My new (to me) Hi-Wall was misbehaving an bit.  The firing pin that I fixed was dragging on the bottom of the barrel even after i slipped a small coil spring over the tip to keep it to the rear.  Then I had issues with the hammer dropping into half cock when using the set trigger.  In frustration, I decided to sleep on it and decided to disassemble the action completely AND reassemble based on the flat spring diagram in Frank's book.  Sure enough the link was facing the wrong way (did I do that?).  Works as advertised now.  It is interesting that it even cycled and fired at all.  So now I have admitted to both double charging at the bench AND improper assembly.  Can someone slap me upside the head?  Joe?

Jack

I have twice bought single shot rifles that were assembled wrong and used Frank's book to get it right and I got them real cheap because they did not work properly. It is good to have that reference book. I have all of them.

That would be my assumption also. Probably put together wrong by the previous owner or whoever he had work on it.

More issues.  Everything worked fine until I chambered an empty case.  The lever feels a bit stiffer AND the hammer will not stay cocked.  I see in the de Hass book that there should be a hammer fly which is missing.  Another indication that a newer set trigger lower tang was added to a non-set trigger flat spring action.  I guess I need to see if John Taylor can add a fly and verify the hammer/sear engagement.  All the mating surfaces seem to be OK.

Jack

I do have the set trigger sear and small coil spring.  I decided to remove it temporarily until I get a hammer fly installed and use it like a non-set trigger/  Everything seemed OK until I wen to the range on Friday.  1st shot was OK but subsequent shots would fire on cocking the hammer!  If I held the trigger forward, the hammer would stay cocked.  I was so frustrated, I had to buy another High Wall at the Puyallup gun show!  (38-55 this time).  In comparing the 2 internals, I could see nothing wrong besides the missing hammer fly.  Then I found the issue.  When the butstock was on the sear engagement issues came back.  It turns out both the trigger spring and sear spring were being compressed by the stock.  It was missing any of the channels that should have been cut out to clear these springs.  A little work with the dremmel tool this afternoon should fix that issue.  I really wonder if the guy I bought this rifle from had ever really shot it much.

Jack

Walter, 
I doubt I will ever run into him.  Sounds like he doesn't wander far away from his WV home.  He had to bum a ride to a FFL to have it shipped.  Now if it starts shooting well, I may be able to give Westerner a run for his money

Jack