Brass Cock

[bama]

I traded for some parts a while back and in looking at them today I discovered a flintlock cock that appears to be made of brass. This cock has the top jaw and screw which are also of brass. This cock is of English design and about the size of an Ashmoore. This cock has never been mounted to a lock.

Do any of you know of any English locks made of Brass?

[Topknot]

HEY BAMA, i am very new to gun building , and no i havent heard of any, but what do i know. I noticed that your from warrior and a good ole bama boy like myself.
Its good to know that the heart of dixie is being represented hear at a.l.r.  I am just starting my first build , its a pre-carved dickert stock . any advice or tips would
be most appreciated. Im from jacksonville,alabama. Just north of anniston. Again , its good to see you here.

                                                                                     your humble servant,

                                                                                                                      topknot

[bama]

Topknot it's always good to hear from a fellow Alabamian. Let me be the first to say that we have a bunch of good old boys on this site and I am proud to be part of them. I hope your build goes well but if you have any questions the GOB's ( good old boy's ) can give you the help you need. I am going to be working in South America for the next few months so I will be out of touch. When I get back though I would love to get up with you and see how the build is coming along.

[JV Puleo]

If it is made of brass, it is not old. Brass is simply inadequate to the task and every one of the 19th and 19th century lockmakers would have been aware of that. Even brass lock plates, which are fairly common, have the serious drawback of being impossible to surface harden... which was don to iron plates to prevent excessive wear around the tumbler spindle.

[Topknot]

Thanks bama, I would really like that. Looking forward to that day.

                                       good luck in south america,

                                                                               topknot

[bama]

JV

I am not convinced it is old either, but a couple of things that I find intriguing about this cock is that the top jaw screw has a V slot and that it is all together and that it has never been mounted to a lock. Why would someone go through the effort to make such a thing and not use it?
I think it may have been made for an import of some kind as it is a little on the crude side. I was just wondering if anyone had come across any brass locks.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

I have images of English pistols with brass lock plates, but the cocks, and all the rest of the parts are of iron/steel.  A brass cock would fail in short order.

[Hungry Horse]

 It could be part of a tinder lighter. I have seen antique ones, with brass plates, pans, and even top jaws, So, a brass cock might be a possibility. Just a thought.

                      Hungry Horse

[mr. no gold]

No so long ago, arms dealer Mike D'Ambra had a smallish, very ornate, flintlock pistol which was a diamond. It was made of brass, (or bronze), and the only discernible ferrous metal on it was the facing on the frizzen. Not sure whether the internals were brass, or not, but this was one fine 1700s gun probably made in Italy, or France. So, there is at least one such rarity in the world.
Dick