stevens 311a left bbl problem

[jefff]

i have a stevens 311a db shotgun.left bbl won't cock.sear looks fine,hammer noches ok.springs ok.right bbl works fine.the hammer seems to come back to engage the sear but hammer goes forward when the action is closed .any ideas other than using the left bbl as a spare shell holder?

[John Taylor]

cocking lever and cocking plunger may be warn enough that it is not pushing the hammer far enough for the sear to engage. Cocking lever could be bent. Sear may be hanging up and not dropping into notch.
Cure, Make sure sear moves freely,  bend cocking lever on left side to push the hammer back a little further ( may require heat) or Move sear notch in hammer.

[jefff]

cocking lever ok.i think the sear is binding but is loose when the sear spring is removed.is driving the pin that holds the hammer out going to throw springs everywhere.how about heatin and bending the sear point up a little so it can contact the hammer?

[John Taylor]

You can take the sear out but the hammer pin will be under pressure. They are a little tricky to get the hammer back in.

[jefff]

thanks for advice,turn out to the easyist fix yet.just filed some off the back side of the the sear where it contacts the hammer.10 min to fix 2 days to figure out what was wrong