Early Ketland Lock Thoughts

[Long Ears]

I'm wanting to use a Chambers Early Ketland lock on a trade gun build. I've never used this one before and was surprised to see the lock plate is square edged and not beveled. My question is, should this lock be letted in flush with the plate like a Hawken style? I'm at full stop until I figure this one out. Thanks. Bob

[tallbear]

Long Ears
I would put a very slight bevel on it and inlet to that.Makes for a cleaner looking inlet.

[Telgan]

I have seen this lock done also with a very healthy bevel and it looks great in my estimation. David Dodds used to do them that way. Start the bevel at half the thickness or more of the lock plate. I would guess the angle of his bevel to be in the neighborhood of 45 degree - possibly more. It's a fairly large lock plate - and the bevel gives a slimming illusion - if you will.

[Mark Elliott]

It should have a standard 1/32" bevel.   None of the locks you buy are finished when you get them.   Jim Chambers intends you to file them up and polish them.    Some light honing of the sear and tumbler might also be necessary.    I have gotten a number of locks where the fly was just a hair too long and needed to be honed down some.    Also,  All 18th century locks should have some engraving.   Even the cheapest English trade locks, which is what generally ended up on American longrifles,  had some kind of engraving on them even if it was just a couple of outlines.   I have seen the crudest made English locks with a good amount of simple engraving.   Just like today,  it wasn't what was inside that mattered as long as it looked pretty on the outside.   

[Acer Saccharum]

 Just like today,  it wasn't what was inside that mattered as long as it looked pretty on the outside.   

Au contraire, I see current lock makers going to great pains to make a fine mechanism, durable, reliable, and high quality. These are PRODUCTION pieces. They are pretty darned good. As with everything, you must fine tune and fancy up to your satisfaction.

[Mark Elliott]

Tom,  I wasn't talking about guns.   I was talking in general about the junk in Walmart and the likes.    See,  I get a lot of English stuff to repair/restore.    So,  I see a lot of 18th century production work.    It generally reminds me of Walmart merchandise.       Perhaps that is not fair to Walmart.

[Acer Saccharum]

Some of the roundface English and Germanic locks have less than 1/32 supporting edge. Thin edged locks tend to chew their inlets bigger over time.

You could bevel the Early Ketland quite a bit before getting into that kind of trouble.


Ah, yes, Walmart. Agreed.