James River Shorty Lock problem

[twines]

I did a trigger job a few years on a James River Richmond 42. My teammate gave it to me a few weeks back and said the trigger was bad. I brought it home a used the gauge. The pull was all over the map. 3 to 7lbs. Tore it down and discovered ever screw in the lock was loose and the hole in the plate for the tumbler was out of round. I had to chase the threads in the bridle screw hole because the treads were burred. Reamed the plate and put a steel bushing in place to get rid of the wobbling tumbler. Put it back together and the trigger pull has a 3.4 average in 3, 3 pull trials. That's the way I left it 4 years ago. So the basic problem was obvious.
I have worked on a ton of muskets both originals and repros. Never saw a warped tumbler hole in any gun. It is my understanding that the James River started life as Euroarms 42. Is there any info out there on a bad batch with crappy metal especially in the lock plates. This gun had under 1000 round through it. Problem is solved but it was a strange one. I'm just curious.

Tom

[John Holland]

Respectfully, Euroarms never made a Model 1842 Musket.

[Maillemaker]

Yup, had to be Chiappa/Armisport.

I have found on my Armisport 42s if the bridle screws come loose the trigger pull goes light. You have to be careful cranking down too hard on the sear axle bridle screw or you'll bind up the sear.