Englishfied Small Siler??????

[cheyenne]

I come to you asking for advice and opinions.  This is the lock from a Kennedy pistol that was patterned after a 1760's Perry.  Years ago I had corresponded with him and was told the lock is a modified Small Siler.....he was offering a kit, but I never got the parts set before he passed. This project was put on a back burner and now I'd like to get on with it. Shaping the lock plate and cock seem pretty straight forward, but what is throwing me is the hammer (frizzen)...there's no way I can see to get a SS hammer to look like this short of weilding it up and reshaping....unless it's a different hammer altogether.


So, my question would be this, what would be the best course to take?  Is there a hammer out there that will work with a SS lock with this profile?

[mjm46@bellsouth.net]

I would first try to contact Chambers to find out if there is a substitute frizzen to replace the stock small siler part. The rest of the conversion looks like judicious filing and beautiful engraving.

[smart dog]

Hi Hlane,
The photo below shows a classic English pistol lock from the 1780s.  Note the elegance and gracefulness of the cock compared to the modified Siler.  I think you could shape the Siler in a similar way.  You might also check the height and throw of the Siler cock and see if any of the commercially made English copies would fit.  The Rifle Shoppe and Blackley's (England) have a wide selection of frizzens and flintcocks that might fit the bill but it takes a long time to get parts from them.  Another possibility is to check out the commercially made Bailes lock.  You might be able to modify that lock to fit your plan more easily than the Siler.  Also look at Becky's lock, which might work even better for your project.  Unfortunately nobody makes pistol locks that match the profile or elegance of the Wogdon shown below.



dave