Which of the two locks has better, more reliable design?

[Naphtali]

Between L&R's flintlocks Model# 1100 (Durs Egg) and Model# 900 (Late English), which of the two locks, each having gooseneck cock, would more likely be more reliably functioning when properly tuned?

This query pertains only to the two L&R locks.

[chapmans]

A friend has an Egg and he has had to change the geometry of the cock to get it to be consistent and it's still hard on flints.I on the other hand have the Late English and have never had a problem with it, it's never been tuned, it is 10 or 12 years old, still working fine!
  Regards, Steve Chapman

[Dave K]

I have them both. If as you say,tuned properly, you won't be able to tell the difference. At least I can't. Now, mine have been tuned, but neither style is hard on flints either.

[Mike Brooks]

I have used 2 late english and they both sucked. No problems with the durrs Egg other than they tend to blow the edge off of your flint in front of the vent hole.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Up until recently, I have had super success with the L & R 900 flint lock.  But the last one was full of problems.  I had to re-arc the mainspring and then re-harden and temper it, re-harden and temper the frizzen spring, change the curve of the frizzen, and heat treated it twice, before I could get it to perform as I like 'em.

Daryl has a Durs Egg on his half stocked fowler, and it gives great service.  I find the mainspring on it a little stiff, but it lights up the pan every time.  Also, the frizzen is quite thick, which I like.  I will last longer than the 900, which requires replacing after about 5000 rounds.

[Gaeckle]

My last build I used a late English and I had to do some work with it. I think the older L&R's were made better. I'm making a little halfstock percussion and the lock I'm using is an old Dixie Italian job and that thing is nice! I will also be using a Davis lock in a build pretty soon.

[northmn]

I have a very trouble free Durs Egg and like the design a little better.  I broke two mainsprings on the late English but have had no trouble since the last one.  I have two of them.  One Durs Egg on a rifle I built for an individual had to be balanced as it shattered English flints after a couple of shots.  You had to work to cosk it.  Once tuned it worked very well for the individual.  The Late English or Hawken lock also has a very large plate.  I would use either depending upon the rifle design requirements.  I also have had a few large Silers and I see no difference in performance between the three. 

DP

[rich pierce]

I'd go with style; use whichever one works best for your planeed build and timeframe.  I've not used either one in the past 10 years so can't comment- also note that if you get 12 locks of the same design from the same maker, some of them will be better than others.  So experience with 1 or two may not tell the whole story. 

I built with both long ago- the Durs Egg tuned beautifully, the double throated English was a rock breaker but I notice you're using the S shaped cock.

[Naphtali]

Many thanks, guys. As I suspected, quality and precision of assembly-tune is more significant than niggardly differences between the two designs. So my next - and last - step is to lay off the choice to the gun maker who will build my rifles. . . . My aesthetic taste is acknowledged to be so poor that my wife chooses everything I wear, including spectacle frames.