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4,700 Posts
more a case of poor materials and mfg. processes than design.
I was warned against buying a historic repro musket made in India due to their total lack of talent in the field of heat treating, but they cost half of an American made repro and will fire every shot once the vent (touch hole) is drilled by the buyer.
THE ISSUE: my Tecumseh Trade Gun has accuracy issues due to a 24# trigger pull, and when I used my trusty "mainspring vise" to get the lock apart I found a host of issues relating to mass manufacture in poor conditions by unskilled workers with sub-par materials........
The problems are .....
Photo 1. sear face has FANGS (not squared), metal pushback, and is in no way hardened.....thank goodness I have my old can of Kasenit for after it's squared, trued, and polished !
Photo 2. frizzen spring has a triangle file strike mark in the load bearing bend that will eventually crack and break the spring, must be ground out w/o ruining heat treatment and entire edge polished to avoid future cracks and breaks.
Other photos.......obscenely thick / heavy mainspring and sear spring......luckily the mainspring is held in place with a post & tongue system. both springs totally fixable IF KEPT COOL DURING BELT SANDING & POLISHING.......( which is accomplished by working bare handed)
I was warned against buying a historic repro musket made in India due to their total lack of talent in the field of heat treating, but they cost half of an American made repro and will fire every shot once the vent (touch hole) is drilled by the buyer.
THE ISSUE: my Tecumseh Trade Gun has accuracy issues due to a 24# trigger pull, and when I used my trusty "mainspring vise" to get the lock apart I found a host of issues relating to mass manufacture in poor conditions by unskilled workers with sub-par materials........
The problems are .....
Photo 1. sear face has FANGS (not squared), metal pushback, and is in no way hardened.....thank goodness I have my old can of Kasenit for after it's squared, trued, and polished !
Photo 2. frizzen spring has a triangle file strike mark in the load bearing bend that will eventually crack and break the spring, must be ground out w/o ruining heat treatment and entire edge polished to avoid future cracks and breaks.
Other photos.......obscenely thick / heavy mainspring and sear spring......luckily the mainspring is held in place with a post & tongue system. both springs totally fixable IF KEPT COOL DURING BELT SANDING & POLISHING.......( which is accomplished by working bare handed)
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