lock help please

[sghart3578]

Hello friends,

In a previous thread you guys helped me identify a new to me rifle. It is a 36 cal percussion and the consensus is that is was a Richland Arms rifle. Or at least it started life as a Richland Arms gun.

The rifle is very accurate but there is a problem. About half the time the cap doesn't ignite. It feels like the mainspring is too weak.

Where can I get a new one or one that will work?

I eventually want to convert this rifle to a flintlock. Are there replacement loacks out there?

I have cruised Track of the Wolf, etc. but I am not sure which one to get.

Thanks in advance for your time.

248915
248916
248917

[LAGS]

Have you checked to see if the hammer is hitting Square onto your nipple.
And have you tried replacing the Nipple.
Sometimes the top of the nipple gets pounded over and mushroomed and caused misfires

[Buzzard II]

L&R Lock Co. Sumter, S.C.. and Charlie Hahn, gunsmith on N-SSA.org site. Good luck
Bob

[waksupi]

Leave the mainspring alone.


That is usually caused by poor cap fit on the nipple. If they don't slip on fairly easy, and you can't feel them bottom out, you need to adjust things. Easiest is to chuck the nipple in a drill, and use sand paper to reduce diameter until it fits properly.

When it takes more than one hammer fall, it means the cap is being driven down until it can finally make contact with the anvil of the nipple to be ignited.

[indian joe]

Leave the mainspring alone.


That is usually caused by poor cap fit on the nipple. If they don't slip on fairly easy, and you can't feel them bottom out, you need to adjust things. Easiest is to chuck the nipple in a drill, and use sand paper to reduce diameter until it fits properly.

When it takes more than one hammer fall, it means the cap is being driven down until it can finally make contact with the anvil of the nipple to be ignited.


What he sez here !

if thats not the trouble - check out the pictures in the sticky at start of this thread
you dont have a cva lock but it lookes mighty like one and they are prone to bending the end of the sear downwards (sear snags in the half cock notch sometimes) - but its more than likely the nipple to cap fit as waksupi says - always check the simple stuff first!!

[bedbugbilly]

Richland Arms was in business in Blissfield, MI many years ago - long since gone. Their assets were sold off - I remember going to Eastern Michigan University in the 1980's when their Industrial Arts program was selling off surplus to put bids in on some of the equipment that they had obtained from
Richland Arms a number of years previously.

Several things to check - most have been mentioned already. However, what condition is the cup of your hammer in? Dose it show hammering distortion from not hitting the nipple square?

My thoughts would be that it's not the strength of your mainspring. It doesn't take a whole lot of wham to set a percussion cap off if it fits a nipple properly that is in good shape. Another thing to check is to see if the hammer cup bottoms out squarely and fully with he top of the nipple. Put a thin layer of "white out" on the surface of the hammer cup, a piece of carbon paper on top of your nipple and lower the hammer down by hand and let it drop a short distance - that will tell you a lot - not unlike a dentist fitting a new crown and checking for high spots.

Nipples don't last forever. Yea . . . they are much ore expensive now then they were in the 60s when they cost about 35 cents - but a new nipple can work wonders. If you determine that the hammer may "just be hitting" the nipple - check with Track fo the Wolf or others and see if they have a nipple that will fit it with a cone that is just a tad longer.

Richland guns were good shooters and worked fine but they weren't all "top fo the line" - and I mean no insult by saying that.
They were a "production" gun not unlike CVA, etc. If you are considering switching the lock out - either keeping it percussion or flint - then consider going with a higher quality lock like a L & R. I'[m sure that you could find something that would work - but it will require fitting it to the rifle. I'm not sure if T
of W still puts out a printed catalog, but if they do, they used to show the parts "actual size" - this was a big help as I could easily make a photostat of the illustration, cut it out and double check to see if it would work with a rifle I was putting a new lock on or for a custom build I was doing.

Good luck and enjoy!

[KCSO]

The lock is a cheap Maslin style and IIRR a Russ Hamm will fit, I may still have one in the drawer somewhere.

[sghart3578]

Thank you everyone for your help and suggestions.

I will try a new nipple. I am waiting to hear back from L&R via email.

I know this is not a top of line rifle but I have a soft spot for the "underdogs" like Hi-Points, etc.

This rifle will shoot into 1" at 25 yards and hit clay pigeons easily at 40 yards. For what I want it works.

A lock that fires every time would be even better.

Thanks again!

[jimb16]

If you can find them, try the next size larger caps. I've had to do the with a couple of guns.

[bob208]

yes nipple too large. also check if the top of the nipple is flattened out from dry firing. I have seen many hipples ruined that way ad the hammer face also beat up.

[Eddie2002]

Check the hammer where it hits the nipple, I've had spent caps jam in the hammer and cushion the blow causing a misfire.

[Boogieman]

Try an Uncle Mikes hotshot nipple,

[indian joe]

The lock is a cheap Maslin style and IIRR a Russ Hamm will fit, I may still have one in the drawer somewhere.

yep! same as the small CVA lock --L & R make (or used to) a drop in replacement - percussion and flintlock

[AntiqueSledMan]

Hello sghart3578,

Any luck? First I'd check that the Hammer is square to the Nipple, Second check that the Hammer Face is Smooth, if all is okay you can get a new Mainspring from Deer Creek Products, but don't attempt to change without a Spring Vise. http://www.deercreekproducts.net/store/p878/CVA_Mainspring_-_P209.html

Hope this helps, AntiqueSledMan.

[LAGS]

If you feel that the Mainspring is still weak and you have misfires after changing the nipple.
You can always ReTemper the existing Mainspring.
There are several videos on the net that show how to do this.
I have done it before on springs that I could not find a replacement because the gun was so old or not a common

[sghart3578]

Hello guys and thank you,

All great suggestions for sure! I have tried a new nipple and it improved the condition slightly.

I am in contact with the nice folks at L&R. They want me to send them a trace outline of my lock so that they can be sure that they have one that fits. If I go that route I may just go with a flintlock.

Steve in N CA