Siler "Gunmaker's Flintlock" ( uncut plate)

[Jim Filipski]

Has any one had any experience with the Siler "Gunmaker's locks" ( the ones with the uncut lock plate)?
I was just wondering what amount of shaping potential is available with it? I would like to be able to drop the rear third of the plate
to make it more banana shaped. In essence try to make it in to a small version of a jaeger style lock to be used on a German pistol I'm trying to approximate.
Jim

[John Knaack]

I have used several and the plate is substantialy longer and taller than a large Siler lock plate.  You should be able to reshape it as you wish.  Don't go smaller than the larger Siler plate and you will be fine.

[Ted Kramer]

Jim,

I just finished shaping one for an upcoming rifle. The picture shows the regular large Siler plate atop the shaped "Gunmaker's" plate. You can see about 1/4" more drop to the tail. This is about all the drop I could obtain without getting things out of proportion.

Ted

[keweenaw]

The only real limitation on shaping the plate is where the tail of the sear and the sear spring  end up.  You have some leeway in that as you can bend the tail of the sear down a bit but the sear spring position is fixed.

Tom

[Nate McKenzie]

Have you seen the Chambers Model L-19 "Dale Johnson" flintlock? Its a Siler with a 1/8" lower tail that sounds like about what you want.   http://www.flintlocks.com/locks6.htm

[Stophel]

Anymore, I do just about everything with the Siler "gunmaker's kit", though I never use the cock.

[tallbear]

Heres one I made from it.
Mitch

[Jim Filipski]

Thanks for the replies. From what I'm seeing here I just may be able to pull it off. If I can get it to tail drop about 1/4 such as the image Ted posted and the bottom curve such as Tallbear's image. Stoph are you making the cocks for your lock builds or are you using a pre-made one?

Thanks again everyone
Jim

[Stophel]

That's one of the "blank" cocks from Track of the Wolf.  I use them often, reshaping as necessary.

This one is also made from the gunmakers' kit....there's plenty of stylistic room there to work with.



I have another lock that I have started, and I'm really proud of, but no photos yet.  It is all shaped out, but not assembled yet.

[B.Barker]

You can move the sear spring on the locks some. My last one I had to drop the spring quite a bit. It had the slot cut for the spring way to high.  They are great to use though. Here is a late lock I'm working on now. Its not what you are looking for but you can see the range that it can be used for.