doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Boxlock Saint-Etienne gun - really tight top lever

A few years ago I bought a war-trophy Saint-Etienne SxS 12 gauge as an extra gun for guests. It was probably made in late 1920's, has "Wonder" on the top lever, probably a gun made by Ravat, a Saint Etienne company which marketed "Wonder" bicycles at the time using the same font. It definitely has the V-C inverted top lever screw "Helice-style" top lever. It was discussed on this line:
https://www.doublegunshop.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=481696

I rarely use the gun. It's choked very tight .026, .026. However, because of the shortage of 2 1/2" shells, I've recently been shooting the gun using 2 3/4 inch ammo because It's built like a tank. My problem is even after extensively deep cleaning the gun, and putting a couple of hundred rounds through it, it is so difficult to break that I sometimes have to use a table to assist. The top lever is so tight a gorilla might have a problem with it. Looking at the thinning bluing on the left barrel where you have to grip it to break it, it's pretty obvious that the original owner had the same problem.

I'm not a gunsmith but what might I do to loosen things up?

Is it just as hard to open with the chambers empty as it is with them loaded? Fired vs unfired?

How about closing on empty chambers vs loaded?

Pretty much same-o same-o loaded, unloaded, empty chambers, full chambers. I may try to take a video of me wrestling with that top lever trying to break the gun.

I don't know then. I had problems with a gun that was very hard to load and unload but easy without shells. The chamber was super tight and the sizer on my reloader was not getting the job done.

Perhaps your extractors are dragging badly?

Gene,

Is it still as tight to open with the forend removed?

When it is dismantled is the top lever still very stiff to move?

The top lever on my Cashmore hammer gun broke and I had to fit a replacement spring. Not being a gunsmith, I got the spring a little too tight so that gun is a little difficult to open because the lever has to be pushed a little harder than normal, but once that is done the gun opens easily. This does not sound like your problem which appears to be resistance to pivoting on the hinge pin or the extractors are not moving freely.

Taking the forend off - (dismantling the gun) - it is still very stiff - Barrels rotate with difficulty; top lever still very tight and difficult even with barrels off. There looks to be two problems: A very strong top lever spring and possibly it is binding at the hinge pin.

I haven't been down to Roanoke area for awhile. Maybe I'll drive my new 2 dr. Jeep Willys down there and pay Gunter Pfommer a visit.

If you can take the stock off and devise a suitable spring clamp for the top lever spring take the spring off and see if the top lever then moves the bolt freely. If it does you need a lighter spring. If not something is binding - look for wear marks.

The barrel rotation problem sounds like someone may have over tightened it. Again look for wear marks at points of contact.

Take the extractors out and see if they run freely?

Thanks. . .I'll see what I can do. I'm not adverse to digging into a 1967 Triumph motorcycle engine; I can disassemble it from memory. Haven't tried much with a shotgun. But, a boxlock can't be rocket science.

Gene,

I suggest you first go to YouTube and search for the Midway video where Jack Rowe tells you how to dismantle a Boxlock shotgun.

Even if it doesn’t tell you anything you didn’t already know it is lovely listening to a real old Birmingham gunsmith.