double barrell locks up on firing

buffalobob

J C Higgins mod.101.7 locks up when I shoot it.
Does anyone have any ideas what I need to check out and how I might fix it? I appreciate any help.

buffalobob

JESUS
KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS

MIKE WISKEY

FIRST THING TO CHECK IS THE FIRING PIN RETRACTOR SPRINGS, IF THE FIRED PRIMERS HAVE A LINE SCORED ACROSS THEM FROM CENTER TO BOTTOM THIS IS YOUR PROBLEM.

v35

This is a Stevens 311.
The firing pins are not retracting and are stuck in the primer indentations because one or both the FP retracting springs are bad (best case) or cocking lever or cocking plunger is bent or worn.

buffalobob

Thanks for the reply M W and v35. I just cecked my two fired shells and sure enough the primers have streaks from the center down. Now is it a big deal for me to replace the springs myself or will I have to take it to a gunsmith? I am a tool and die maker and I do pretty good with mechanical things.

Thanks again for the help.

JESUS
KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS

rldowns3

quote:Originally posted by buffalobob
Thanks for the reply M W and v35. I just cecked my two fired shells and sure enough the primers have streaks from the center down. Now is it a big deal for me to replace the springs myself or will I have to take it to a gunsmith? I am a tool and die maker and I do pretty good with mechanical things.

Thanks again for the help.

JESUS
KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS


If you are able to take it apart and put it back togeather, it's just a matter of getting new springs to drop in it. Anybody can take one apart, but not everybody can put it back togeather correctly. [:D]

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richbug

Easy to do, take off the buttplate, held on by 2 phillips head screws. take out the stock bolt, Mine is 1/2" headed machine bolt with a slot for a screw driver. Slide off the buttstock. the firing pins are retained by a slotted head screw take out the screw, tap out the pin from the breech face with a small punch.

most likely the spring has worked its way into the small space between the firing pin and the receiver. if it isn't terrible deformed you may get away with just turning the springs arround. Gunpartscorp.com has the springs for about $2 each.

Worst case scenario will require reaming out firing pin holes that go through the receiver, and making new oversized pins.

.

v35

Before you can assume the FP springs are bad, cock the hammers and without firing, remove the forend and barrels. See if the FPs are protruding or if they can be shaken enough to protrude. If they can be, the springs are bad.
On opening the gun, you should immediately feel resistance of the hammers starting to cock so the FPs can retract out of the primer indentations. When fully open, the shell rims need to be able to clear the action. Adjusting one affects the other.
The way cocking works is the cocking plunger under the barrel pops under the cocking lever in the frame and cams it up as the gun is broken open.
The lever is a right angle bell crank with two wings that extend in front of the hammers. The wings push the hammers back to cock them.
The idea is to get rid of the lost motion between the cocking plunger and hammers but still be able to open the gun enough to load and extract/eject.
To get to the lever and hammers you have to drive the two pins out. One end has a straight knurl so if you dont see it, drive them out the other way. Use undersize dummy pins for assembly.
Grind a V notch in an old flat bladed screwdriver to push against the hammers when you drive in the pins.