Wealth of double rifle knowledge represented on this forum. Here is my question.

One of my doubles will not open fully when the action is opened. It takes a little downward pressure on the barrels to get it to open fully (and if you release the pressure the action springs back to being partially closed). The problem this presents is that when loading the rifle, the rounds hit the top of the receiver and will not drop into the chamber until you force the action all the way open. After firing, the problem is that when you open the action and the ejectors engage, the shell in the left barrel will clear the receiver but the shell in the right barrel will not. It would seem to a non-gunsmith that this would be a relatively simple adjustment to change the tension on something to allow the rifle to come fully open when the action is opened. But that is just me speculating. What causes this and how involved is the fix? Thanks!

Mike, is it a Chapuis? Not to long ago, there was similar thread about a Chapuis 9.3X74 that had some difficulty on opening.

Dave

No, it is a Ritterbusch. It is not difficult to open or close, it just does not open all the way. I was talking to someone today who suggested that the overcock may need to be adjusted.

I had a double on a BSS a few years back that did something similar. As you open the action, the actuators that set off the ejectors gummed up from over oiling and ended up sticking. The action opened fine, but not all the way. A liberal cleaning may be in order, and deeper than you might normally go.

quote:

Originally posted by MJines:
No, it is a Ritterbusch. It is not difficult to open or close, it just does not open all the way. I was talking to someone today who suggested that the overcock may need to be adjusted.

Mike - Sorry to say it is RUINED! Not worth salvage, but I will take it off your hands (I'll even pay for the shipping)

Seriously, it could be something as simple as "gunk". Some action blaster might do the trick.

Of course, if that does not work, my offer still stands....

Not a gunsmith of double rifles, but this is a pretty common characteristic of many doubles. Not sure why ... they sort of open but not all the way until they are forced all the way open. An annoying characteristic I might add. It seems to hit some equilibrium point that the forend springs or something hold it in.

The Krieghoff I bought, though it doesn't have ejectors, had this same aggravating characteristic, and sent it to the "factory" in Pennsylvania to have it fixed.

The only thing keeping the K from opening is that little foot on the receiver (whatever that is called) and the forend.

I would just take it somewhere to get it fixed. Isn't that hot shot double guy that Rusty is always showing pics from down there in Texas somewhere? After a jillion posts on here one time asking the question why some doubles are hard to open, no one had a clue. My Dad fixed a double shotgun I had in about twenty minutes but I was too stupid to ask why or how.

Give it up and take it in for an overhaul. Good luck.

If I remember I'll go by the local repair shop today. The guy that works on the double shotguns has been repairing them for 40 years from the same bench!! If anyone around here knows, he should.

I did talk to Dustin Mounts yesterday. Dustin is the person who suggested that it is probably the overcock on the hammers. I will get him to look at it. I had the same issue on a Searcy a while back and Butch got it taken care of but I never discussed with him what the problem was or what was involved in the fix.