In this edition of Over the Gunsmith’s Shoulder, Master Gunsmith and AGI Instructor, Ken Brooks, takes in a friend’s Traditions Percussion Pistol for repair. The gun looks great, but it has one problem and that is that the hammer rubs on the nipple when the hammer is released. There are few different ways to tackle this repair and even though our instructor only utilizes one of those ways, Ken explains some of the other methods to fix this problem as well as some of the pit falls of trying to repair this in some other ways that folks might think of. Ken’s passion for muzzleloaders is evident as he tells a couple of family tales about building black powder guns.

Though this repair only involved altering on part, Ken take time to explain how a percussion lock works. This particular pistol uses double set triggers, so Ken also explains why the fly is such an important little gun part. With just a slight modification to the hammer, Ken and his friend will be able to enjoy their weekend at the Mountain Man Rendezvous shooting this new black powder gun!