Author Topic: mule ear lock (Read 22002 times)

Ephraim · « **on:** March 26, 2009, 02:18:04 PM »

Do any of you know where I can get a good mule ear lock with flat springs I don't want one with coil springs thanks for your help.
Ephraim

Metalshaper · « **Reply #1 on:** March 27, 2009, 01:08:59 AM »

Ephriam,

make it yourself!

They are not that hard to do? here is the start to my latest one. It has an outside mainspring, linked to the strut of the hammer.

Follow this link http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Olympus/9080/mule.htm and Laurie Fenton shows you how to make a version like his.

Respect Always
Metalshaper

lew wetzel · « **Reply #2 on:** March 29, 2009, 04:35:50 PM »

i just got a mule ear lock yesterday from ian pratt.the internals need hardening and has to be drilled and pinned...has a brass lock plate...very cool..all my guns are flinters except my inline rifle so i decided to start gathering parts for a percussion and really wanted to use a mule ear...not sure who made this kit but i think you can get one from dixie gun works....

Metalshaper · « **Reply #3 on:** March 29, 2009, 10:40:43 PM »

Lew,

any chance a muley maker, could get a couple of pics? always interested in seeing how someone else approached the task! I'll be postong pics of mine, when its a bit further along.

Respect Always
Metalshaper

lew wetzel · « **Reply #4 on:** March 30, 2009, 02:32:38 AM »

sure no problem,got to get some batteries for my digital tommorrow and i will get them posted...

Metalshaper · « **Reply #5 on:** March 30, 2009, 04:20:48 AM »

Quote from: lew wetzel on March 30, 2009, 02:32:38 AM

sure no problem,got to get some batteries for my digital tommorrow and i will get them posted...

THANKS!

I appreciate the help!!

Respect Always
Metalshaper

chapmans · « **Reply #6 on:** March 30, 2009, 04:27:27 AM »

Here is a mule ear made to fit a Small Siler lock mortice, it's an easy way to make your rifle convertable just remove the flintlock and liner and replace with a nipple and the mule ear lock. I have one on the L&R Late English lock. We will be seeing more of this lock in action soon, right Larry!!

Steve C.

44-henry · « **Reply #7 on:** March 30, 2009, 05:43:50 AM »

Thats a neat lock, can you give some details on the sear on it?

chapmans · « **Reply #8 on:** March 30, 2009, 12:36:11 PM »

The tumbler and hammer are one piece, there is a roller mounted on the tumbler for the mainspring to ride on, the tumbler pivots on a dowel pin through the lockplate, the mainspring is a piece of leaf spring from a truck cuttoff with a bandsaw then ground flat on a surface grinder, there is a notch in the bottom of the tumbler that the sear pushes up into from the small coil spring, both the surface of the tumbler and sear have a piece of tool steel silver soldered in where they meet. I currently have 2 guns, my son has one and I'm working on the 3rd, with with these locks and have been shooting them for close to 10 years with no problems. I would hate to go back to a drum or any other type of percusion lock. Maybe Larry would take this lock apart and post a photo dissasembled.
Steve C.

Larry Pletcher · « **Reply #9 on:** March 30, 2009, 02:21:56 PM »

Quote from: chapmans on March 30, 2009, 12:36:11 PM

--------snipped---------
Maybe Larry would take this lock apart and post a photo dissasembled.
Steve C.

Ya, I can get to that later in the day. Depending how our testing goes we may get it done this after noon. The lock comes apart very easily. BTW that lock will be one of the locks in our flint vs perc vs mule ear test.

Regards,
Pletch

lew wetzel · « **Reply #10 on:** March 30, 2009, 03:34:28 PM »

heres the pics of the mule ear i got saturday....kit form,all internals need hardening and all holes need drilled and pinned.this should be a fun project!!!!

Robby · « **Reply #11 on:** March 30, 2009, 04:57:00 PM »

I have no interest in making percussion guns, one was enough for me. But I am curious, was there an advantage to the Mule ear lock? Was it a novel idea that never caught on? It seems like a very neat and efficient mechanism for its purpose. Just wondering.

doug · « **Reply #12 on:** March 30, 2009, 05:57:28 PM »

much like an underhammer, the nipple screws directly into the barrel and with no 90 degree bends, much less risk of fouling problems and presumably faster ignition. With the nipple horizontal, there is less risk of a loose cap falling off compared with an underhammer

cheers Doug

lew wetzel · « **Reply #13 on:** March 30, 2009, 06:07:27 PM »

im trying to get my kids into shooting bp with me..everytime we go shooting they want to take the modern firearms..so i fiquured i would build a percussion for them to shoot and i always liked the look of the mule ear..fast ignition,less maintenance...

