I have an old German single shot rifle that won’t cock unless the rear trigger has been pulled first. It appears that someone has solder on a bit of metal to make it work this way. Is there any reason someone would do this? Can I just file it back down so it would work like normal?

The first picture has a flat blade screwdriver pointing to where the piece is soldered on

In most rifles with double set triggers (DST),the mainspring which powers the hammer is cocked independently of the DST. The rear trigger of the DST is used to compress/cock its own spring which powers an arm that strikes the sear and releases the hammer when the front trigger is pulled. If this is the case with your rifle, their should be some sort of linkage of transfer bar that cocks the mainspring when the action is opened. Lacking this, it is possible that the rear trigger is also used to compress the mainspring, which is why the rifle will not fire without pulling the rear trigger first.

Before doing anything, I recommend you study and understand how the complete action functions. Take a look at all the other parts in the action and determine how the mainspring is compressed, i.e. how the hammers cocked. Once this is understood, you can determine whether the DST mechanism should or can be altered.

Just curious. What caliber?

It’s chambered in 8x 57 jr.

The little silver bar you see sticking out of the front of the action is what cocks the hammer. With the barrel tilts forward it pivots and pushes the hammer back to the cocked position but only if the rear trigger has already been set. If I don’t pull the rear trigger before opening the action the hammer won’t cock. There is a tiny tab that has been soldered onto the top of the rear trigger that interferes with allowing to drop down far enough to engage the hammer if it’s not pulled down first. This was obviously done on purpose but I can’t figure out why?

I plan on hunting with this gun this spring for bear if I can get this all sorted out. Seems to function perfectly fine as long as I pull the rear trigger before opening the action

Here is a pic of the whole gun

Seems a little dangerous situation to have to have the trigger set first while breaking open the gun to reload and close ready for a shot. Closing and carrying or preparing for a shot with a loaded gun with the set trigger engaged wouldn't be for me under any circumstance.

Agreed which is why I’m trying to figure it out. Any suggestions on how to fix it would be greatly appreciated.

Take some of the tension off of the spring that powers the Rear Trigger.
See if that leaves the Rear Trigger with some rebound slack in it so it can back away from the Sear once it snaps up and strikes it to fire the rifle.

If it can do that (rebound and back away), the Sear is then free of any pressure from the Rear Trigger in the Unset mode. The rifle can be opened and shut w/o first 'Setting' the DST .

If simply backing the tension of that spring off does not do it,,check to see if someone has altered the tip of that spring or the shape of the rear portion of the rear trigger where it contacts it.
When made and fitted, the spring should bottom out on the trigger plate while the trigger continues it's motion to strike the sear and fire the rifle.
The Trigger then rebounds back off of the sear w/o any spring tension on it at all as it's spring was stopped dead by striking the trigger plate itself.

quote:

Originally posted by Left hunter:
Agreed which is why I’m trying to figure it out. Any suggestions on how to fix it would be greatly appreciated.

Difficult to give a definitive fix without being able to see sequence of cocking as the rear trigger is pulled i.e. set trigger set, when gun is opened.
I can't imagine why someone would make such a modification unless wanting to always use the set trigger to fire the gun and having to set it first to enable the hammer to be cocked was their way of always having the gun ready to fire with the set trigger, without having to remember to set the trigger before taking a shot. Maybe for target shooting they found this sequence better.

If you can see that removing the tiny soldered on tab would remedy the situation then unsolder it. Can always be put back on if you find this tab has some other function that is needed.

Very nice gun by the way.

gorgeous rifle

Thanks for the kind words and for everyone’s assistance! This is far outside anything I have messed with before so was a bit nervous about tackling it.


I had first backed the spring off that goes to the rear trigger and that allowed it to cock but made the trigger pull terrible. It did show that the rear trigger was the problem though.

I removed the rear trigger filed .010 off the piece that was soldered on to the top of it and reinstalled.

Everything seems to be working perfectly now.

Thanks again, definitely wouldn’t have got it done otherwise

Installed many DSTs on flintlocks. You never would want a system that would require the trigger to be set Before it can be cocked.
You did the right thing by reversing that idiotic and unsafe design feature. Redesign feature.
I wish I had seen this picture first thing.

Due to a roping injury if I trip the front trigger it is agonizing to my middle finger to my elbow due to recoil.

Jack Belk at my request begrudgingly installed a Timney without cutting the floor plate removed the front trigger cut the trigger off the Timney and welded the rear Mauser trigger to the Timney and using a surface grinder smoothed it all up and gave me a slightly broad trigger at 3 lbs at my request on my JP Sauer and sons 30-06..double sets can be replaced as original if one was to sell the gun...I have another the same and all original but he won't do another..Its a beautiful modification and I can shoot it without developing a flinch..The gun remains original with the return to double sets without having to modify the bottom metal, and 100
% JP Sauer and sons fetch a lot of money..I have two and they are beautiful.