer flat, drills a hole and puts in a new pin. He did say fitting a new hammer assembly can be tricky if you can find one. I will probably go ahead and buy a new one as back up anyway.

Best Regards,

[Twice Barrel]

I will probably go ahead and buy a new one as back up anyway.

Best Regards,

Don't waste your money. If the repair is done correctly you will lose track of the spare before you will ever need it and if you can find it you will have a 50/50 chance it will be the wrong one anyway.

[CableguyJJS3]

All jokes aside, call Jason and just order a new one, it's really not that difficult. That 20 I just did took me all of 20 minutes with a set of Harbor Freight needle files, and the hardest part was drilling out the axle pin hole to clean out the burrs so the pin would go through. But up to you, I know I'd feel better with a fresh hammer installed as opposed to a drilled and welded repair. Just my opinion though. Good luck I'm sure you will get it sorted out

[fox shooter]

Easy fix , call Jason, most likely he has NOS. I've bought parts from him and he's very helpful. knock your retaining pin through just far enough to allow the broken hammer free. Don't forget to remove the screw from the retaining pin. I use a screw driver to compress the stirrup spring when putting the hammer back in. Once the hammer's in place, line it up with a punch and tap the retaining pin back through it. You may have to file the new one a bit, match it to the old one and compare.
Chris..........AZ