I have a Lone Star rolling block I'd like to fully disassemble to apply corrosion inhibitor and lube. Also, it appears I might want to polish the end of the part which tensions the breech block. 

The main spring is under great tension against its stop on the receiver, and it's not obvious to me the best sequence to remove the trigger guard and lower tang assembly which carries it. There's one cross screw in front and two screws in the rear attaching the guard to the receiver. My best guess is: Grasp the two tangs firmly and have a second person remove the two rear screws so the guard can be rotated on the front screw to relieve main spring tension, then remove the front screw.

Some aspects of this particular action puzzle me. I don't see why a single cross screw wasn't used in the rear to hold the trigger guard to the receiver, as is done in front. The two screws in back have different heads and polish than the one in front. The rifle has an excellent plain trigger, but there is a surprising amount of lateral play to the trigger (along its pin), which I think I'll shim. The holes in the receiver for the hammer and breech pins are surprisingly rough; I'd have thought those would be reamed. Regardless, I quite like the rifle, which is in .30-40.

KWK wrote on Jun 24^th, 2020 at 11:58pm:


     RB's made to be fitted with single-set triggers had two screws, one from each side, to hold the rear of the guard, and make room for extra trigger parts.

CHRIS
RGChristensen

Ah, yes, I remember Dave recommending a set trigger. I should have figured out that's why there are two screws back there.

I'll try a clamp this evening. The angle the main spring makes to the trigger guard makes makes me wonder how successful I will be.

Thanks, all.

Maybe I'm not clear on the question but to break down a Remington I do this;
1. Pull the screw and clip that retain the breech and hammer pins
2. Cock the hammer and the breech block pin and block can be easily removed.
3. Lower the hammer, it will go far enough with the block out of place that all tension is removed from the spring.
4. Remove the hammer pin and hammer.
5. Remove the screws retaining the tang assembly and it will slip out.

Obviously, re-assemble in reverse order. Cocking/de-cocking the hammer becomes your mainspring clamp.

oneatatime wrote on Jun 25^th, 2020 at 11:07am:


I simply remove the buttstock, and it gives easy access from the rear to slide my clamp in. The clamp also works fine going in from the side behind the trigger guard. The clamp I use looks like a miniature of a woodworker's clamp with opposing screws to tighten it. So the "jaws" are smooth and about 1.5" long. It easily slips in to clamp the spring and takes very little to compress the spring.
Like these, only mine is steel, and tiny.
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I've done it as kootne describes also, but don't always want to completely disassemble the gun if I only need the lower tang removed.

oneatatime wrote on Jun 25^th, 2020 at 12:42pm:


Not much I do on a Rolling Block that doesn't end up having the lower tang off, and thus the buttstock too.

kootne wrote on Jun 25^th, 2020 at 10:52am:


With the hammer out, the mainspring is pressing hard on a cross pin in the receiver, and thus should also be pressing down hard on the trigger guard. I hesitate to back out the rear screws with this much tension still in the mainspring.

marlinguy, I just looked at the mainspring and you are correct, the angle isn't great at all, and coming in from behind should be no problem. I'll use a clamp and am embarrassed I didn't think of that myself.     Thank you. Not having a clamp such as you describe, I'll use two pieces of plywood from behind and a third piece of wood to act like a fulcrum and clamp down with a C clamp.

Mine are old sporters, maybe the tension is less with age. I just took the one with the strongest hammer spring, pulled the wood, hammer and block. Took out one rear tang screw, held the tangs with one hand and pulled out the other screw. The residual tension was gone within 1/4". Maybe Dave used some serious hammer springs in his rifles?