Long's Locks Denver

[Majorjoel]

The percussion lock that came with my 70's vintage Hawken kit is a very well made highly polished and tuned mechanism. It is stamped on the inner plate "Long's Locks Denver". Anyone ever heard of this lock maker or company?

[flintman-tx]

Guy is Ron Long. He was a wonderful cross stick shooter for years. He got into the Single shot scene after that. He was very competitive there also and did great work on moulds,sights, guns, etc. I haven't seen him in years but I guess he is still with us.

[skillman]

I have a set trigger by Ron in the first gun I built. Best part of the gun. I have thought about using them in another gun but I gave it to my little brother. Guess it would be hard to take them back.

Steve

[David Rase]

Now there is a name I have not heard in a while.  That lock is a keeper.  I ran around with Ron Long in the late 70's/early 80's.  Shot a lot of bench and off hand with him in Colorado, Wyoming and New Mexico.  He was one heck of a competitor.  He was a self taught machinist and investment cast mold maker.  When Ron moved on to the single shot world we kind of parted ways due to my inability to afford a single shot.  Besides being a great lock and trigger maker his barrels were second to none.  Him and his wife Polly always treated everybody who was their friends with respect.
DMR

[Kermit]

Used to have--got it about 1983--a little .32 flinter with one of Ron's locks. It was the best thing about that rifle.

[J. Talbert]

I believe that Davis' Late English Flintlock with the waterproof pan is made off of Ron Long's original castings.

I'm not positive... but if memory serves me correctly, there's a strong resemblance there.

Jeff

[Roger B]

Long made some incredible barrels as well.  I had one in the 80s that was remarkably accurate.  He went on to build scheutzen rifles & was always competitive in whatever discipline he chose.  I know that he had a contract to set up the Ballard Rifle Company in Cody, WY.  I was told by the Ballard people that he was in Cheyenne, WY & is/was very ill. 
Roger B.

[dannylj]

I have a Bill Large barreled (1 1/8 x .54) Hawken with a Long percussion lock and trigger. Smoothest lock I have ever used. Killed a lot of deer with it but it is about too heavy to tote these days. Never had a minute of trouble with lock or triggers. Circa 1980 or so. Would love to find a drop in flintlock for it. I would add a barrel in .62 or smoothbore.  Danny

[Dphariss]

I talked to Ron in June at the Wyoming Schuetzen matches.
Had pictures of he and Don King but someone stole the camera before I got them off it
He has had health problems but has been doing some shooting and thats a good sign.
Dan

[Roger B]

I'm glad to hear he is doing better.  I don't know him personally, but when I bought that barrel from him in 84 he took me around his house & showed me some of his projects.  The man is an incredible craftsman.
Roger B.

[wattlebuster]

I have a jim bridger hawken built on a ron long pattern. I dont know if ron ever touched this lock or not but it is the smoothest lock i have ever had in my 30 yrs of shooting smokepoles. I have filled my freezer more than once with this rifle

[Don Getz]

I am quite sure that the english style fintlock, waterproof pan, which Ron Long designed is being made by Davis, as well
as the percussion lock used by the late Don Brown on his Alex Henry rifle.........Don

[David Rase]

In the early 80's Ron built me a Ken Bresien underhammer rifle.  The action allowed interchangeable barrels.  I had Ron make me a tapered .40 caliber for offhand shooting and a false muzzled .50 caliber complete with a Redfield Palma peep sight for bench rest shooting.  Not quite period correct but the what the heck, I was only interested in punching holes in paper at that time in my life.
DMR

[B Shipman]

Yes, the Ron Long locks are now being made by Davis. Whether they are the same quality as Long's lock were I cannot say, but if you can ever get ahold of and old Long lock, you can be sure that replacement parts are available if ever needed.

[Mike R]

I used Ron Long lock and triggers on the one and only Hawken I ever built back ca. 1982.  Wish I still had the rifle--it was modeled after a Hawken in the Taos museum, and I used a Green River .58 heavy barrel. Traded it off in the late 80s for a longrifle made by Keith Casteel, so I came out OK on the deal!  Anyway the Long lock and triggers performed very well.

[Majorjoel]

It is nice to know that parts are available for this lock! I have another lock that I picked up a few years ago from TOTW. It is the one they sell with their Hawken kits. From what their catalog says it was designed by Ron Long. I will have to see if the parts are interchangeable.

[T*O*F]

Do you have a picture of the lock?  I have several castings here that I suspect are Long's but they are unmarked.

[Majorjoel]

Sorry Dave, I missed your question till just now. I have the lock apart for inletting but will get a picture up in a day or so.