doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Broken Spring Lancaster SLE

Hi all,

I was out over the weekend shooting a round of sporting clays when the left barrel made a crunching sound when I pressed the trigger and failed to fire. The right worked and continued to function properly but the left did not cock. I attempted to remove the lock plate but the screws were tight and I did not want to bugger them. I was told at the range that this Lancaster, the "mutton chop", had a spring that often fails, but it may be the hammer spring in the lock.

Who could you all recommend to fix this? And should I attempt to remove the lock if I can get proper tools.

Thanks,
John

You would need good, proper screwdrivers. They aren't cheap. Unless you can replace a broken spring yourself, possibly fabricating the replacement, it probably wouldn't help to remove the lock. Except that you would then know what the problem is!

A bummer, but fixable!

I don't know where you are but I use New England Custom Gun in Claremont, NH for stuff like this.

IMO, (been there) you should do nothing but consult a sxs smith. Charlie @ Hill Rod & Gun is DA MAN in the US high plains.

With all due respect to Charlie, he is a gun retailer, not a gunsmith.

Your mainspring is broken. As you probably know already, the mainspring in the Lancaster Model A is also the cocking limb and the power for the self opening mechanism. It's a very big, strong spring. Pretty rare that they should break, but like anything else...they can do just that.

Give a guy like Dewey Vicknair, Abe Chaber, Kirk Merrington or Stephen Hutton a call. They can make a new one and have the gun shooting for the next hundred or so years.

Call Del.
http://www.dcwhitmangunsmithing.com/

Depending upon your lead time, all of those mentioned should be able to help you.

A few more names:

Dale Tate (California http://www.camhills.com/dale.htm)

Nick Makinson (Ontario w Michigan shipping address http://www.nickmakinson.com/nick_makinson_004.htm)

We can come up w more if you have a preferred locale.

Thanks all for the advice and information. I live in NY, on Long Island, so a smith in the NE or East given the need to ship would be preferred.

Many thanks,
John

Abe Chaber.

I'll again suggest New England Custom Guns in NH (check out their website) - you could even make a nice day trip out of it and drive the gun up yourself and talk with Mark the master smith. They are very close to the Precision Museum in Windsor V T where interchangeable parts for guns were first developed. Lots of early gunsmithing stuff in the museum.

Griffen & Howe in NJ - they also have a gunroom in Greenwich CT where no doubt you could drop the gun - I have never used them for repairs, perhaps others here have.