doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com striker springs for scott sidelock

I purchased a WC Scott "lever lock grip" sidelock. It doesn't have the 'sloping locks' but does have damascus barrels. After bringing it home I noticed that the firing pins don't always retract. I removed the strikers (screw behind the breach balls)and there weren't any springs in either side!

I assume they were removed in the past and never replaced. Anyone have a good suggestion for striker springs? thanks in advance.

What makes you so sure it ever had any ?

Good question. I am not sure, but on a hammerless sidelock doesn't there have to be a mechanical means to retract the firing pins so they don't hang on on fired shells when opening?

I'm not going to take my Scott sidelock apart to see...the firing pins just float on alot of guns.
The bottom of the extractors are usually notched to move the firing pins when you close the action...None of my hammer guns have firing pin springs.

On hammerguns I use ball point pen springs cut into thirds. Work great.

You will first have to make certain there is space for a spring. If the gun was made without them the pin is likely bottoming on it's shoulder & if you add a spring in there it will not fire then. What sort of protrusion are you geting now without them. Is there a second shoulder that will allow a spring to be fitted, some just don't have provisions for one. Mike's source is a good one as long as is space to fit it.

Assuming that the gun was designed for firing pin springs, and that they are now missing, I would suggest that you order one of the Wolff small coil spring assortment packs from Brownell's. You don;t need them often but when you do, they are sure handy to have at hand. Very reasonably priced and can be clipped to desired length as needed.

Biro springs always works for me.

A friend told me how, when he worked there, another of Purdey's gun makers found a particular brand of cheap biro with springs of the perfect strength and width. they bought as many as they could get and used them for years.

BTW- it is true that many guns never had them - the indent on the bottom of the extractors acts on an angle and pushes the strikers back into their holes when the gun is opened.

LOL, my secret's out...although now blessed by you all from the UK. I think it is important to take a look at how the gun is performing before "adding" springs.