Steve - Based on "playing" around with my old 10-bore (and I double checked prior to my earlier posts), the roll type joint check serves two functions. The first is to stop forward movement (or drop) of the barrels on opening; and the second is to raise the shell extractor. It has nothing to do with cocking hammers. The fore end pics I posted above are from a hammerless 10-bore. The barrels from this gun were salvaged form an 1888-89 vintage Syracuse era Quality 2 hammerless gun, then used to create a Grade 1 hammerless gun sometime after Hunter Arms purchased the company. In this instance the repair shop elected to retain the roll type joint check and modified the new Grade 1 frame to accommodate same. As to why it wasn't necessary to mill the "figure eight" in the fore iron on this conversion I've no idea; I assume it was because it wasn't necessary, but maybe David can answer that question. By the way this unique gun was recently featured in the LC Journal if you wish to review that article; but this is not the only repair shop conversion of which I'm aware. In the summer issue of the DGJ they'll be a story of a unique Grade 2E single trigger 10-bore gun that began life as a Syracuse era C Grade hammer gun, and which barrel set originally featured the roll joint check. In the conversion that device was removed from those barrels, the hole plugged, and the lug modified to accept split ejector stems. Readers should find that gun and its story very interesting. Bottom line; Hunter's repair shop was capable of performing unique and amazing work, as we've seen with our subject gun above, and I suspect there are many more amazing discoveries yet to be made.
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