Hinge Pin

Hinge Pin - A short cylindrical rod of hardened steel running laterally near the front of the bar of a break-open gun's action around which the barrel hook revolves when the gun is opened. Over the decades, this pin and its complimentary hook can wear and a gun can sometimes "shoot loose" or "come off the face." The proper cure for this condition is to replace the hinge pin with a new one, slightly oversized, to compensate for wear on both itself and on the barrel hook.

To test for a worn hinge pin, remove the forend (which helps hold the barrels tightly onto the receiver). Hold the receiver in one hand and the end of the butt in the other. Give the gun a good shake, side to side. If you can detect movement of the barrels against the receiver, the gun has probably seen a good deal of use. It probably ought to have a new hinge pin fitted by a competent gunsmith.

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