rebounding hammer modify?

[Bazoo]

I’ve run this course too. One thing that helps is to polish the end of the struts legs. My research shows you can install an earlier fire control group, with modification, if that’s of interest. Some of the struts had two legs on top and only one on bottom. It was changed to two on bottom. The latter offers more trouble from my research. However I can’t really say from experience cause I can’t remember now.

I’ve also removed the safety. It has a ball detention in a blind hole. Best I recall, you put the safety halfway between on and off, and it rides the hump, and you can turn it, then it can be pushed out. I faced the protrusion off the left side, so it couldn’t be bumped on.

I generally don’t consider all the liability risks for day to day life. Guess I’m naive.

[FergusonTO35]

I’ve run this course too. One thing that helps is to polish the end of the struts legs. My research shows you can install an earlier fire control group, with modification, if that’s of interest. Some of the struts had two legs on top and only one on bottom. It was changed to two on bottom. The latter offers more trouble from my research. However I can’t really say from experience cause I can’t remember now.

I’ve also removed the safety. It has a ball detention in a blind hole. Best I recall, you put the safety halfway between on and off, and it rides the hump, and you can turn it, then it can be pushed out. I faced the protrusion off the left side, so it couldn’t be bumped on.

I generally don’t consider all the liability risks for day to day life. Guess I’m naive.

I have better things to do in life than worry about that issue. All my lever actions other than the Henry .22 were purchased used, no telling how many owners they have had. If I did sell a gun that had some questionable mods done I would first reinstall unmodified factory parts. I'm not one of these people who tries to get a 2 ounce trigger pull in a lever action, I just want them to be reliable and get the job done.

[FergusonTO35]

New hammer spring for the 94 showed up and I installed it. Winny must have gotten a clue and realized light strikes were a problem with late model 94's, as the new spring is a good 3/8" longer. Was quite an effort to wrestle it back together with the new spring, hopefully can test drive tomorrow.

[Bazoo]

I remembered another thing that helps, polishing the strut and seat.

[FergusonTO35]

Thanks, will remember that.

[FergusonTO35]

Ok, managed to give the 94 a test drive today. Unfortunately the rounds I had on hand were loaded with Remington primers, which have been giving me fits for years. 16 of 20 rounds fired with nice deep indentations. One required three strikes to dent enough to fire, three would not fire no matter how many times I tried.

I took the dud rounds apart and found that the primers looked like the priming compound was not at all being disturbed by the firing pin impact. I have always had lots of hard primers and duds with Remington small pistol and large rifle, probably 20 times more than other brands. A flintlock in a downpour would probably be a better bet. I loaded up some more rounds with CCI and Federal to try

[swOhioMatt]

OK, I know what a rebounding hammer is. My old Hopkins & Allens all have the feature. But I have a hard time understanding why a recent-mfg Winchester would incorporate the feature. It was a poor idea in 1900, and IMHO and even poorer idea today. What on Earth does it do for the functionality pf the gun?

The EU requires a “proper” safety on their rifles. A half cock hammer acceptable here wasn’t considered equal facility. The cross bolt safety met the EU requirements, but a rebounding hammer is necessary to make it work. This revision allowed the 94 to be sold in Europe.

Edit: the tang safety was finally settled on as the least hated by us yanks.

Matt

[uscra112]

Ah, so once again writers of regulations take control over common sense engineering Oh, well. Never wanted a new Winchester anyway.

(In my career as an engineer I expended more skull sweat complying with regulations than I did getting the design to work in the first place.)

[FergusonTO35]

Tried out the Winchester 94 again today with CCI and Federal primers. All rounds went bang on the first try and seemed to have good indentations. Hopefully she will be a good shooter from now on.

[NEKVT]

I had posted to this thread back in March but had a hand nerve injury at the time that prevented me from working on the rifle for a while. Took it out yesterday and removed the crossbolt and as Larry had described the hammer had been hitting it. There was a bright spot on the edge and a tiny lip of displaced metal could be seen. I filed it down and touched up the bluing and replaced it. When new this rifle came with a hammer extension that screws into the side of the hammer. I had misplaced it so had ordered another and shot with it in place and then noticed the extension was just touching the back edge of the receiver when fired so yesterday filed it a bit for clearance as well. Thought with those two adjustments it would be golden again.

I had previously disassembled the hammer, strut and mainspring and polished everything and had twice removed a bit of the bottom strut fingers so the hammer in the rebound position just clears the crossbolt safety. Tried it today and the first two misfired as did another of the next seven and then I shut it down to save ammo. These had CCI 250 primers. I thought the weight of the hammer spur might increase the hammer momentum a bit but didn't seem to help. Before leaving I tried it without the extension and only 2 of 21 misfired so maybe hammer speed is more important than momentum but still not there. These were a mix of CCI 250 and WinLR primers.

I remember I had filled the original hammer extension cylinder with lead to add weight and think it was firing reliably at that point so might try that again. I have a supply of Federal primers and may try those first but ideally would like the rifle to fire with any brand primer as that is what I would consider reliable. I have researched this FTF extensively and the hammer contacting the crossbolt was the only new possibility I'd come across in a long time. Any other suggestions? These rifles are so frustrating!

[indian joe]

With All Respect to those who done the modifications , I say this "if You or any one who buys such a modified firearm from You has a malfunction that leads to a court room good luck . I wish All Good Luck ....................

So how come Chiappa is selling proper Browning design lever guns NEW ? - no BS safety, no rebounding hammer, just built how it was meant to be - half cock safety notch, flat mainspring............
They pass Aussie import safety regulations (about as ridiculous as the seat polishers can come up with)

[agcannon]

I just converted my 44 mag centennial to half cock this past weekend, and ditched the cross bolt safety. found a complete lower tang on ebay. 75 bucks, but it was worth it to me. I like that gun a whole lot more now.

[doccash]

FWIW, I have numerous Miroku guns in 94s, 86s, and 92s and have Never had a misfire. Dr.C

[NEKVT]

To me a reliable firearm should be able to ignite any brand primer. I have shot all US brands in a slew of rifles since 1975 and don't recall a primer misfire, certainly not multiple of any one brand, until this 94 rebound model which was reliable for several years after being purchased new. Haven't tried a longer spring but even that doesn't appear to make it 100% reliable. May go in a third time and remove a bit more of the lower forks to hopefully get the balance needed to be reliable.

[UnknownUser]

Davidmagnum or Greg S would either of you be able to tell me if while in the “rebounded” position, your 1892 hammer strut only had this much material sticking out from its guide? I’m worried if I do the mod and remove material from the lower leg that the strut will have to come too far forward to interface with the hammer and might come out of its guide and jam up the action. If yours looked like this did you have any problems? Thanks.

[stubshaft]

I took the crossbolt out and threw it away befire I ever shot the rifle. Which, by the way , shoots great!

[uscra112]

Does that thing even have a half-cock notch?

[UnknownUser]

Does that thing even have a half-cock notch?

Not so much a notch as a ledge that the trigger can overcome if the rebound is removed

[FergusonTO35]

That's how my 1985 rebounding hammer 94 is. Also, the grip safety is non-functional from the factory so you can pull the trigger and have the hammer resting very close to the firing pin. Next time I have it apart I may try to add an extra notch on the hammer to catch the sear.

[dangt]

In regard to post #35 above, I also would like an answer to the spring seat (strut support) to the hammer strut fit when the lower leg of the strut is removed. If the spring is long enough, the strut will still contact the hammer with certainty but will the rear of the strut fall out of the seat?

If the spring is too short and the strut falls out of the hammer, a longer spring would be needed, but falling out of the strut support would require a longer strut.