A Very Interesting Flintlock Mechanism

[Majorjoel]

While browsing the great pictures from Meteorman that he took yesterday at the Lewisburg show I noticed a very unique SxS flintlock double Kentucky rifle. It looks to be from western PA from the patchbox. I have never seen a back action flintlock on anything other than an African trade gun. Check out the frizzon spring arrangement on this rifle. Very interesting! Anyone know something about this rifle or have similar flintlock in their collection? The picture is #17 from the front. The rifle at the top in the photo of the pair. http://s312.photobucket.com/albums/ll345/mikemeteor/Lewisburg%202012/?albumview=slideshow

[Dennis Glazener]

I talked with the owner, sorry I didn't get his name, and its a single barrel that is designed to be double loaded. One lock has a tunnel like affair that will (is designed to) fire the front load then the other lock is to fire the rear load. It loads powder/ball then another powder/ball.

I told him that I had seen photos of a flintlock that had 4 or 5 frizzens on it that was desingned to fire a multi-loaded barrel. Told him I wasn't sure if it was a real lock or one someone made up as a joke. He assured me it was real and he had handled the gun. Would love to see it again but I can't find my photo!

Dennis

[Majorjoel]

Zowwie Dennis! I was taking a wild stab at identifying that rifle as a SxS because of the second lock that was just visable. It is more unusual than I thought! I don't think I'd ever be comfortable loading and shooting one of those single barrel duel loaders. It would be cool to get a good look at that rifle. Thanks for your reply........Joel

[JTR]

I have a back action flintlock sort of similar to that one! I didn't have a clue what it might have been used on. I did wonder if it might be for some 19/20 century African trade gun of sorts. It's missing the pan and frizzen, but the pan is of the detachable type. The lock is Big, probably 7 inches long from end to end.
The contraption actually looks pretty good on the rifle shown!
Thanks for the picture, and for solving my mystery of the whats-it lock!

John

[Majorjoel]

John, I'll bet the lock you have looks a lot like this one. It is from one of those African trade guns I believe. Not at all like the locks on that dual shot Kentucky. 

[JTR]

Well I guess I don't have an African trade gun lock, cause mine doesn't look like that. 

On mine, the lock plate is made in two pieces. The rear part has the hammer and its internal works, and the forward part has the pan, frizzen and spring,,,, and the two parts are made is such a way that a single screw holds them together.

I guess it was the screw between the hammer and pan on the double rifle shown that caught my eye. I don't really know what the pan, frizzen and spring on mine should look like as those parts are missing.

I'd post a picture, but I'm out at sea and the lock is at home.

John

[Howard]

Back in the 50's & 60's there was a catalog that offered these complete guns with these locks. The parts were old but the stocks were new. If I remember right they were stocked in India. I just saw one last week & it looked like it was stocked in birchwood.  In the old catalogs I believe they were sold at $59.00 or so.

[Bob Roller]

Back action flintlocks used to be shown on some kind of who knows what they were guns in Stoegers catalog many years ago.
I think it was called the "Shooters Bible".

Bob Roller

[The other DWS]

I remember seeing one many years ago at 'Pa" Keelers house when I was there studying his trade silver collection.  dunno what the bore was but it looked like it should have been a swivel, amusette or punt gun.  maybe a full inch or a tad more.  Had a back action flint lock and what looked like hippo rawhide holding the thing together.  As I recall he had gotten it form some long retired african missionary who knew he liked "old guns"

[Hungry Horse]

Those two piece back action flintlocks were sold by Century Arms, and Dixie Gun Works, back in the early seventies. Dixie had one on a 4 bore they called the elephant gun.Century had them on a couple of their muskets. Dixie still had a bunch of the back half of these locks about the time Turner passed. I helped a guy build a percussion trade gun out of one of these locks. It worked surprisingly well.

                           Hungry Horse

[heelerau]

I have some old shooters bibles, stoegers catalogues shewing a bunch of muzzelloaders will have a look when I fly back home from work. Does anyone know if these guns were made with new parts ? These books are from the early 50s and sixtys

Cheers

Gordon

[Dphariss]

I talked with the owner, sorry I didn't get his name, and its a single barrel that is designed to be double loaded. One lock has a tunnel like affair that will (is designed to) fire the front load then the other lock is to fire the rear load. It loads powder/ball then another powder/ball.

<snip>

Dennis

This clears things up. I was wondering how what was apparently a peep sight would work on a double.''

Dan

[Feltwad]

The 1960 edition of Shooters Bible page 66,67 has muzzle loaders fitted with these locks which were from the Napoleonic Wars and were manufactured for natives where the Colonial Government allowed their use.They came in all gauges with 14,12 the most popular  there was also a s/b 4 gauge which weighed 9lbs 14oz with a 34inch barrel and sold for $46.50.The s/b were priced from $41.20 to$46.50 the most expensive was the sxs in flintlock  a 14 gauge weighed 6lbs 14 oz and priced at $84.65
Feltwad