Interesting architecture revelation

[J.D.]

I just received my copy of "Of Sorts for Provincials; American Weapons of the F&I WAR" and noticed that the basic architecture of the Faber rifle, page 81-84, is similar to the 1760s rifle that Earl Lanning refers to as the "woodsrunner" gun, not illustrated, which is also very similar to the classic English  architecture of the James Barbar officers fusil, page 57-60, which appears to be a more refined style of architecture from the Bumford gun,page 61-64.

Y'all are probably way ahead of me on this, but am I seeing things, or do there appear to be similarities in architecture between these guns?

Thanks,
J.D.

[Stophel]

Yes.  The color photos do a VASTLY better job of relaying the actual appearance of the gun (or so I will presume...).  It looks completely different than it does in the blurry B&W of RCA.  It looks much more like the other one or two similar guns that have been illustrated at various times in MuzzleBlasts.  I've seen one in person (the REALLY crooked one), and now seeing the "Faber" gun in color, it looks much more like it.

[J.D.]

The color photos do seem to illuminate the lines of the guns  better than any B&W photos I have seen. Or, the quality of photography is so much better than usually seen in "gun books". When I saw the color photo of the Faber rifle, the architecture really jumped out at me.  I saw the "woodsmans" rifle on display at the CLA show, and the resemblance to the classic English fowler architecture was apparent, and seeing the Faber rifle in color only served to strengthen the impression that, at least, some early rifles adhered closely to the classic English fowler styling.

Thanks for the recommendation of the AWOF&IW, to coin a new acronym, it certainly is a worthwhile investment.

Thanks,
J.D.

[James Rogers]

Have you guys got an investment interest in the book? You have me sold and I have buy one now.

[Robert Wolfe]

Got my copy last night. Very nice pictures with many views of each gun. Well worth the money.

[Telgan]

Who's the author, and where can I get one? Tom

[Stophel]

I forget the author, but it's like $35 or something like that and I got mine from Track of the Wolf.  It is prominently displayed on their website. 

[Robert Wolfe]

I believe Track is also the publisher so they may be the only outlet..........

[California Kid]

Oh god another book. Where am I going to put it?

[JTR]

Oh god another book. Where am I going to put it?

Ya can store it at my house, then I won't have to buy one!
John

[J.D.]

Although I don't have any financial interest in the AWOF&IW it is a very interesting book.

In looking at the few photos of locks with the pan closed, it is easy to see the geometry of the better English locks vs the cheap Dutch locks. I don't get to see original locks with the lock at half or full bent and the frizzen down on the pan; and the four or five photos that include those illustrations are quite enlightening. The frizzens of what should be the better locks are raked, almost radically, toward the tail of the lock, with some of them incorporating a pronounced radius to the face of the frizzen. The geometry of the cock, on the better locks, should allow the flint to scrape the frizzen to deposit the sparks into the pan, as opposed to bashing the flint into the frizzen and hoping for the best.  Veeerrrry interesting. Said with shades of a poor German accent, for those who remember Arte Johnson. 

[Stophel]

When the frizzen is sloped/curved back, you get a much nicer glancing blow of the flint.  With the frizzen straight and more vertical, the flint tends to crash into it, hard, which tends to gouge up the frizzen.  I have found the slanted frizzens/glancing blow to spark better and is much easier on the frizzen.

[J.D.]

I have a spare, cracked frizzen for the Ped bess to experiment with, so there will be no appreciable loss if it doesn't work out. Clamping the pan cover and bending the face of the frizzen, utilizing localized heat, should provide the requisite rake and radius.

Gotta make a drawing, or better yet a template to gauge the proper rake and radius though. I doubt that this type of modification can be made free hand.

I measured the rake on the two Chambers English style locks I own. They both incorporate the same 10 degree, or so, rake to the rear of the lock, but the radius of the face of the frizzen appears to be a larger diameter than on the Barbar and North locks, for example, illustrated in AWOF&IW. The frizzens on the two Chambers locks also stand up straighter than those illustrated. That doesn't suggest that there is anything wrong with Chambers English locks. They were only used as a modern comparison.

[Stophel]

Gotta make a drawing, or better yet a template to gauge the proper rake and radius though. I doubt that this type of modification can be made free hand.

Sure ya can.  Just bend 'er back a little.  Give 'er a little curve if you want.  I do this every now and then when I feel like a lock needs it.  I did one of the "new" Davis English 1760's locks not too long ago.  Bent the frizzen back just a bit and rehardened/tempered it.  It now sparks much more "easily" than it did before, with much less frizzen gouging.