Posted by Drew Hause on August 28, 2009, 1:46 pm
72.222.246.102

Many thanks to Ka'imiloa Chrisman and David Williamson for recent additions to the Hammer Guns PictureTrail album http://www.picturetrail.com/sfx/album/view/16112070 Excellent images of the "Bar Action", transition, and "Back Action" lockplates and innerds And also from Ka'imiloa is this pic of several letters on a 1900 Twist barrel which could well represent the tube maker or importer. We know 'WR' is William Read and Sons, Boston and the '0' is the grade mark. Please check your barrels and maybe we can figure out the name!

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Posted by Drew Hause on August 29, 2009, 12:29 pm, in reply to "Updated 'L.C. Smith Hammer Guns' album"
72.222.246.102

Well the updated album has been extensively updated (and corrected ) again. It turns out that there were FOUR hammer gun left lockplates: Bar action with 4 pins (one hidden behind the hammer) and 2 screws Bar action with 5 pins (an additional pin just behind the front lockplate screw) and 2 screws Transition back action with 3 pins and 1 screw Back action with 2 pins and 1 screw AND the Syracuse Quality AA hammers had an exagerated 'lip' at the top of the hammer, making 4 hammer variants! Once again, many thanks to David and Ka'imiloa.

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Posted by Drew Hause on August 29, 2009, 12:35 pm, in reply to "Re: Updated 'L.C. Smith Hammer Guns' album"
72.222.246.102

WRONG AGAIN Looks like all the Back Action lockplates had 3 pins.

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Posted by Drew Hause on August 29, 2009, 12:49 pm, in reply to "Re: Updated 'L.C. Smith Hammer Guns' album"
72.222.246.102

WRONG AGAIN variant # 247 Here's a Specialty with NO PIN behind the lockplate screw. Houchins also shows a F, an Ideal, and a Specialty with the same lockplate. I'm giving up and someone else gets to be the Hammer Gun expert.

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Posted by David W on August 29, 2009, 2:57 pm, in reply to "Re: Updated 'L.C. Smith Hammer Guns' album"
68.83.121.114

Drew, This is what makes it interesting and confusing. In John's book he only shows two types of hammer actions, he calls the one on page 104 bar action. In an 1889 L.C. Smith catalog (Syracuse) it is called "center draft lock' and goes on to say how the center of the main spring is in line with the center of the tumbler, therefore obtaining a center draft on the main spring. In a Fulton 1892 catalog, shows the same "center draft lock". Now going on to the new style "back action lock", with the new lower "C" style hammers, starting in 1898 (quote) there are now two styles of actions, one is a 3 pin that he doesn't show, but it is still a back action with a much larger bridle (Picture Trail) and so the need for the 3rd pin to hold it, and the other is the 2 pin that he shows on page 104. Apparently the 3 pin was not made for a long time (again, input from members on what they have or have seen and hopefully take the serial number) The newer special order grades, the ones you posted, will only have the 2 pin bridles. I'm sure there will be others whose input will help in some of these confusing but minor problems and to help others determine what they have.

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