Hawken Hammer

[Daryl]

Track also sells them.

[A.Merrill]

Honestly? If the lock was not cut for the the breech you put the plate in the wrong place. With an uncut lock you use the hammer to determine where the lock is placed. Its like aligning the pan with the vent on a flintlock.
Trace the lock plate on the stock at the approximate location, looks right, fits the wrist etc, tracing the tumbler hole. Then try the hammer on the drawing shifting it around till  it will strike the nipple. Note it will likely need some adjustment to properly strike the nipple, I use an acetylene or Mapp gas torch. Usually nees to be bent toward the bore.
If the lock plate is precut in the wrong place then you need a different hammer or a welder.

I agree with Dphariss. I think you need to slow down and think it over. Maybe it's just the picture but the lock doesn't look like it's lined upright on the stock.   Al

[taterbug]

in MB's defense, I've seen this same thing with that breech/tang/ lock plate combo.  Then throw in the less-than ideal pre-carve inlet, this is where you end up...

[moleeyes36]

There is always THAT solution, Paul.

Yup -- I got better things to do than try to bend a hammer that much and maybe break it then I will have to buy a new one so for me I will just buy it now and be done with it

In addition to the possibility of breaking the hammer, as mentioned above, if you succeed in bending it, you will have changed the angle of the bottom of the cup to the top of nipple.  This can cause unreliable percussion cap detonation.

Don Richards

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Re-inlet the tang until it is seated against the precarved inloet, and move the barrel down about 1/32"...that'll about do it.  You may have to do some filing on the plate to accommodate the snail.  There's no reason that hammer cannot work.

[smylee grouch]

That angle at the bottom of the hammers cup is fairly easy to recut to the right angle giving it a "square" strike to the nipple/cap.

[Daryl]

After reading your post, Taylor and re-looking at the pictures, it is very easy to see your "point"!

[mikeyfirelock]

Taylor has the right approach.  I would also add that checking the fit of breech to tang and correcting ( CAREFULLY). The tang to breech fit will also help this situation by partially closing up the ( apparent) gap there.   Looking at the picture I would think that the lock inlet is biased  somewhat. ( tipped  down toward the front which could cause this situation.)

[Steeltrap]

... a bigger hammer.

In the past, I've used this approach on "many things". 99% of the time it didn't work out.....but that was on "non-BP" matters.