Virginia Gun Owners Forum - VGOF

I HAVE A 1873 PROBLEM THAT WHEN YOU CYCLE LEVER ON RIFLE IT WILL NOT COCK HAMMER. CARRIAGE GOES BACK BUT WILL NOT PUSH HAMMER INTO COCK POSITION. HAMMER CAN BE COCKED BY HAND. ANY SUGGESTIONS ON WHAT PROBLEM COULD BE. THANKS

I can't help with the problem, but I can welcome you to the forum!

Hopefully, someone will come along with some helpful information for you.

I've been thinking about this one all morning. All I can come up with is a worn hammer, screw, or bolt. Hard to tell without seeing it. Lever guns aren't very complex so there isn't much that could be wrong I wouldn't think.

Welcome to the forum.

I agree with Mocassin. Any gunsmith worth his weight in buckshot should be able to diagnosis the problem quickly, once he has it in his hands. Where are you located?.

And, Welcome to VGOF!

Yes it sounds like the slide isnt pushing the hammer back fully enough to engage. Just my $0.02.

My best guess is the hammer is broken/worn or the screw holding the hammer is worn, maybe a little of both. Can't imagine the bolt would wear that much.

Moccasin wrote:My best guess is the hammer is broken/worn or the screw holding the hammer is worn, maybe a little of both. Can't imagine the bolt would wear that much.

Maybe but he says the hammer can be cocked by hand. I wouldnt think the bolt is worn - its just not pushing the hammer back far enough to lock. Something else loose.

I'm thinking the hammer is worn/broken on the face, where the bolt slides on it to cock it. That, I think, could cause the hammer not to be pushed far enough back to catch. The screw it pivots on could be worn also keeping it from catching when the bolt cocks it. I'm thinking that it could still be thumbcocked that way though.

Could be. I dont have a lever gun and been a while since I've handled one.

HAMMER IS LIKE NEW WHERE SLIDE CONTACTS HAMMER. SLIDE IS NOT WORN. WHEN HAMMER IS IN FULL COCKED POSITION AND SLIDE IS BACK THERE IS 1/16" GAP BETWEEN HAMMER AND SLIDE. HAVE NOT TAKEN TO A GUNSMITH AS YET. LOOKING FOR A SIMPLE SOLUTION. THANKS FOR ALL RESPONCES THAT I HAVE RECEIVED SO FAR.

The hammer pivots on a screw, it could be worn at the pivot point or the screw that it pivots on could be worn. Those are internal to the gun so you'd have to do some disassembly to check those.

I WILL CHECK THIS OUT AND GIVE REPLY. THANKS

I'd also look for any remnants of a bushing on that screw. I don't know that there should be one but it is a possibilty. The bushing would likely wear instead of the hammer or the screw, saving the hammer and screw from damage.