ORIGINAL: BonsaiDiver

Greetings all. I recently bought a Traditions "Shenandoah" flintlock.

The lock has two positions: half cock and full cock (well 3 really when you include uncocked). When going in to half cock the hammer clicks securely in to position. However when going to full cock, I have to rock the hammer back and forth about two times go get the hammer properly cocked in to position.

Is this normal for flintlocks/sidelocks? It seems to me that the tumber and sear are not quite matching up properly when moving to full cock. Once in position the hammer stays in place until the trigger is pulled. Its getting it cocked that takes a bit of doing.

When I first got the rifle about every other cocking the hammer would go to full cock as surely as if going to half cock. That is simply pull the hammer back and release. But now that no longer is the case.

Is this just a quirk I should live with or return the piece to Traditions? I've had the rifle for less than 2 months. I haven't disassembled the lock or done anything to it other then typical cleaning and wiping down the outside with gun oil.

The only thing I can think of that may have caused a problem is possibly over tightening the locking screw may have torqued the hammer just enough to cause the tumbler and sear to go out of alignment. But otherwise the lock seems to be functioning properly, so I am not so sure about that theory.

Thanks all for your suggestions.
~Robert