Making a spring for a William Evans cross over stocked shotgun.
A good customer brought this lovely Willaim Evans sidelock in with a faulty safety catch. This beautiful gun is a little more special than most as it is a true full cross over gun.
A cross over gun is designed to allow a shooter to mount on one shoulder yet align the rib with the opposite eye, in this case mounting on the right shoulder but aligning with the left eye. Some guns achieve the bend required for this purely within the wood of the stock . This gun goes beyond that and the curve starts within the action. The top tang, trigger plate, trigger guard, and both locks plates are curved, and so of course are the internal components. That curve, and the extremeley high quality of this gun make it very special indeed, and quite a challenge to work on.
A cross over gun is designed to allow a shooter to mount on one shoulder yet align the rib with the opposite eye, in this case mounting on the right shoulder but aligning with the left eye. Some guns achieve the bend required for this purely within the wood of the stock . This gun goes beyond that and the curve starts within the action. The top tang, trigger plate, trigger guard, and both locks plates are curved, and so of course are the internal components. That curve, and the extremeley high quality of this gun make it very special indeed, and quite a challenge to work on.
How curved is it? Well, just look at the pictures below. The lock plates, upper tang and trigger plate on a normal gun are straight, these are far from straight. Even the springs on this gun are curved to match.
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Having explained how special this gun is I better get on with the repair.
Now I have the gun apart I can see the problem. This is the safety catch spring, it's not supposed to be in two pieces.
With most modern guns we would have the option of fitting a factory supplied spring. With old English guns we usually need to hand forge a spring. This gun needs a very special hand forged spring.
With most modern guns we would have the option of fitting a factory supplied spring. With old English guns we usually need to hand forge a spring. This gun needs a very special hand forged spring.
First we need a suitable piece of spring steel.
Then a hole is drilled for the locating screw. Everything else is indexed from this hole.
Once the hole is drilled I start to remove metal to shape the spring.
Then a hole is drilled for the locating screw. Everything else is indexed from this hole.
Once the hole is drilled I start to remove metal to shape the spring.
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I measure frequently as the spring is filed to shape, to ensure that I don't take too much off.
As I approach the correct size the spring is tried in place.
That goes in, but it's a bit straight for this gun, and needs forging to produce the required side curve.
As I approach the correct size the spring is tried in place.
That goes in, but it's a bit straight for this gun, and needs forging to produce the required side curve.
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Before I forge it I will file it down a little, leaving the block which will become the detent cam. This will allow the spring to hold the safety catch either on or off as it should.
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Now the first stage of forging takes place, applying the sideways curve.
Then the spring is tried in the gun again. That's getting close now. 
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The spring is heated in the gas forge to allow the main curve to be applied, and also to heat red hot prior to quenching in oil to harden it.
An hour in the tempering oven brings the spring back from too hard to just right for our purpose.
The spring is rough, and still too heavy. It is hand filed and polished to remove surface imperfections and to adjust the tension so that the resistance felt by the thumb when operating the safety catch is correct.
An hour in the tempering oven brings the spring back from too hard to just right for our purpose.
The spring is rough, and still too heavy. It is hand filed and polished to remove surface imperfections and to adjust the tension so that the resistance felt by the thumb when operating the safety catch is correct.
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Now that is not just a spring. That is a work of art. It is a miniature sculpture worthy of being on display in a gallery.
Maybe I better put it in the gun before I decide to keep it for myself.
