[loridr]

Just picked up a TC White Mountain Carbine. I have a Renegade cap gun and a couple of in-lines, but this is my first flinter. I'm sure once I get to shooting the gun I may have more questions, but for now I've just a couple.

Upon close examination of the gun once I got it home, I found considerable light rust on the lock, hammer, fizzen and trigger guard. The barrel was good and clean on the outside with intact blueing as new, and it swabbed out fairly easily on the inside and is now bright. I striped the hardware, cleaned it up,touched it up with blue and it turned out real nice I but ran into one potential issue:

I could not dislodge the hammer from the lock. I assume, just like my cap gun, it should easily lift off; yes or no? If yes, any ideas on how to get it off without marring the lock? I tried prying it up as much as I dared until I have more information.

Secondly, fortunately the touch hole liner came out easily, but should it be teflon taped or anti seized prior to replacement?

Lastly, I see that these guns came in a variety of twists over time. Any idea where I could look this up for my specific gun, or a practical way of determining it myself?

 

[Blue Bird]

There should be a bolt that holds the "cock, not hammer" to the lock. You will need to remove the bolt, and tap the cock out from the inside. Usually requires removing the bridle from the inside of the lock first. Now I'm basing this info on the fact the lock has a flat main spring. If it has a coil spring then I'm not sure how you'd do this.

As to the touch hole liner, just some normal gun grease on the threads is all you need. My recommendation is you leave the liner in place. There is no need to remove it for cleaning, etc. Some will say otherwise, but they're wrong! Removal of the liner only leads to undue wear on the touch hole threads.

 

[loridr]

On the TC, the cock is held in place by an external screw which is easily removed. The cock has a square hole that fits onto a square flange. On my cap gun, the cock simply lifts off of the square flange and I typically remove it for thorough cleaning.

The cock on the flinter looks exactly the same (screw, square hole and square flange), but the cock doesn't want to lift free of the flange for some reason... my guess is either at some point the flange was buggered up and the cock was forced ( press fit) back on to the flange, or, corrosion has the parts stuck together. If it's the later, I'd like to get it apart in order to clean it up.

Internally, the lock has a coil spring.

 

[Curly Maple]

On the TC, the cock is held in place by an external screw which is easily removed. The cock has a square hole that fits onto a square flange. On my cap gun, the cock simply lifts off of the square flange and I typically remove it for thorough cleaning.

The cock on the flinter looks exactly the same (screw, square hole and square flange), but the cock doesn't want to lift free of the flange for some reason... my guess is either at some point the flange was buggered up and the cock was forced ( press fit) back on to the flange, or, corrosion has the parts stuck together. If it's the later, I'd like to get it apart in order to clean it up.

Internally, the lock has a coil spring.

The correct way to separate the two is by tapping the tumbler out of the socket with a punch. Performed with the lock taken apart. If you don't have a mainspring clamp "vice" for that coil spring, you're asking for a bigger problem as using anything else like (vice grips) will risk damage to the spring. ....and if it flies out, I don't know how you will get it compressed again...LOL.


The proper way to remove a main spring is to bring the hammer to full cock. Clamp the vice onto the spring and then lower the hammer to its lowest position. That way it doesn't over compress. Then simply reverse the process to put it back in.

 

[loridr]

I appreciate the advice, but if it's necessary to completely disassemble the lock to remove the cock, I'll just leave well enough alone as the inside of the lock is clean and the mechanism is working properly. I simply wanted to remove the cock for cleaning like I do with my TC Renegade cap gun; it makes for an easier thorough cleaning than when attached to the lock.

Any ideas on how to figure out my rate of twist?

 

[Blue Bird]

On the TC, the cock is held in place by an external screw which is easily removed. The cock has a square hole that fits onto a square flange. On my cap gun, the cock simply lifts off of the square flange and I typically remove it for thorough cleaning.

The cock on the flinter looks exactly the same (screw, square hole and square flange), but the cock doesn't want to lift free of the flange for some reason... my guess is either at some point the flange was buggered up and the cock was forced ( press fit) back on to the flange, or, corrosion has the parts stuck together. If it's the later, I'd like to get it apart in order to clean it up.

Internally, the lock has a coil spring.

My apologies. I was incorrect in my explanation. The cock is tapped off the square post from the outside, not the inside. However, you would still need to remove the bridle assembly so the tumbler the cock is attached to, will allow the cock to slide off.

You may be better off leaving well enough alone and just clean up the lock as best you can.

 

[loridr]

Thanks. I think I'll leave well enough alone.