BHP Locks Up After One Round....Wont Fire

[bigmike45]

Well guys,

I have been working in guns for over 20 years and consider myself a good gun mechanic/smith. I have built a 1911 from bare parts and modified several revolvers. Today I ran into a problem that I can't seem to get a handle on. I recently bought a 77' model BHP, that shot fine, but I wanted to make some changes to fit my liking. I purchased several parts from Cylinder & Slide, a company I have bought parts from many times before. The replacement parts included a Drop In Trigger Pull Set, Wide Trigger and a set of nice wood grips. I installed the parts and on my first outing ran into something that really baffles me. The first shot goes off fine and the gun cycles perfectly, but I cannot pull the trigger and make the gun go off a second shot. If I gently pull the slide to the rear about 1/8" and release it, then pull the trigger, the gun goes off again, but also again locks up, a simple rear nudge releases whatever is causing the problem. I tore the gun apart double checking everything and it is all correctly installed. I did find one thing, the spring under the sear lever is not there. Whe pressing the lever there is no resistance and the lever will stay down on the side pushed. Everywhere I have read, the BHP was designed to operate without that spring. If that is the case, what could be causing it to do this. I dimensionally checked the replacement parts and they match the originals. Any help would be appreciated.

bigmike

 

[Jim K]

If the slide is drilled for the sear lever spring, the first thing to do is to install one. The older guns didn't have it, but the newer ones have a slightly different lever that is intended to work with a spring, and its absence will cause exactly the condtion reported. If that doesn't help, then I would look at the trigger lever engagement.

Jim

 

[BBBBill]

...If that doesn't help, then I would look at the trigger lever engagement.

What Jim said r.e the late guns with the sear lever spring, then check the trigger lever to see if it snaps back vigorously when you push it forward with the trigger forward and finger off. Look at the fit of the tip of the trigger lever to the nose of the sear lever. Sometimes when you replace one or both of those parts or even if you just replace the sear and/or hammer, the relationship will change and the trigger lever can't properly reset under the end of the sear lever. Sometimes just a bump as you are doing will let it shift into place. Look for burrs, proud metal, or wrong angle on the end of the sear lever. Dress the sear lever slot in the slide. Dress the sides of the sear lever.

 

[bigmike45]

Thank You All,

Your input was very valuable, but the problem ended up being the end of the new trigger's body. I finally used the trigger pivot pin and mounted both on it, side by side, to visually check for any differences. The new trigger's body was approximately 3/32" longer on the back end where the Mag Safety would mount. I took it to my bench grinder and ground it to the same length as the original trigger and chamfered all corners. I re-installed the trigger and shot 50rounds without any hangups.

bigmike