The L.C. Smith Collectors Association

The L.C. Smith Collectors Association
[ The L.C. Smith Collectors Association ]

Hunter Special Light Primer Strikes

Posted by Don Snyder on April 13, 2022, 9:01 pm

My Hunter Special 16 ga has frequent misfires from light primer strikes. It's been at a competent gunsmith's for months. I've had it apart way too many times to count, and done everything that some of the best gunsmiths in the country have suggested. My question is: From these pictures, what is the correct orientation of part 61F (firing pin stop)? Sketch 1 or 2? The firing pin has full range of motion no matter which way the stop is positioned. Please help!

Re: Hunter Special Light Primer Strikes

Posted by David Williamson on April 14, 2022, 6:42 am, in reply to "Hunter Special Light Primer Strikes"

Don I have a Fulton box lock that is doing the same thing. I like you have taken it apart too many times. This one the right barrel is the problem, I have reversed the springs, no good, made the firing pin longer, no good, hammers are fine. The only thing I haven't checked is the depth of the shell in the extractor ejector.
If you put the light strike shell back in the same barrel (right) it will fire.

I also have a hammer gun that will not fire Winchester primers in the right barrel but is fine with other primers.

Re: Hunter Special Light Primer Strikes

Posted by Don Snyder on April 17, 2022, 9:05 pm, in reply to "Re: Hunter Special Light Primer Strikes"
Edited by board administrator April 18, 2022, 6:55 am

thanks david, the main problem is the right barrel also. the only difference between this right and left side is that the top lever spring is visible thru the side of the firing pin hole, but it does not appear to rub against or hinder the firing pin travel. will look into that, and also suspect too short of hammer travel. i was hoping that the pictures would at least spark some theory debate about the correct orientation of the firing pin check studs (61f)

Re: Hunter Special Light Primer Strikes

Posted by Carl Erickson on April 18, 2022, 1:09 am, in reply to "Re: Hunter Special Light Primer Strikes"

I have the same problem! I am going to give mt gun to my gunsmith to have him install stronger springs.

Re: Hunter Special Light Primer Strikes

Posted by David Williamson on April 18, 2022, 6:02 am, in reply to "Re: Hunter Special Light Primer Strikes"

Carl, I tried new springs from Numrich and it didn't help/

Re: Hunter Special Light Primer Strikes

Posted by Carl Erickson on April 18, 2022, 2:51 pm, in reply to "Re: Hunter Special Light Primer Strikes"

Dave: I want stronger than stock. It would appear that stock springs are too weak.

Re: Hunter Special Light Primer Strikes

Posted by Don Snyder on April 18, 2022, 9:14 pm, in reply to "Re: Hunter Special Light Primer Strikes"
Edited by board administrator April 19, 2022, 7:12 am

thanks carl, is your problem the right side? have your gunsmith run at least a box of shells thru it. i put 20 cheddite reloads thru mine. confident it was fixed, went hunting, 4 misfires in a row. i purchased springs from acxess online. stock springs are .062x.320- 9/inch, and extremely stout. the stiffest i could find that fits in the hole and allows the spring caps and firing pin check studs is a .070 dia. they haven not cured the problem. got great advice from buck h. and jerry a. about how to measure firing pin force.

Re: Hunter Special Light Primer Strikes

Posted by don snyder on September 30, 2022, 10:01 am, in reply to "Re: Hunter Special Light Primer Strikes"

doubt anyone will read this, but i think i fixed it. the hole in the hammers are really sloppy machined. the slot the hammers ride in is poorly machined. i now have 4 sets of new and used hammers to compare and swap out. lots of really rough tool marks in the reciever were the hammer rotates. there was .016 gap between hammer and its travel slot. i made some washers out of feeler gauge to tighten the slop to .006 i found some really light hardware store springs , so i could cock and fire repeatedly and watch. also made for much easier assemble and resassembly. i believe the hammer was flopping in the slot, catching the rough tool marks, and not hitting the firing pin full force. also, made firing pin protrusion just a little longer than normal. 106 factory shells without a misfire with strong primer strikes. probably more than its ever been fired in its life at 88ish years old. thanks again to jerry a. and buck h. for giving phone advice for as long as i wanted to ask questions

Re: Hunter Special Light Primer Strikes

Posted by David Williamson on October 1, 2022, 6:55 am, in reply to "Re: Hunter Special Light Primer Strikes"

Don, I'm glad you fixed your problem. I will at some point check what you fixed and see if it works for my gun. I never saw any drag marks on the old or new hammers giving any indication of a rough hammer slot and I will also check the width of the slot. That was a good idea using a weaker spring for disassembly.
I originally had made the right firing pin .030 longer, but after what you wrote gives me the idea that something is interfering with the travel.

Good research and you should write an article for the journal letting others see of your work.

Re: Hunter Special Light Primer Strikes

Posted by Louis Rotelli on October 3, 2022, 6:49 am, in reply to "Hunter Special Light Primer Strikes"

It seems like you've checked all of the obvious, but here are some things you might want to check. 1) is the firing pin hole obstructed in any way , burrs etc. 2) is the rim seat in the bbl a little too deep. 3) is there anything obstructing the travel of the hammer 4) is the hammer dented or peened so that it does not reach the firing pin.

Re: Hunter Special Light Primer Strikes

Posted by don snyder on October 3, 2022, 8:43 am, in reply to "Re: Hunter Special Light Primer Strikes"

thanks for the comments. 1 i polished every part that could be, using shapeable cratex, including the receiver hammer slots, firing pin holes, hammer spring holes, top of hammer and bottom of sear where the sear seams to bite into the hammer after it trips. the receiver holes and slots looked like they were machined with a hand drill and masonary bits. 2 the rim seats were not too deep, flush with factory ammo. i made firing pins with .055 protrusion, then made pins with .065 protrusion. 3 as i said the hammer pin holes were not round, and with the very light hardware store springs, i was able to see the hammer flopping in its slot, where tool marks were too deep to polish out. 4 i ended up with 4 sets of hammers to compare and study. i used the thickest, and one that gave the most hammer throw. i would have liked to tig welded the hammer sear slots and recut the sears for more hammer throw, but that is way over my skill set. this design has very short hammer throw. the hammer springs i bought were so stout , i could barely cock the gun, and looked like they were just going to break another part. when it misfired, the primers were barely dented. its interesting that the internals of the fulton, fulton special , and hunter special have so many variations in the internal parts. hmmm. installing the ,005 shims on both sides of each hammer, with those stout springs was alot of fun. thanks

Re: Hunter Special Light Primer Strikes

Posted by Fred Kolb on October 6, 2022, 12:01 pm, in reply to "Hunter Special Light Primer Strikes"

Hello, I have an olympic grade single barrel trap gun that has the same problem. I would also like some advise about this. Had mine apart way to many times also.
Cannot get a gunsmith to touch it.
Thank you
Fred

Re: Hunter Special Light Primer Strikes

Posted by Mike Poindexter on November 16, 2022, 2:43 pm, in reply to "Re: Hunter Special Light Primer Strikes"

I sent an Ithaca Flues SBT with light hit FTF to Buck Hamlin. He found a number of challenges with the gun, but fixed the problem with a reasonable turn time and very reasonable pricing. He gets my accolades every time.

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