Hi all, this is my first post here so, if it's OK with you guys, I'll use it as a bit of an introduction also.
My name is Dave and whilst being originally English (44 years) I am now a proud Canadian. I live on a small Acreage just outside a small town in Southern Alberta.
I have had a keen interest in all types of firearms since my dad got me my first Airgun when I was 12 years old. I literally shot that rifle until it fell apart.
My wife and I emigrated to Canada in 2003 and have never regretted a single day of it (except that we wish we had done it 20 years sooner)
I am a recently qualified Gunsmith, an occupation that I love but have found can be very frustrating at times (like now and hence me looking to you guys for a little help)
A few weeks back, an aquaintence asked me to have a look at his Golden Era 39A.
"What's the problem with it" asks I. " I love the gun but it is really unreliable" he says. "Can you be a little more specific" I ask.
He went on to catalog the usual stuff. Fail to Fire, Fail to Eject, Stiff and "Graunchy" lever action etc. I told him to leave the gun with me and I'll do some research and hopefully get this very pretty rifle shooting how it was meant to. My first stop was here. I read a few of the stickies and ordered a Wisner Extractor as the owner had told me that he had replaced the extractor and that seemed to make no difference at all. If anything the problem was worse. Of course, he replaced it with the bent pin type of extractor that most people have come to know and despise.
While I was awaiting delivery of the part, I gave the action a thorough cleaning along with disassembling the trigger group etc and stoning the rough edges of everything. The action is now as smooth as butter.
The Wisner Extractor arrived and needed just a little fitting. Oh boy, that's a well made part compared to the bent hairpin I filed in the garbage.
Unfortunately neither of the things I have done have entirely solved the problems this gun is presenting.
Prior to the work I did on the gun, a typical shot cycle would go something like this.
Put 2 rounds into the magazine. Pull down the lever, pull up the lever watching the round being fed into the chamber. Pull trigger. FTF. Cock hammer and pull trigger, FTF. Repeat this anything from 3 and up to 6 times before round ignites. Pull down on lever and spent case usually drops into the action. If the gun Fails to fire and I pull the lever down, the unfired round would eject smartly. Also the firing pin indent is barely detectable on the unfired rounds
After I carried out the work, here is a typical shot cycle. Load 2 rounds in the mag. Pull down the lever, pull up the lever watching the round being fed into the chamber. Pull Trigger. FTF. Cock Hammer and Pull Trigger. Roung fires. Pull lever down smartly. Case falls into the action. Repeat is exactly the same. The gun always Fails to fir on the first attempt but fires on the second try (at least it is a little more predictable now
I have checked the Guide on attached to the roof of the action and it is tight and where it should be. The action of the ejector seems to work well as if I load the rifle wit Snap Caps, every one is ejected smartly.
Thankfully, I was blessed with a full head of thick hair which I have been pulling out steadily now for a few weeks. Hopefully you guys will be able to shed some light on these strange happenings.
If you are able to do this I will be eternally grateful as indeed will the local barber
DaveD
My name is Dave and whilst being originally English (44 years) I am now a proud Canadian. I live on a small Acreage just outside a small town in Southern Alberta.
I have had a keen interest in all types of firearms since my dad got me my first Airgun when I was 12 years old. I literally shot that rifle until it fell apart.
My wife and I emigrated to Canada in 2003 and have never regretted a single day of it (except that we wish we had done it 20 years sooner)
I am a recently qualified Gunsmith, an occupation that I love but have found can be very frustrating at times (like now and hence me looking to you guys for a little help)
A few weeks back, an aquaintence asked me to have a look at his Golden Era 39A.
"What's the problem with it" asks I. " I love the gun but it is really unreliable" he says. "Can you be a little more specific" I ask.
He went on to catalog the usual stuff. Fail to Fire, Fail to Eject, Stiff and "Graunchy" lever action etc. I told him to leave the gun with me and I'll do some research and hopefully get this very pretty rifle shooting how it was meant to. My first stop was here. I read a few of the stickies and ordered a Wisner Extractor as the owner had told me that he had replaced the extractor and that seemed to make no difference at all. If anything the problem was worse. Of course, he replaced it with the bent pin type of extractor that most people have come to know and despise.
While I was awaiting delivery of the part, I gave the action a thorough cleaning along with disassembling the trigger group etc and stoning the rough edges of everything. The action is now as smooth as butter.
The Wisner Extractor arrived and needed just a little fitting. Oh boy, that's a well made part compared to the bent hairpin I filed in the garbage.
Unfortunately neither of the things I have done have entirely solved the problems this gun is presenting.
Prior to the work I did on the gun, a typical shot cycle would go something like this.
Put 2 rounds into the magazine. Pull down the lever, pull up the lever watching the round being fed into the chamber. Pull trigger. FTF. Cock hammer and pull trigger, FTF. Repeat this anything from 3 and up to 6 times before round ignites. Pull down on lever and spent case usually drops into the action. If the gun Fails to fire and I pull the lever down, the unfired round would eject smartly. Also the firing pin indent is barely detectable on the unfired rounds
After I carried out the work, here is a typical shot cycle. Load 2 rounds in the mag. Pull down the lever, pull up the lever watching the round being fed into the chamber. Pull Trigger. FTF. Cock Hammer and Pull Trigger. Roung fires. Pull lever down smartly. Case falls into the action. Repeat is exactly the same. The gun always Fails to fir on the first attempt but fires on the second try (at least it is a little more predictable now
I have checked the Guide on attached to the roof of the action and it is tight and where it should be. The action of the ejector seems to work well as if I load the rifle wit Snap Caps, every one is ejected smartly.
Thankfully, I was blessed with a full head of thick hair which I have been pulling out steadily now for a few weeks. Hopefully you guys will be able to shed some light on these strange happenings.
If you are able to do this I will be eternally grateful as indeed will the local barber
DaveD
