Help in installing the S&S center fire block for original Spencer rifle

[Four Sixes]

Hi Gentleman,

I have a question. I installed the used S&S center fire block on my original spencer rifle and noticed that it is difficult or hard to close the breech at the end of it. As I was inspecting the block, I noticed it was slightly off angle, thus the both sides are completely level with the breech carrier. When I replaced the S&S block with the original one, everything is all line up correctly.

Now my question. Should I work on the area where it is inserted into the level to striaghten it or should I file of the extrusion areas on the block? I am more incline of working on the area where it is inserted into the level where the small screw is located. Ang suggestion or advice?? Thank you in advance

Regards,

4-Sixes

[Roscoe Coles]

I can't tell from your post what the problem is.  Can you be more clear on what exactly seems to be out of alignment, where is it rubbing etc.  Photos would be a big help.  I went through a number of things getting my S&S block to fit and I'm sure that the brain power exists on the forum to set you straight, but we need to know exactly what the problem is.

[Four Sixes]

I can't tell from your post what the problem is.  Can you be more clear on what exactly seems to be out of alignment, where is it rubbing etc.  Photos would be a big help.  I went through a number of things getting my S&S block to fit and I'm sure that the brain power exists on the forum to set you straight, but we need to know exactly what the problem is.

Hi Roscoe,

I don't have it with me right now. Need to ship it to IL from Texas. I only played with it during my short visit in the Memorial weekend there.

So please bare with me here and I will try to explain it as much as I can. So, when I disassemble the block from the receiver by removing the receiver screw, I can see the original center block fit perfectly straight in the lower block (don't know if it is the proper name). Also there is nothing sticking out from the front and back lower edges of the center block. Now when I replaced the original center block with the S&S block, I can see and feel the front edge (left side) is sticking out just a small bit and the back edge (right side) of the center block is sticking out too. This suggusted to me, may be I am wrong here, that the center block is kind of twisted at an angle, just very slightly. I suspect it may be the area where the center block collected to lever that the surface is not perfectly flatten at right angle. Then when it is being inserted into the hole of the lever and secured with that small screw, it is some how twisted very slight thus making it difficult to lower and rising the block. I may be wrong completely. Hope this make sense. If not, I will have to wait until I visit Texas again to take some pictures. Thanks!

4-Sixes

[Roscoe Coles]

OK, that makes sense.  The first thing to do is get a good machinist square (don't just get a construction square from the hardware store, they are not accurate enough) and then check to see if the S&S block is square (are the front and back surfaces of the block square to the sides).  If they are not, send it back to S&S and get a replacement.  If the S&S block is square then you need to see if the "window" in the lower block, the space the block drops down into, is square.  If it is not you can open this eindow up slightly, it has no purpose other than allowing the block to drop down and it does not have to be closely fitted to the block itself as it is not involved in any way in the lockup of the gun.  You should also check to see if the round projection on the bottom of the S&S block is centered on the block.  Mine was slightly off to one side which caused a great deal of consternation before I figured that out. 

Do these things and see where you are.  It might show you an obvious fix but if it does not then we will know a little more about the problem, which will help lead us to a solution.

[Arizona Trooper]

Could it be that the part of the block that fits into the lever is cut a little crooked? This would cause the CF block to twist in the lower carrier block and maybe hang up in the frame. Try putting the upper block into the lower and installing it in the frame, without the lever or spring. If it works smoothly then, the problem is the fit into the lever. If not, the block itself could be off square a little. If it's the block, get some machinist's blue and paint the block, then reinstall it. The blue paint will show exactly where it's rubbing (and where you need to file). This isn't uncommon, and is easy to fix.   

[Herbert]

i had to open up the hole fore the leaver screw slitly and stone the flats where it fits into the leaver a bit you carnt do any damage by taking slitly too much off the sides but be carful not to widen screw hole towards the botom as this will alow block to rise slitly and will afect where th firing pin hits,go ahead and try it work slowly and you carnt go wrong al you need is aoilstone and a small round file

[Four Sixes]

Thank you everybody for the useful suggestions. I will work on it and let you all know the result. Thanks once again

4-sixes

[Bead Swinger]

When I adjusted mine, I took the "Don't mess with the original" viewpoint; if the original block fits well, I'd do as much work with the replacement block as possible.

'Good luck. 'Looking forward to hear how it shoots!

[Tuolumne Lawman]

When fitting a centerfire breech block to an 1860 original awhile back, I had to open the hole in the vertical rod protruding from the bottom of the breech block.  I openet ONLY on the sides, and it helped line it up.  As was stated already, though, this might not be 90 degrees to the bottom of the b lock. +1 on the machinist square to check this.  I hbad one that I got from S&S that was off, and I exchanged it.  That, of course, was back in the day when centirefire breech blocks were being made by three different resources.