Zollman (VA) 110220-1 - Questions

[huntinguy]

First, that is delicate rifle – it is darling. (It has the feel of a child's or woman's gun.)

I noticed several things about the rifle that I wanted to ask about.

The barrel looks to be wedged by the nose cap but pinned in the fore-stock. I don’t know if I have noticed anything like that before.

A brass screw to hold the lock on and a single one at that - brass is very soft, Seems odd to me.

The lock looks to be mounted VERY high on the barrel – pushing into the angled flat (it also looks to be very wallowed out too,) but, has anyone seen that before? It seems very out of proportion to the barrel size. (it does add to the thinness of the rifle though.)

But the BIG question I have: it looks like the wrist is checkered. I thought that was a late 20th century thing? Are there any other examples of that in the Federal or pre-Revolutionary period. (I am guessing, and the library didn’t say, or I missed it, that this is a very late flint period gun).

[galamb]

Can only comment on your note about the brass screw for the lock.

I have used brass (machine) screws to hold the lock on a few percussion builds. They are more than strong enough to keep the lock in place.

However, these are single bolt locks and they do not go through or otherwise touch the tang, so not affected by recoil etc.

[Dennis Glazener]

I would bet that is a replacement screw. The tang screw looks to be iron/steel, can't see why he would use a brass one on the lock, especially when its a single lock screw.
Dennis

[fatcat]

This is interesting to me as there is only 1 screw holding the lock on my sites rifle, was this common ? It seems like this would be weak as opposed to a thru the stock bolt arrangement .

[galamb]

A lock well fitted into it's mortise really only needs the most minimal of "clamping pressure", imparted with a screw or a bolt to keep it "in there" and keep it from torquing out.

I suspect that many earlier locks "could have" been held in the stock with a single bolt or screw. It looks like "even back when" we (collectively) "overbuilt" to some extent - "just incase".

(maybe that was/is a good thing compared to how modern "disposable items", which used to be "durables" are thrown together and regularly fail)

[fatcat]

Thank you sir, I thought it was for ease of access to clean or repair the lock, it certainly works well as the lock is still attached after 150+ years,designed to work not over engineered.