Loose cock?

[Canuck Bob]

I got my Euroarms used 45 Hawken today, pics to follow soon. I checked it over and it seems ok except for one issue. The cock rotates a small amount on the tumbler shaft. I removed the screw and cleaned and oiled the lock and carefully reset the screw. It helped but there is still a little looseness on the square tumbler cock axle connection.

I've been very careful to not over tighten and have done nothing else while I'm soaking the lock, cleanout screw, and nipple in gun oil for a couple of days before attempting disassembly and checking the lock properly. The cock and the square axle connection look normal and are not wallowed out and there is almost no indication the lock has been struck very often. There are no witness rubbing marks either and the cock screw had no marks of any kind.

Is this a common occurrence and not to be overly concerned about? If not acceptable what can be done to tighten it up without buying parts

[Edward]

I think there are shims available to correct that/Ed

[webfoot10]

If you take the hammer off and place it on a flat piece of steel and peen the square
hole with the ball of a ballpeen hammer lightly to upset the square edge a little it
should tighten up the the hammer enough that it will fit tightly on the tumbler shaft.
A light peen on all four sides of the tumbler hole should do it, you will have to tap
the hammer back on the tumbler shaft, It will lock on tight, Install tumbler screw.
This is a common fix for older locks that have been used over the years. Your
lock might have a factory defect. Tighted it and have fun.
webfoot10

[Canuck Bob]

Thanks a lot, Bob

[Ballistics in Scotland]

Peening or centrepunching the inside of the hammer may work, or may loosen in time, since that can tighten only the inner extremity of the hole. Is there much of a space between the hammer and the lockplate? If so you could probably improve matters by filing or oilstoning the square a little longer. Also it might be that the screw isn't drawing the hammer tightly onto the square because the square is too long. Reducing its length at the end with the screw-hole would cure this, although it isn't likely to solver the problem on its own.

The more of less guaranteed solution would be to make a little L-shaped piece of sheet steel, small enough to fit two sides of the hole in the hammer, and silver solder it in place. Then file the hole to size on the other two sides.

Of course it would be better if they made the square and its hole tapered, but some don't.

[Canuck Bob]

I am not skilled enough to attempt soldering the piece. I'll check tolerances and lengths once I get the lock disassembled. Just researching handling the coil mainspring and oil soaking the gun.

[skeettx]

The easy thing to do is to use a coke can and scissors and cut a shim.
Install it and see how tight the hammer becomes on the axle.
You may have to double the "L" shaped shim? or not, or perhaps
Easy and free
Mike

[oldracer]

As long as the cock hits what it is supposed to I would not worry about it. We have some shooters in our monthly matches that are shooting original 1800's and even a 1790 or two and they wobble all over but the flint sparks and they go BANG!

[RU shooter]

The easy thing to do is to use a coke can and scissors and cut a shim.
Install it and see how tight the hammer becomes on the axle.
You may have to double the "L" shaped shim? or not, or perhaps
Easy and free
Mike

Agree with this . If the can material is too thick some feeler gauges of a thinner thickness will do . I had a TC flinter that was the same way and used some .002 strip and fastened to the inside of the square hole with a tiny drop of super glue .

[indian joe]

As long as the cock hits what it is supposed to I would not worry about it. We have some shooters in our monthly matches that are shooting original 1800's and even a 1790 or two and they wobble all over but the flint sparks and they go BANG!

Yep they do to - but every time the hammer strikes the sloppy gets a little worse - fix it is a way better idea.

[FrontierMuzzleloading]

Peen the hammer or add a tiny shim.

[Canuck Bob]

Definitely going to fix the sloppiness. I've got brass shim stock to play with once the lock is disassembled and lightly deburred and polished.

[Col4570]

Using the edge of a razor blade drive it in at one point between the Cock and the Hammer.This acts as a wedge.Incorporate Locktite when doing this.