doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Problem putting a LC Smith (remake back together!

I took apart a LC Smith SxS recently because the safety no longer worked. Lots of parts fell out of the gun when I pulled the stock and I think that was the problem. It seems that some of the pins that hold the safety parts in place are held there by the stock but apparently not that well. In any case, the problem I am having putting it back together is with the shaft from the top lever. The v spring that powers the top lever is at the bottom and causes the unsupported end to be way out of alignment with the hole in the trigger plate. I can put the trigger plate on it if the stock isn't there by using it to lever the shaft into position but have no access to it with the stock in place. I could drill and tap a hole in the receiver (that would be hidden by the stock) and use a set screw that could compress the spring and allow the shaft to go to center but it seems like a lot of work. I have also tried putting a steel rod (allen wrench) in the screw hole at the bottom of the shaft and using that for a lever but it requires more force than the allen wrench can stand and it just bends. There must be a way that they did these at the factory. Does anybody know? Thanks for any responses!

If you check over at the lcsmith.org website I believe they have some information with photos describing how to do this. There are several ways to do this. A modified C clamp with a small hole drilled in the stock is a common way (need to see pictures to understand). Hope this helps.

I use the Bill May method except I use a #4 steel shot to hold the spring. I pry the spring with a screwdriver to install the shot, but make sure you don mar the edge of the recess for the trigger plate. I install the shot very close to the end toward the spindle. Any farther back and the spring is compressed too much.

http://www.picturetrail.com/sfx/album/view/15525639

Thanks for the resposnes. I tried to find something on the LC Smith collectors forum but was unable to locate anything, even in the disassembly/assembly thread (or sticky). I think I understand how the c-clamp would be used but will probably use a vise. I'll also look into using the steel shot method. Thanks for the prompt responses!

I insert all screws except the one in the trigger plate and only tighten them a few turns.I use a 12" tapered and hardened rod to get everything re-aligned. I clamp the receiver upside down in my vise using wood blocks for padding.
I apply pressure to the trigger plate with one hand while rocking the top lever towards the hole with the tapered rod. Usually in a few pushes it will snap into place. I them install the screw and finish tightening the other screws.
Jim

I made a tool years ago as I work on quite a few LC Smith Shotguns regularly....

Picture is worth a thousand words.....compress the spring with a screw driver vertically, insert the tool, remove the screw driver....

Requires a small notch in the non structural super thin wood internal divider wall, cut a clean notch with a razor blade or side cutters......after assembling the stock and trigger plate, simply remove the tool.....it holds spring pressure off of the lever shaft during assembly for perfect alignment of the lever shaft while inserting the screw without any side load on the threads........

No slipping marks, rubs, gouges or depressions on the wood or metal from clamps or external tools, no force needed to reduce spring tension during assembly etc....

Hope this helps........

Gazz, the factory workers who put these together used a 3/32" drift or nail punch along with a screw driver that had a "V" shape in the blade. They inserted the drift into the bottom hole next to the trigger guard hole (4-40 hole) and used the notched screw driver to push the drift over until it fell into the counter-bored hole for the top lever shaft to fit.

I tried that once and that was enough for me, one slip and you slide across the receiver and gouge the wood. I use the "C" clamp with a 3/32" x 1 1/4" long drill blank imbedded into the top jaw of the vise. For the stock, drill a 1/8" hole 5/16" up from the bottom of the wood and 5/16" over from the end of the stock.

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The 1/8" hole gets drilled on the right side. Put all the other screws in loosely, and put the left lock in place to put the moveable jaw on. You can see I have a pad on mine.
Some do not like this way of doing it, because they said they split the long narrow wood from the clamp...if you are dumb enough to do it without any support, you deserve to crack it.

Most of this is on the L.C. Smith Site under Disassembly and Assembly

I was "lucky" enough to have a problem with the first LC Smith gun I worked on that required assembling it about 7 thousand times. I always started the top and bottom screws just a little. Turned the gun over (on a padded surface)so the weight of the gun was on the top lever pushing it towards the trigger plate, and then use the biggest allen wrench that will go through the plate and into the top lever. Slide the allen over with your finger until the top lever "snaps" into place, VOILA. I did bend the allen a few times, but if you keep your fingers down close to the receiver it should go. I don't like the notched screwdriver idea as it is just something else sharp to drag across your gun if it slips. Jerry Andrews who has seen the inside of a whole lot of these guns told me that is how he does it.

One of the funniest things I read on the LC Smith board was a post about this job where one gentleman commented that it was "OK to cry a little."

CHAZ

Today I drilled a hole in the stock and tried the push pin method. I set up my arbor press with wood blocks to rest everything on and used a bronze pin to push against the shaft with. The spring is quite easy to compress with the arbor press but unfortunately, the shaft is also forward of the hole once I have lined it up side to side. The lever tool looks interesting and it seems there is a relief in the wood for something, maybe a lever. The V-notch screw driver and hardened pin seems that it has an advantage in being able to push the shaft in the direction(s) required. I'll let you all know what I end up doing and thanks again for all the great ideas.

I use a lever similar to PA24, except much smaller. My lever is made of 1/8" flat steel. I saw and file it until it is in an "L" shape with the long arm about 1" long and the short arm about 3/16" or a little less. Both arms are 1/8" thick. The important thing when making the tool is that the inside corner is square.
I pry the spring over until the short arm of the tool fits between the spring and the frame, with the long arm pointing outward. Put the stock of the gun up to the tool and mark the location and depth of the notch that is required to clear the tool.The notch will be cut in the thinnest portion of the wood under the lock plate. I usually cut it with a cut off disk in a Dremel tool, but other methods will work. The tool is held in place by the spring while the trigger plate is put in position and screws inserted and tightened. I then check the function of the safety before removing the tool, because getting the safety lever in the correct position is my biggest problem when re-assembling. Once everything is in place, push the top lever over to free the tool and remove it. If there is a need to disassemble again, the tool can be easily reinserted by pushing the top lever over and reinserting the tool before continuing dis-assembly.