AmericanLongRifles Forums
General discussion => Antique Gun Collecting => Topic started by: whetrock on March 29, 2025, 09:42:49 PM
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A friend recently gave me this old Bess lock, marked with "TOWER" and a crown. He said it was found at an old burned-out cabin site in SW Virginia decades ago by a fellow named Calvin Morgan. It's passed hands a few times, but only as a gift. I guess it's my turn to look after it for a while. The glob on the frizzen seems to be from the melted side plate, which brazed itself in place, presumably during the fire. There is a bit of the side plate brazed to the remaining lock nail, as well. From the crusty scale I suspect it was covered in dirt for a while. Some of the original case hardening shows as a sort of thick, smooth scale in places. It still has a bit of a flint in the jaws, as well, which looks to me to be a piece of local chert.
When I first saw it I thought perhaps the brass on the frizzen was from a half sole melted off, but on closer examination I think it's the side plate. It's way too much brass to be from a half sole.
Anyway, I'm honored to be the recipient, and to have a turn as curator. Thought you guys might enjoy seeing it.
(https://i.ibb.co/9J44kXN/IMG-5715.jpg) (https://ibb.co/3wFF9X7)
(https://i.ibb.co/DgwJHDW2/IMG-5716.jpg) (https://ibb.co/S7Vj4XyC)
(https://i.ibb.co/cK0bzVx2/IMG-5717.jpg) (https://ibb.co/DPhG3TLw)
(https://i.ibb.co/hRCMMYcw/IMG-5718.jpg) (https://ibb.co/8DXBBYbt)
(https://i.ibb.co/Kx4PmBC3/IMG-5719.jpg) (https://ibb.co/m5ZjSdQM)
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Interesting old lock. Buddy of mine had a house fire with a lot of smokeless powder in the basement. The heat was tremendous
with rifles that had fallen off the rack onto the floor, melted slightly and wrapped around fallen bricks already on the floor.
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Looks like one of my lock welding jobs! Very cool — thanks for sharing.
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Amazingly that main spring is still under tension from all those years ago, fires, wars, etc.
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The whole lock is frozen up with rust, so I don't know if it has any tension or not. I imagine the springs were annealed in the fire. Maybe it could be loosened up if I was really inclined to try it, but as it is it makes a dandy paperweight on my desk. My day job has me sitting at a computer all day, so it's nice to see it sit there. Kind of helps keeps things in perspective.
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sad to see an old piece like that destroyed, 3 rd pattern bess post 1809 would be my guess. take good care of it. :)