Brass lock plates

[billd]

Were brass lock plates common back in the day?  The Sell rifle that's being discussed has one.  First I ever saw, not that I've seen many high priced guns.

Bill

[mr. no gold]

Brass lock plates were not all that common. Can't give you a percentage of iron to brass, but they do exist, just barely. One of the Golchers provided some brass locks to gunmakers and you see the occasional brass plates from the Adamstown area, (Sell et al).
Not sure why brass was shunned for the most part. Perhaps it was softer and wore away more quickly than iron. A brass plate would have been easier to make than iron and it looked prettier on a nice gun. In 60 years of collecting, I have seen less than ten out of hundreds and hundreds of iron plate guns. Hope that this helps out some.
Dick
 

[billd]

Thanks

[Buck]

Bill,
I have a Pennsylvania Rifle Works piece that has a brass lock plate engraved with a quail hunting scene. This isn't a super high end rifle, in fact, it was a mass produced rifle. Possibly one of their higher end rifles.
Buck

[Shreckmeister]

I've seen a brass lockplate marked pennsylvania rifle works on a rifle signed by A strawvick

[Curt J]

I have a rifle by A B Carpenter, who worked in Paris, and Dolson, Illinois, 1870's & 1880's, that has a brass lock plate. It has remnants of silver or nickel plating on the lock plate as well.  It is in the Library & Museum here. If you look at it, you will notice that the plate is cut for a bolster/snail, but now has a drum. That's because it has been set-back about 5" and re-breeched., leaving it with a stubby 47 1/2" barrel.