Hooked front for flint lock plate. Any suggestions on how to do it?

[Don Stith]

Guess subject says it all. I think Mike Brooks has mentioned doing this

[Mike Brooks]

I have threaded a short section of bolt in the lock plate to use for the hook. You can use a screw with a head with a flat underside for the post in the stock. You can also fashion an L shaped nail and drive it in the stock to hook to  too. I have used both ways.  I often use the L shaped nails to attach trigger guards and buttplate finials on English fowling guns.

[Chris Treichel]

Can also solder an L shaped bit to the lock plate and hook that into a staple

[Hungry Horse]

 I use a staple, and a reshaped wood screw. These are really nice on a slim squirrel rifle where there isn't much room for a through bolt. It works well for the anchor point on the front of the triggerguard on ultra thin rifles too.

  Hungry Horse

[jerrywh]

 This is how I do most of my European guns. Some times a small pin goes down through the stock at the side of the barrel channel and through the end of the screw that goes into the stock. This is done on some French double shotguns in the 18th century.

[Don Stith]

Thanks to all
I want to do one of these but was not sure what they looked like
Don

[L. Akers]

My method is similar to Jerry's except I use a #6 flat-head wood screw, shaped as jerry's, screwed into the front of the lock mortise and a mating slot cut and filed into the nose of the lockplate.  The top of the screw, filed to eliminate the slot, is flush with the outside surface of the lockplate.

[Gunnermike]

Here's a photo from a H.W. Mortimer gun (c.1790) on Lewis & Drake site, it shows a nice view of the front hook.  An 'L' shaped stud threaded or riveted thru the lockplate.


Here's a Clark gun from Lewis & Drake showing the lockplate hook and the lock inlet with the hook screw:



There's nothing like looking at the craftsmanship of these pieces that makes me want to put all my tools in a box and nail it shut.....and just post photos on the internet instead.  Good luck, Mike

[smylee grouch]

Very elaborate lock of what looks like top end quality. Nice clear photo of how to do the job.

[Bob Roller]

A fine way to start the day. The beautiful redrawn spring on the top lock and the simple elegant mechanism
of the lower lock. That one would not be hard to copy with proper tools and materials.
Thanks a lot for posting these.

Bob Roller