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Loosening up a new SxS???


Cholla

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I just received my new CZ Hammer Coach. The gun is beautiful and well made, but it is so stiff I have to fight to open it. How does one make it swing free when the lever is engaged? I am thinking lapping compound and working the gun open and closed.

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Cholla...I would urge taking the shotgun apart to see where the action binds (rather than globally smearing lapping compound everywhere). Remove the foregrip and see if the action opens more easily without the foregrip in place. If it does, check how tightly the concave-end of the foregrip contacts the curved part of the receiver that it bears against (this is typically the “tight” issue). You might be able relieve pressure there by carefully adjusting how far back the lock tab on the barrel assembly pushes the fore grip's lock mechanism - and thus the foregrip against the receiver.

 
With most s/s you might want to consider changing the opening lever’s spring so that the action breaks open with an easy thumb push, as well as lightning the hammer springs to simplify cocking.
 
RR
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Now I am not recommending this per se...

 

When I got my hammered double, it was like yours, hard to open and such.  A good cleaning didn't help.  I took it out and was trying it out, but only had a few of the loads I use for cowboy.  But I did have some full power hunting loads.  After a couple of the hunting loads, it suddenly was working great!  My theory is that the recoil helped everything to seat and perhaps broke loose a burr or something.

 

 

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When shooting heavy loads in a side by side, just make sure your thumb is not behind the the lever.  I learned that recoil can cut the tip of your thumb and split your thumbnail the hard way!  :o

 

It will cut your practice session short.  And the blood is messy and your children do not need to hear those words.

 

 

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8 minutes ago, J-BAR #18287 said:

When shooting heavy loads in a side by side, just make sure your thumb is not behind the the lever.  I learned that recoil can cut the tip of your thumb and split your thumbnail the hard way!  :o

 

It will cut your practice session short.  And the blood is messy and your children do not need to hear those words.

 

 

 

The voice of experience speaks.  Betcha only did it once.  :)

 

Devline

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31 minutes ago, J-BAR #18287 said:

When shooting heavy loads in a side by side, just make sure your thumb is not behind the the lever.  I learned that recoil can cut the tip of your thumb and split your thumbnail the hard way!  :o

 

It will cut your practice session short.  And the blood is messy and your children do not need to hear those words.

 

 

 

I always figured if ya ain't bleeding now and then, ya ain't living hard enough!

 

 

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Howdy Cholla,

I’m having the same issue with my new CZ. I didn’t think of using lapping compound but that might better show the wear areas that need to be smoothed with a polishing stone. Cleaning and numerous open/closing cycles haven’t helped a bit so far.

Tater

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Speaking from experience, CZ O/U's are equally stiff when new.  The prescribed correction with one of those is literally to fire about five hundred rounds through the thing, and it'll loosen up to what one might consider "normal."

 

Likely to work with the SXS also, I'd think.  :) 

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On 1/18/2019 at 9:21 PM, Roger Rapid said:

Remove the foregrip and see if the action opens more easily without the foregrip in place. If it does, check how tightly the concave-end of the foregrip contacts the curved part of the receiver that it bears against (this is typically the “tight” issue). You might be able relieve pressure there by carefully adjusting how far back the lock tab on the barrel assembly pushes the fore grip's lock mechanism - and thus the foregrip against the receiver.

 
 
 
 
2

This is the problem.

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Go slow.  I took my new stiff double to a well known cowboy smith who slicked it up.  After a few hundred rounds with normal wear and tear it was a rattling piece of junk.  I was very new to cowboy at the time.  Now I give every gun tha I buy a few hundred round shakedown before I make any decisions.

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Cholla,

 

The most common drag point on a double gun is between the Fore Iron and front radius of the receiver.  Look there for drag marks.  Check for really SMALL burrs.  If you find those tells,  that is where to put your lapping compound.  DO NOT get wild and crazy with some abrasive power tool.  Take your time.  Easy to ruin a nice shotgun.

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Same experience here.  Very stiff when just out of the box.  Open and close a 100 times (no need to dry fire) and it started to smooth out.  Couple of hundred more and some shooting,  it would open easy.   After a few matched, it would fall open nicely.   

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On 1/18/2019 at 10:03 PM, Grizzly Dave said:

 

I always figured if ya ain't bleeding now and then, ya ain't living hard enough!

 

 

A job ain't done right till dad's bleeding on it. Kids think their funny.

IMG_20180807_135606593.jpg

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My stoeger coach out of the box took a tremendous amount of force over my knee just to break open. I pulled the gun completely apart. Checked for burs on all surafaces. Sanded with 600 grit with oil on the burs, (be extremely careful not to change for tollerences too much) then finished with 1500 grit with oil making sure everything was smooth. Then polished all faces. After just that, the gun felt a million times better. I still wasn’t completely satisfied, but after 100 shells through the pipes, she falls open slick as can be. 

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10 hours ago, Lead Friend, SASS #53635 said:

What grit are them whiskers?

 

Once I stuffed a wild rag in the chambers with a shotgun reload. That's all I can think about when I see your picture.

 

I managed to tangle myself up in my lever action with dry fire practice last night. Boy was that a heck of a “How’do Ya do” :blink:

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