Rebounding Hammer Replacement
dfletcher
Member Posts: 8,178 ✭✭✭
I recently bought a Rossi Overland 12 gauge with external hammers. They are the rebounding type. Although rebounding the gun retains its half cock notch. Quality wasn't exactly "Job One" on this particular gun, so I disassembled and cleaned, smoothed out the various rough spots. Still, the left hammer sits farther back at rest and hits with far less power than the right hammer. The "rebound" feature is more prominent and slows down hammer drop at that switch over point.
In cleaning I learned just enough to screw things up if I went from polishing to removing the rebound feature.
Am I correct that removing the bottom of the hammer strut protrusion (looks like a "U" laid horizontally) where it meets the base of the hammer (locking nut) will eliminate the rebound feature?
On the Numrich schematic it's #50 & #56.
Has anyone done this on their Overland - or is there a standard procedure that removing that lower leg eliminates the rebound feature>
I have a Marlin 39 and Henry single shot rifle that appear to use the same style mainspring rod & feature to accomplish rebounding. Appears to me that removing that lower leg eliminates the rebound.
Parts are very hard to find for this gun, I definitely don't want to screw this up.
Comments
I do not have any experience with this particular gun, but I think that before you permanently alter the hammer strut, it might be worth trying the right hand strut on the left hand side hammer.
IF that solves the problem, then it will show that the left hand strut might be too long, or that it's seat is located further forward than the right hand side. Then it might be worth moving the strut's radius back a little further to reduce the bind. Maybe some very judicial use of a sanding drum with a dremel tool.
Removing the dogleg totally is permanent alteration and I'm not sure I would try it without a replacement part on hand.
Difficult to describe, but the bottom leg of the strut hooks forward and it's that dogleg, interacting with the nut retaining the hammer. I used a hand file and a bit of the dreaded Dremel to reduce the dogleg. That allowed the hammer to move forward just enough. Now is even and slaps the firing pin just as well as the right hammer.
I'm going to sit back a bit, eyeball things before doing anything else. But, am certain eliminating that bottom dogleg removes the rebound.
As much griping as I read about rebounding hammers i'm surprised there's really not much about how to eliminate.