Steel Horse Rider
Member
I realize now that I should have taken pictures while I had it apart, but unfortunately I didn't. I have a Podewils-Lindner Austrian breech loading rifle dating from @ 1860. It requires the use of paper cartridges and the thread on that subject the other day got me energized to make a few more cartridges and shoot it again. But,(don't you hate those buts?) when I retrieved the rifle from my gun closet the hammer would not hold safely in the cocked position. (It uses musket caps to ignite the cartridge) Not wanting to cause further troubles for myself but also knowing it would be difficult to find someone knowledgeable in 19th century European locks in Northern Colorado I decided to put my Tool and Die Maker training from the mid 1970's to the test. Upon disassembly I found the sear (that appeared to be its function anyway) was worn to the point that it would not hold against the firing spring pressure. I removed the cam shaped piece and with a little hammer peening and careful filing it worked correctly after my third attempt at the modification. The trigger pull is definitely greater than before but I could not make it release without a trigger pull. I felt pretty good about restoring another piece of history to safe operating condition.