Trigger for wheellock pistol?

[Tenn Hills Guy]

Having finally gotten my Lauber wheellock to work fairly reliably,  and have a pistol stock pretty much roughed out, I'm wondering if there are options for triggers.  Most I think are a simple swinging pendulum style, perhaps with a spring.  I was considering a simple single set, but the action seems backward for a wheellock, most pressing upward rather than back.  Any thoughts?  Bill

[smart dog]

Hi Bill,
As you probably know, wheellocks similar to Lauber's design usually had a plain trigger pinned very high above the secondary sear.  Often the pin showed above the lock plate.  Set triggers on wheellocks that I examined closely (not very many) were not designed to fire unset.  Therefore, the trigger bar for the rear (set) trigger was the only part to engage the secondary sear.  The bars were long and the motion of the bar up and back was enough to trip the lateral secondary sear of the lock.  I think you could probably make a modern single lever double set trigger work with some modification.

dave

[Hemo]

I made a wheellock rifle a couple of years back, using modified double set triggers. As you said, wheellock sears are tripped by striking backward, not up. I got around this by soldering an upright piece of steel onto the top of the spring-loaded trigger bar:



Now it strikes backward rather than up. Works like a charm!

Gregg

[Hemo]

Actually, come to think of it, my fix for the double set trigger might not work for a single set trigger, since I believe most single sets would strike up and forward rather than up and back. Sorry, no fix for that!

Gregg

[sydney]

Hi Very nice I do like wheelocks
      thanks for the pictures
      How about some picture of the inside of the lock ??
        Sydney

[volatpluvia]

Why complicate a very simple problem?  The pendulum trigger will fire the gonne with ounces of pressure in my experience.   You should actually put a small spring behind the simple trigger to increase the pull weight to a safe one.
A set trigger would only increase the actions needed to fire the gonne and increase the possiblility of flinch.
volatpluvia

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Volatpluvia is correct.  The wheellock trigger is pinned above the lock through the stock.  the mechanical advantage is tremendous, and the engagement of the secondary and primary sear delicate, so the trigger pull ends up being very very light, with no creep.  You don't need a set trigger, especially a single set.  But it's your pistol, so I hope you'll do it your way...just trying to provide information.

[Tenn Hills Guy]

Indeed, that is a beautiful weapon!  Would enjoy reading some more on its construction.  You're right guys as to the trigger issue.  I had already made the simple trigger which works but can't say I'm greatly impressed.  This just seemed like a curiosity considering some of the fantastic gonnes still surviving.  The crossbow apparently had some pretty complex triggers.  Even matchlocks, too. From pics, it seems double set triggers were pretty common among rifles.  Bill

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Double set triggers were used on cross bows long before they were used on firearms.  There are some very elaborate and nicely made examples illustrated in Sir Ralph Payne-Galloway's book on the Crossbow.

[Acer Saccharum]

I split out Gregg's rifle, so this thread could stay on topic.