Maintaining Your Lockplate
R. Kuchera, Chief Petty Officer, USNLP
The
following discourse is a detailed description of how to disassemble, clean,
lubricate, and re-assemble the lockplate of an M1861 Springfield. While other
lockplates, such as the M1863,
Everyone is able to maintain the barrel and stock adequately. Dealing with the lock mechanism is ignored for the most part. The lock is subject to all the conditions that rust and corrode the barrel and other steel parts. With a minimum number of hand tools and a main spring vise, anyone should be able to keep the lock in top condition. Figure 1 shows the lockplate with all its parts identified.
Figure
1
Dismounting
the lockplate
Before going any further it will be
assumed the gun is unloaded and uncapped. Put layers of newspaper or cardboard
on the work surface. Pull the hammer back to the half-cock position. Place the
gun, lockplate down, on the work surface. Carefully unscrew the two lockplate
screws. Exercise care if you remove the two washers or you might split wood out
of the stock. If they do not come out easily, place a bit of tape over them so
they will not fall out and be lost. It would be handy to place all the parts in
a small box. Remove the screw that holds the hammer to the tumbler. Gently
remove the hammer. If the hammer will not come off easily, then light taps with
a rawhide or plastic hammer and a BRASS drift punch may be necessary. Extremely
difficult cases may require use of penetrating oil. Support the lockplate with a
couple of wood blocks or in a vise with the long portion carefully supported
across the jaws. Try the brass drift and light tapping method. Do not use a
steel punch or excessive force with a hammer.
Disassembly
of the lockplate
Place the lockplate, with the
innards facing you, on the work surface. Orient the plate so the mainspring is
on the left and the smaller Sear spring to the right. Take a dry wiper and wipe
off the loose stuff adhering to the lockplate and its attendant parts.
Remove
the mainspring. Place the mainspring vise such that the thumbscrew is on the
bottom of the spring (see figure 2). If a vise is not available a set of
ViseGrips will do. The ViseGrips should be adjusted to compress the spring
sufficiently to unhook the tumbler link. Take care to not nick the spring with
the jaws. Take up enough turns on the thumbscrew to cause the two fingers (see
Mainspring detail) on the lower, right leaf of the spring to come loose of the
mainspring swivel (a.k.a. as a tumbler link or stirrup). It may take a bit of
work to get the spring to separate from the lockplate as it is held in place by
a small round locating pin. A screwdriver blade under the spring to pry will
generally do the job. Tougher cases may need a pair of pliers. The fingers will
separate from the swivel readily. Carefully undo the spring vise thumbscrew.
Figure 2
Remove the sear spring and screw. Loosen the sear spring screw several turns but do not unscrew it all the way. Using pliers, pop the sear spring tang (a small, flat metal protrusion) from the mortise or indentation on the lockplate. This relieves most of pressure from the screw and you may continue carefully removing it (see figure 3).
Remove the bridle screws. On some lockplates there is a decided difference, in the length of the threads, between the upper and lower screws. Carefully remove and label the lower screw. This should allow the sear to come loose from the lockplate. Remove the sear. Now remove and label the upper screw. The bridle will come loose and can be removed (see figure 4). This will expose the tumbler.
Remove the Tumbler. This
should require no force to remove from the lockplate. If it does, use the Brass
drift and hammer as previously mentioned. This completes the disassembly (see
figure 5).
Figure
5
Cleaning
Clean the lockplate and all the
attendant parts. Soap and water, alcohol or any cleaning solvent can be used. Be
sure the cleaning compound is not flammable. Most solvents recommend outdoor
use. Use on old toothbrush or small painter’s brush to clean out all the nooks
and crannies. Dry all parts carefully with a clean wiper. Make sure all old
congealed grease has been removed. Dry all parts thoroughly. Inspect all parts
for wear. If any rusting has occurred, use a small brass brush or piece of
crocus cloth. In extreme cases even #400 or #600 wet/dry sandpaper can be used.
Remember to only take off the rust. Inspect the tumbler shaft hole in the
lockplate for excessive wear. Excessive wear may require the replacement of the
plate or tumbler. Any light rust in the hole can be burnished with a rolled up
piece of crocus cloth and a pencil. Burnish off any nicks or protrusions that
interfere with the working parts. Do not use a file on any lockplate parts.
Lubrication
The point to be made here is do
not over-lubricate. Avoid the use of animal and vegetable oils. These types of
oils tend to congeal and lose their lubricating qualities when exposed to heat,
fumes and admixture with gunpowder. Where called for use a quality sodium or
lithium base grease. There are a large number of good quality oils that can be
used. A toothpick works well for applying small quantities of oil or grease. Oil
all threads as it nearly impossible to get the correct sense of “tight” with
dry threads (see figure 6).
