CVA shotgun trigger question

[Matt B]

I was changing the locks on this shotgun today. The left side wasn't striking hard enough to fire the cap, it would with two attepts. Anyhow, when I put the new locks on the left side would not engage with trigger pull. Lock is cleaned and not gummed up. The trigger assembly seems to have a lot of slack in it. But I also wonder about adjusting the sear spring? Thoughts?

Can you get a replacement trigger assembly, anyone know?

FYI, I put the previous locks back on and the rear trigger fired the left hammer. I haven't shot this gun in three years due to obtaining my fathers navy arms shotgun.  I would just like to get this one working for my wife to shot.

Thanks all!!

[greyhunter]

Any chance the new lock is pinching wood on it's moving parts? Put some light grease on the lock and then tighten screws. Remove lock and look for grease on wood marking. Lock moving parts shouldn't touch wood!

[Stormrider51]

What Greyhunter said.  If there's no wood getting in the way, will the left lock go to full cock?  If not something, probably the trigger, is holding it out of engagement.  It only takes a trigger tail (the part inside that presses upward on the sear) a few thousandths too tall to do it.  If it goes to full cock and won't release then the trigger tail may be too short.  Your options then are to add metal to the trigger tail via an acetylene welding rig and file it down to fit or use that same welding rig to heat the sear lever (the part that sticks out like an L from the sear) and bend it down slightly.  In either case you should disassemble the lock so you are heating only the one part you want to alter.  If this sounds intimidating or you don't own an acetylene rig then go to a gunsmith who understands sidelocks.  I say that because the majority of "gunsmiths" out there today are lost when it comes to anything more complicated than replacing drop-in parts.

Good Luck!
Storm

[Matt B]

It does go to full cock, funny thing is. It's a CVA lock like the one on it. Oh well will try your suggestions. Thanks guys!

BTW I'm thinking I will need to add to the trigger part. Wasn't sure if I could do that......

[Captchee]

i would say that its probably an issue with the hight of the trigger bar on the left lock .
 the trigger bar on the  back trigger on SXS doesnt move as much as you think it does . so you will probably have to build up the trigger bar as storm rider stated , or get a new blank set of triggers and  tune them for your locks .
ToW sells  SXS trigger sets . but frankly building the bars up , isnt that hard .

 the other thing you might look at is the sear  on your old lock . compair it to the sear on your new lock . make sure they are the same and set to the same location  at the full cock .
 next make sure that when you place the lock into the mortice , that the trigger is all the way forwards .  sometimes if the triger catchs back just alittle , when you set the lock in ,  the trigger bar will slip between the sears of the two locks

[Stormrider51]

i would say that its probably an issue with the hight of the trigger bar on the left lock .
 the trigger bar on the  back trigger on SXS doesnt move as much as you think it does . so you will probably have to build up the trigger bar as storm rider stated , or get a new blank set of triggers and  tune them for your locks .
ToW sells  SXS trigger sets . but frankly building the bars up , isnt that hard .

 the other thing you might look at is the sear  on your old lock . compair it to the sear on your new lock . make sure they are the same and set to the same location  at the full cock .
 next make sure that when you place the lock into the mortice , that the trigger is all the way forwards .  sometimes if the triger catchs back just alittle , when you set the lock in ,  the trigger bar will slip between the sears of the two locks

[/u]

Good point, Charlie.  I missed that one.

Storm

[Hank in WV]

If the sear on the old lock is good, try switching it to the new lock and see if it will work.

[Matt B]

Thanks again! I knew I would find some good advice on here.