Hicapa 5.1 Problem (Hammer won't come forward)
 

Okay so, just put my brand new hicapa internals all into a new slide and frame. It's a Freedom Art long frame.

I put it all back together in what I believe to be the right way, using a video as a guide, and some help from a friend. However after assembling the frame, the hammer only has 2 positions it will lock in; fully cocked, and half cocked. It won't come to the forward position. When fully cocked, if I pull the trigger, it will release the hammer, but the hammer stops halfway to the fully forward position (half cocked).

I've taken it completely apart and tried again to put it back together, and it gave the same symptoms. Anyone know what could be causing this?

Edit: tried shooting it (with gas in mag), but the valve knocker doesn't do anythin I guess since it doesn't fire.

Well, it randomly started working. It would lock back. But then it randomly started doing it again, out of nowhere, and now the hammer doesn't lock at all... GAH

Are you sure that the hammer rod or stick thingy(TM part H51-43 on 5.1 hi-capa) is dead center of the hammer spring(H51-65)? Also, you might as well check the placement of all the pistol grip springs with the various safetys on the gun(H51-69 with H51-40 and H51-39).

ILLusion, where art thou? =P

is it possible that the hammer spring is not strong enough ?

Make sure the leaf spring is positioned properly in relation to the sear connector and all the other stuff in there, or it can mess up, my hicapa did that

In the Freedom Art kit, the rod that the hammer slides onto and swivels upon is a silver/chrome part that screws into the frame, as opposed to the stock part that is a one-piece cast. Make sure this is threadlocked into place (blue Loctite is sufficient) or it may vibrate free, potentially causing issues.

Yeah I loctited the silver piece in place.

Leaf spring is in the right place. I suppose I could try putting in the guarder 150% hammer spring that I have (only used the stronger recoil spring). But the only thing that is weird is that it randomly worked, after I switched from the trigger that came with the Shooters Design real SV pistol grip to the original TM one, but then, for no reason, after roughly 8 successful cockings and returns of the hammer, it began to do the same thing again (only going halfway forward), and then, again for no reason, the hammer stopped catching at all. Now it is back to doing the half-cock thing again.

Leaf spring is in the right place. I will try the new hammer spring.
Illusion where art thou, indeed.

maybe your sear or hammer are damaged

The trigger stirrup - is the "rear" side (side opposite the trigger) perfectly flat?

Both are brand new, taken from a BNIB hicapa that hadn't been used, and were working 100% perfectly before swapping into new frame. Weren't damaged in the moving.

It does appear to be, but I will take a really good look at it and the whole trigger+leaf spring setup.

well, my hicapa had an identical problem to this, the hammer either wouldnt cock, or wouldnt go forward, and it was because the sear connector was broken in two, i dont know what it may be for yours though

Put in stronger hammer spring and it seems to have worked. RM was right. Curious though, that the stock one would push it before but not now with the exact same internals.

How was the temperature when you were testing it? It could just be that if it was hotter when you test the gun after your upgrade that the pressure of the gas was too much for stock spring.

Yeah it may have been. The mags were allowed to warm up inside while the upgrades were done. They were previously tested when it was cooler. Also switched to a fresh propane bottle sometime recently, so that may have been it as well.