Trip pin help
Trip pin help
Hello all, first time posting but I've been reading this forum for a year or two now as I've been trying to fix up my grandfather's, this place is very helpful. This week I got my 1926 sterlingworth 16g back from the local gunsmith, for as long as I've been alive the gun has been unusable due to a snapped top lever and I finally found a cheap place to get it fixed. I got the replacement lever from Pumpkin Mountain gunshop, great experience. Anyway, the cheap gunsmith must have lost the spring that makes the top lever stay open so now I need to work the lever to close the gun also. Not a huge deal but I wanted to see if (A) the gun is still safe to use in this manner and (B) if this would be something that a better gunsmith could quickly fix for cheap. Please let me know what you'd suggest! Thank you all.
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FoxintheHenHouse
- Posts: 270
- Joined: Fri May 01, 2015 12:25 pm
Re: Trip pin help
PapaShane,
Yes, it safe to shoot without the spring installed and it something you can install yourself, no need for paying a gunsmith. All you need is a good fitting screwdriver and a spring. I even got a 12 gauge repaired once, with the same problem as you have, by using a spring from a ball point pen. I started long and kept clipping small pieces from the spring until the top lever functioned properly. Also, there is small chance the spring is still inside of your receiver, it just could possibly be bound up inside the hole it's in and not setting in there nice and straight.
FoxintheHenHouse
Yes, it safe to shoot without the spring installed and it something you can install yourself, no need for paying a gunsmith. All you need is a good fitting screwdriver and a spring. I even got a 12 gauge repaired once, with the same problem as you have, by using a spring from a ball point pen. I started long and kept clipping small pieces from the spring until the top lever functioned properly. Also, there is small chance the spring is still inside of your receiver, it just could possibly be bound up inside the hole it's in and not setting in there nice and straight.
FoxintheHenHouse
Re: Trip pin help
Thank you FoxintheHenhouse, that's good to know that it's safe and an easy fix! In my mind it seems like the screw just in front of the trigger guard is the one to remove, and it's main purpose is to contain the spring? If so then I can see how I can easily replace it. Thanks again, this place is a treasure trove of friendly folks and great information!
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Silvers
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Re: Trip pin help
Yes it's the screw ahead of the trigger guard bow (trigger plate screw).
I'm not sure what you meant by having "to work the lever". If your gunsmith was capable enough replace the lever along with swapping out all its connecting parts, I'd be surprised if he left out the trip pin spring. You may have another problem related to fitting one or more of those parts.
Assuming the spring is in fact missing, I suggest getting the proper trip pin spring from Jason at Pumpkin Mountain. The spring fits INSIDE a counterbore in the bottom of the trip pin, and while a ball-point pen spring may work it's far too large to fit into that counterbore and it could "walk around" under the trigger plate screw. Furthermore a ball-point spring isn't as strong and it may not push the trip pin as positively against the locking bolt and you'll chance rounding off the sharp edge of the trip pin and/or the locking bolt = more problems. JMO.
I'm not sure what you meant by having "to work the lever". If your gunsmith was capable enough replace the lever along with swapping out all its connecting parts, I'd be surprised if he left out the trip pin spring. You may have another problem related to fitting one or more of those parts.
Assuming the spring is in fact missing, I suggest getting the proper trip pin spring from Jason at Pumpkin Mountain. The spring fits INSIDE a counterbore in the bottom of the trip pin, and while a ball-point pen spring may work it's far too large to fit into that counterbore and it could "walk around" under the trigger plate screw. Furthermore a ball-point spring isn't as strong and it may not push the trip pin as positively against the locking bolt and you'll chance rounding off the sharp edge of the trip pin and/or the locking bolt = more problems. JMO.
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FoxintheHenHouse
- Posts: 270
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Re: Trip pin help
But, even with a spring from Pumpkin Mountain, you still might have to trim off a piece of the spring to make it work properly and Jason will tell you that in a note with the spring. I have used hardware springs also which are 5/32 x 9/16 size and they work just as well, but have to be trimmed.
I'm not afraid to experiment when it does not affect the safety of the gun. I have bought hardware screws for the a buttplate and simply blued them instead of searching for long periods of time to find them, or pay crazy prices when you do find them.
FoxintheHenHouse
I'm not afraid to experiment when it does not affect the safety of the gun. I have bought hardware screws for the a buttplate and simply blued them instead of searching for long periods of time to find them, or pay crazy prices when you do find them.
FoxintheHenHouse
Re: Trip pin help
Silvers - all I meant was that I need to move the lever to open the gun and then move it again to close the gun since it doesn't stay to the right when the gun is open...I don't need to fiddle with the lever or anything like that. Poor wording on my part. And thank you for the insight about how the spring seats inside the pin, I can see how that can affect stuff. As of right now I'm operating under the assumption that the spring fell out since the lever operated normally before going to the gunsmith. And I'll probably try shooting it as is and then if I decide to make it function properly I'll look for a suitable spring, it's good to know that Pumpkin Mountain has what I need. Also good to know that a cheap and easy fix can be done with a pen spring!