I took it apart at the shoot and saw no issues, so reassembled it, but still no joy!! When I got home I again took it apart, but this time when I pulled the retainer for the transfer bar the bar was broken in half! Of course I got pretty worried about finding unique parts for this old Freund part, so I began asking and researching my options. Called my gunsmith friend who said he might tig weld the bar, and talked to Shiloh Sharps who told me they'd sell me one of theirs to see if it could work? I also contacted Dixie Gun Works, who told me their Italian made 1874 Sharps used the same 2 piece firing pin/transfer bar.
So I ordered the transfer bar from Dixie, and another from a friend who had original one piece firing pin/transfer bars. Today in the mail the one from Dixie Gun Works arrived. I quickly grabbed the part and tried it in my Freund breech block, and to my surprise it slid right in!
As you can see the transfer bar is a bit thicker, and needs some thinning, and maybe a little shaping too, but it's darn close! Close enough I think my gunsmith friend will be happy to see what he has to work with! I think I'll still ask him to weld the broken part also, as having a spare might be a darn good idea. But I hope he likes what he sees and I end up with two workable transfer bars when he's done! And one gun I can shoot knowing if it ever breaks I'll have a spare.