Figure 6
Re-assembling
the lockplate
Before beginning the re-assembly
carefully examine the lockplate and all the associated parts. Check all holes
and threads for dirt. Check for evidence of binding, score marks, burrs and
scratches.
1.
Coat the arbor (shaft) of the tumbler with grease. Insert the tumbler,
square-end to the outer surface. Rotate the tumbler to check for binding. The
tumbler link should be at about the
2.
Oil the threads of the two bridle screws. Grease the pivot hole in the
middle of the bridle in which the tumbler rotates. Using the locating pin on the
bridle, position the bridle and insert the upper screw. Lightly tighten the
screw. Put a small amount of grease in the hole through the sear. Insert the
sear under the bridle with the protruding finger towards you. The finger is
semi-circular in cross section. Align the holes in the bridle and sear. Insert
the lower screw but not tighten fully. Check for fit and binding. Check the
engagement of the sear and the half cock and full cock detents on the tumbler.
Tighten both screws. With both screws tightened rotate the sear, as much as
possible. If any binding is noted other measures may be necessary 3.
Binding will increase the trigger pull effort dramatically. Too much tightening
on the lower bridle screw will also cause binding.
3.
The tiny link on the tumbler should work freely without rubbing on the
lockplate. Place a small amount of oil on the threads of the sear screw. Place
the sear spring on the back of the lockplate and put a small amount of grease at
the point the sear spring touches the sear. Put the sear screw through the loop
on the spring and turn it in part way. It will be necessary to use pliers to
partially collapse the spring to get the tang to set in the mortise. Once this
is done, snugly tighten the screw.
4.
Before re-attaching the mainspring put a small amount of grease on the
pivot pin, at the point where the upper leaf touches the lockplate and the
two-fingers on the lower leaf. Compress the spring fully. Set the locating pin
in the lockplate and the two-fingers into pin on the tumbler link. Slowly
release the spring vise. When the two-fingers seat on the tumbler link and there
is no pressure on the vise, lightly tap the mainspring. This helps assure the
spring is seated.
5.
Apply a small amount of grease on the semi-circular portion of the
sear arm.
Re-mounting
the lockplate
Make sure nothing has been left
out and that all screws have been tightened. Carefully place the lockplate in
the stock. Turn the stock over, making sure to support the lockplate. After
oiling the threads, insert the two lockplate screws through the washers. Start
the threads and snug each alternately. Before placing the hammer back on the
tumbler put a small amount of grease on the 4 sides of the square tumbler shaft.
Put a drop of oil on the hammer retaining screw threads and tighten it. Check
that none of the screws from the lock mechanism or the lockplate retaining screw
protrudes through the lockplate. This might impede the free action of the
hammer.
Place
a thick piece of leather over the nipple. Check the workings of the lock by
moving the hammer from half cock to full cock. You can either pull the trigger
while restraining the hammer with your other hand or let the hammer fall on the
piece of leather. The action should be relatively smooth with no binding. Check
that the half-cock (safety) position is positive and will not allow the gun to
be fired.
When
the lock has been correctly adjusted and cleaned the trigger pull should be in
the 7 to 10 pound range.
References:
1
Rules for the Management and Cleaning of the Rifle Musket, Model 1861, for
the use of soldiers. E.S. Allin, 1862. (pertinent portion quoted here)
1. Cock the piece, and put the spring vise (49) on the mainspring; give the
thumb-screw a turn sufficient to liberate the spring from the swivel (21) and
mainspring notch (19 c). Remove the spring;
2. The sear-spring screw.
3. The sear-screw and sear;
4. The bridle screw and bridle;
5. The tumbler screw;
6. The tumbler. This is driven out with a punch inserted in the screw-hole,
which at the same time liberates the hammer.
7. Detach the mainspring swivel from the tumbler with a drift punch.
1. Mainspring swivel;
2. Tumbler and hammer;
3. Tumbler screw;
4. Bridle and screw;
5. Sear and screw;
6. Sear-spring and screw;
7. Mainspring.
2 The
lead paragraph dealing with "Re-assembling the lockplate" has been
expanded at the suggestion of Jim "Gunney" Genovese.
3
The author has found that when the lower bridle screw is tightened the
bridle bends several thousandths of an inch. This can cause the sear to bind.
Original bridle screws were slightly different in that they had fewer threads on
the lower screw. Therefore you could not tighten the lower screw to this extent.
However, reproduction screws are threaded the same lengths. Two possible
workarounds might be used. One is the use the non-permanent type of Loctite on
the threads. The other is to nick the top thread or so of the screw with a pin
punch. In the former treatment, carefully apply the Loctite to the screw
threads. Adjust the screw to a point where no binding occurs and then let the
Loctite setup. The later method requires careful measurement and observation to
find the right thread to nick. Either way prevents the screw from being
tightened beyond the bind point.
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