MJDeWald · « **Reply #14 on:** March 30, 2009, 07:34:03 PM »

Here are a few pictures from the rifle that Hoot Al is recreating for me. You can see the thread 'Golden Age-Susquehanna Rifle Maker' under the Antique Gun Collecting, for more info.
This is my first post and first attempt to load images hope it works.

hanshi · « **Reply #15 on:** March 30, 2009, 08:06:34 PM »

I agree the mule ear and under hammer both share the advantage of superior ignition. The mule ear, however, shares two advantages over the under hammer. As mentioned, caps don't fall off but also you don't have to worry about cap fragments and blast irritating your arm. I've had an under hammer for decades that I like very much but always wear a long sleeve shirt when shooting it.

Metalshaper · « **Reply #16 on:** March 31, 2009, 06:19:49 AM »

Lew, Steve and MJ,

Thanks for the pics! A trio of really neat Muleys!! I appreciate your sharing them with us. I've added a pic, that shows two original Mule ear locks. Missed out on the auction for these

but the seller was kind enough to send me this photo as a consolation prize!!

as far as caps and falling off my underhammers

I custom fit the cones on my UH guns, and never really have any trouble with that! in fact, I've probably lost more off my traditional percussion guns, using the factory supplied nipples!

Respect Always
Metalshaper

Ephraim · « **Reply #17 on:** March 31, 2009, 07:10:45 AM »

Quote from: lew wetzel on March 29, 2009, 04:35:50 PM

i just got a mule ear lock yesterday from ian pratt.the internals need hardening and has to be drilled and pinned...has a brass lock plate...very cool..all my guns are flinters except my inline rifle so i decided to start gathering parts for a percussion and really wanted to use a mule ear...not sure who made this kit but i think you can get one from dixie gun works....

Hi Lew Wetzle
That lock is just what I am looking for do you think Pratt may have another I couldn't find one at Dixie. How do I get ahold of Ira Pratt thank you.
Ephraim

Larry Pletcher · « **Reply #18 on:** April 01, 2009, 02:58:42 AM »

Quote from: chapmans on March 30, 2009, 04:27:27 AM

Here is a mule ear made to fit a Small Siler lock mortice, it's an easy way to make your rifle convertable just remove the flintlock and liner and replace with a nipple and the mule ear lock. I have one on the L&R Late English lock. We will be seeing more of this lock in action soon, right Larry!!

Steve C.

When Steve asked me to get pics of the working parts I thought it wouldn't be hard, but I'm not satisfied with what I got. They do show how the sear works, I hope. Steve's last photo abovw shows the sear /hammer arrangement at rest. The first pic below shows the lock in the cocked position.

Next is the hammer rotated up. Here you can see the square milled out ehere the sear will engage.

Here the hammer is rotated down and the sear engaged.

Next the hammer is installed with the sear in position ready to be installed.

And here the main spring is install and the lock cocked.

I'm sorry for the under exposed pics. I used an auxiliary flash on a slave, but it may not be timed correctly. BTW this lock will be timed against a flint and perc. lock in tests this summer.

Regards,
Pletch

D. Taylor Sapergia · « **Reply #19 on:** April 01, 2009, 04:44:06 AM »

MJDeWald...welcome to the site - what a grand entrance! This lock is so simply ingenious. Can you provide a picture looking straight down on it...I'm curious to know how far from the plate the sear engagement is and how far the hammer travels? Can you also provide a picture at full bent?

44-henry · « **Reply #20 on:** April 01, 2009, 06:28:57 AM »

That is a neat design, thanks for posting the photos. I am also very interested in that kit with the brass plate, I looked and Dixie didn't seem to have them on their site, any other ideas where it might have come from?

lew wetzel · « **Reply #21 on:** April 01, 2009, 03:39:07 PM »

ephraim,i sent you a pm.....

Ephraim · « **Reply #22 on:** April 01, 2009, 05:43:35 PM »

Lew pm sent
Ephraim

MJDeWald · « **Reply #23 on:** April 01, 2009, 06:22:07 PM »

Quote from: D. Taylor Sapergia on April 01, 2009, 04:44:06 AM

MJDeWald...welcome to the site - what a grand entrance! This lock is so simply ingenious. Can you provide a picture looking straight down on it...I'm curious to know how far from the plate the sear engagement is and how far the hammer travels? Can you also provide a picture at full bent?

Plan view pictures of lock in the open and closed positions.

D. Taylor Sapergia · « **Reply #24 on:** April 01, 2009, 06:38:52 PM »

Exactly what I was after. The images show exactly how much of a bend is in the hammer and the engagement of the sear. Thanks for those.

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Author Topic: mule ear lock (Read 22002 times)

Ephraim

lew wetzel

lew wetzel

chapmans

chapmans

lew wetzel

doug

lew wetzel

MJDeWald

Ephraim

lew wetzel

Ephraim

MJDeWald