Need some help with my Henry

[Wagon Box Willy]

Howdy folks,

Maybe one of you can tell me what I'm doing wrong.  I cannot duplicate this issue on the bench.

On occasion during a match my hammer will fall to half cock when I pull the trigger.  Sometimes it will even do that after I pull it back and try again.

Is it something I'm doing with the lever or is there something I need to file or stone on the hammer?

Thanks
  Willy

[major]

This is a symptom of a weak main spring and or a weak sear spring.  If it is an older rifle one or both could have gotten weak over the years.  If this happened to me I would try replacing them and see if the problem goes away.

[Blair]

Willy,

Just a suggestion on my part...

Check the wear on the trigger sear and/or hammer full cock notch.

The symptoms you describe indicate a warn trigger sear may cause the trigger to slip off the full cock notch a bit too soon, and hang up or the half cock notch, causing more damage to the trigger sear (and maybe to the half cock notch).
A warn full cock notch on the hammer may cause the same issue. Both need to be checked out.
My best,
 Blair

[Advertising]

[Mike]

Worn full cock notch would be my answer as well. To friends have had this problem on guns one a 66 the other a Henry.

[Wagon Box Willy]

Thanks all.  I removed the hammer and trigger and inspected.  The sear didnt look too worn but I touched it up anyway.  Hammer full cock notch looked fine.

I re-installed and when I did I reversed the trigger spring to give it a little more tension.  Did about 50 tests in the shop and it was fine.  Went out this morning and put 50 down range in the back yard as quick as I could without any issues.  I cant help but think it was something I was doing but it apears to be working at the moment.

Thanks
  Willy

[major]

If you reversed the sear spring (trigger spring), then it may be to a point that it is fatigued and will soon get bent the other way and will eventually break.  If I were you I would make sure I had another sear spring on hand for when it breaks. 
I am glad that you were able to get it working but having a few of the different springs on hand is always a good idea.