Gun won't fire after first shot?
 

I have a 1920 DWM that will fire the first round that is manually chambered; but the second round that is loaded from the recoil does nothing. The sear does not move when the trigger is pulled. Any ideas on the cause of this? Thanks.

I had one that did that, dried grease was the culprit. The sear bar plunger would stick after first shot. Disassembled pistol and soaked the parts in diesel overnight. Re-lubed and no more problems.

Cleaning is the first thing. I find more dirt in the breech block and FP assembly... But if that doesn't do it, Hugh has a fix for this. Look for a sticky. under repairs, restorations. "Cocking Problem'. This worked for my alphabet 30 cal.

FN

Also are you certain that the toggle is closing all the way? If the knee is bent slightly it is hardly noticable but will not fire. Try bumping down on the toggle with your hand when it is loaded to be sure it is closed.
Carefully, of course...
dju

Thanks for the responses. The gun is in full battery on the second round. The sticky repair post looks excellent. This was the first time I tried to shoot this gun; it had been in extended storage by the previous owner. I got three of his which had been stored in oil indefinitely. The grips leeched oil like a BP gulf oil rig. I didn't want to shoot it because I might lose the sear safety but curiosity finally got the better of me. I was probably better off being being dumb and happy.