doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com A Not-Osborne - Mystery Solved: it's an F.T. Baker

Yup.

Best,
Ted

It ate the bait again!



Good troll...but not very bright. Really predictable though.

...and it's "ophthalmologist," not "Ophthalmologist." Caps not needed.

Interceptors seem to be there to me. The gun looks to be nicely finished inside.

What is the best way to tell? I've put the gun back together, but can take it down again easily.


Testing Intercepting Sears

Testing the intercepting sears (also known as safety sears or interceptors) on an English boxlock shotgun—typically found on higher-grade models—ensures that the hammers are caught if they jar off the primary sear due to a drop or shock.

⚠️ Safety Warning - Ensure the shotgun is completely unloaded. Perform all tests with snap caps to prevent damage to the firing pins and mechanism.

How to Test Intercepting Sears

The goal is to determine if the interceptor catches the hammer when the main trigger mechanism is bypassed.
1. Verify Presence: Check if your boxlock has an extra pin/screw located just behind the action fences (the vertical wall of the action), in addition to the standard pins for the triggers/sears.
2. Cock the Gun: Close the gun with snap caps inside to cock the action.
3. Engage Safety: Put the top safety on "Safe".
4. Test One (Jarring Test): With the safety OFF, hold the gun securely. Use a rubber mallet (or the heel of your hand) to strike the buttstock firmly, simulating a drop, or tap the sides of the action.

• Result: The hammers should stay cocked. If they drop, the interceptors are not working, or the main sear is worn.

5. Test Two (The "Slip" Test):

• Cock the gun and take the safety off.
• Pull the trigger slightly to release the main sear, but immediately release the trigger before the hammer strikes the snap cap.
• If the interceptor is functioning, it should catch the hammer, preventing the firing pin from hitting the snap cap.

6. Final Check (Safety Mechanism): With the gun cocked, put the safety on. Pull the trigger. The trigger should be locked, and the gun should not fire.

What to Look For

• Failed Test: If the gun clicks (fires) during the jarring test or when you slip the trigger, the intercepting sears are either worn, dirty, or missing.
• "Soft" Action: If the gun has a very light trigger pull (under 4 lbs), it is more likely to fail this test.
• Dirt/Rust: Old oil can gum up the small springs controlling the interceptors, making them sluggish or non-functional.

If the interceptors fail these tests, the gun should be taken to a qualified gunsmith to have the sear angles re-cut or the springs replaced.

Poor Terminally Triggered TransGomer Geoff.

As I said two days ago when you felt the need to calculate Ed's dollar rounding error down to a fraction of a percent, you are an internet anal nitpicker. You also used a current pound to dollar conversion Mr. Perfect, instead of one from the correct time period 12 years ago, you dimwit. All done in a hypocritical effort to join in a deceptive pile-on of Ed, a guy who never wronged you or insulted you . You are everything you claim to abhor on this forum.

Let's make that Anal nitpicker... with a capital A.

Take the gun apart like in your photos on page four. Trigger plate removed and the locks cocked. Hold the breech face against a block of wood and trip the sears only, without moving the interceptors. If the interceptors are working properly there should be no marks on the block of wood from the firing pins.

Both intercepting sears are present. It’s very obvious.

So I don't do something stupid that causes a problem, how do I trip the the sears?



Can you share why you think this so I can learn about it?

This made me laugh.

If you don't know something this basic, you really shouldn't be poking around inside of a gun. Seriously.

You trip the sears with the gun cocked, by applying upwards force on the sear tails to disengage the sear tip from the tumbler notch. If you also disengage the interceptors, the hammers will fall all the way (normally) and the firing pins will leave a mark on the wood block. If interceptors are present and working, they will engage and prevent the hammers from falling all the way, and firing pins will not make an indentation on a wood block or primers.

They provide a somewhat similar function to the fly and half-cock notch in better quality flintlock and percussion locks. They are an adjunct to the safety in a shotgun, to prevent some accidental discharges.

Since you have previously said I have no knowledge to offer here, I'll let you figure out why they are often removed, or not even present in cheaper guns.

With certain things like firearms and high voltage electricity, if you don't know what you're doing, you really shouldn't do anything. This is how dogs and hunting partners end up getting shot.

I would hold the action vertically, tang up, and use my thumb or a dowel to push just the sear. That's if you feel that you need to test them. The gun seems to be in fine condition. I would probably just trust them to work.