built up lock

[David R. Pennington]

Here is a lock I built up. I started with the plate, cock, top jaw and frizzen castings. I found springs in my stock and made the tumbler, stirrup, fly, and bridle. I used a Siler sear. I made the screws. The tumbler is turned from tool steel. The bridle forged from wrought iron. I had to figure out all the geometry.  It took three tries to get the frizzen hardened. I guess the toe warped in the process so I had to reshape and re temper the frizzen spring afterward. This was a good learning experience for me. It works!

[Robby]

Looks like a mighty fine job to me David, congratulations!!!!
Robby

[Bob Roller]

David R,
That's the Chet Shoults Ketland plate and frizzen.The cock looks like it's been restyled and a good job of it.If you want to improve the performance of this lock,heat the frizzen to red hot and recurve it to a 2 and 1/2" radius.I use a new 5" bench grinder wheel to establish this curve.Jerry Devaudreuil in Wooster,Ohio is the source of these parts if you want to get another frizzen to try this idea.He has no Email but his phone is 1-330-245-4500.
You have done a good job with this project and now you can see how labor intensive this work is and why I am backing away from it.
   I started making this lock after Chet Shoults had to quit due to health problems.This was in 1962.The lock used for a pattern for a VERY costly set of moulds was an antique in good condition.The moulds are milled cavity,polished aluminum.It IS an authentic style and is a basic,simple lock.The original style internal parts are still available from Jerry but I prefer the linked mainspring similar to the one you used.

Bob Roller

[David R. Pennington]

Thanks for the encouragement Robby. Thanks Bob for the information on the lineage of the parts. I had no idea where the parts were from. They were in a box of parts I bought from the widow of one of our club members. They were close to what I needed for  a southern rifle I'm working on, so I thought it would be a good exercise for me to see if I could make a lock out of them. One of our club members has a very similar lock he thinks came from Dixie years ago. He broke a frizzen spring and I made him a new one for it. You are correct about the hammer. I did some reshaping so it more closely matched the one I wanted. It originally had more of a rooster breast if you know what I mean.
Yes I certainly agree this is labor intensive work. Again I am learning as I go and it is difficult learning as an apprentice without a master! That is why the ALR is so valuable to me. I had to make three links for the stirrup before I got one the right length.  Bob I don't know what you charge for a lock but I have handled some of your locks and I am sure they are a bargain.

[Bob Roller]

David R,
You're welcome for the info on this lock.I still have 2 or maybe 4 of them to do for Muzzle Loaders Builders Supply.The idea for that lock came up about 1955 and I THINK LaDow Johnston was a proponent and might have financed those expensive ($5000)then moulds.
I knew little about the project until several years later.We thought the locks were being made by machining instead of casting but the cat got out of the bag when someone familiar with gun locks saw a lot of parts in a Cleveland,Ohio foundry.
These parts are available from Jerry Devaudreuil and there is a frizzen spring for it and it is #187 in Jerry's parts inventory.I have used a lot of them with no reported problems.

Bob Roller

[Dave R]

David,
You have completed a very nice flintlock project!!
Bob would you please expound on the 2 1/2" radius and how it relates to the tumbler and cock etc ?
Thanks!
Dave R

[Bob Roller]

David,
You have completed a very nice flintlock project!!
Bob would you please expound on the 2 1/2" radius and how it relates to the tumbler and cock etc ?
Thanks!
Dave R

David R,
The 2.5 inch radius is an ideal one for the frizzen on THIS particular lock.Assembled unmodified,this lock is not giving it's best performance and I base this on my own years of experience with it.The correct frizzen spring for this lock is the one I mentioned earlier,Jerry
Devaudreuil's #187.When properly finished it has a ramp and cam that allows the flint to get a good scrape across the modified frizzen.The stock frizzen on this lock has a tendency to get away from the flint by the simple impact occurring when struck.
When I make one of these locks,I set the "knee"on the cock 11/64ts of an inch from the back of the fence of the pan then mark the plate and drill and ream the tumbler pivot hole.
This is not a "pretty"lock but it will perform when properly set up.

Bob Roller

 

[Pete G.]

Learning experience indeed.

The main thing I learned from this post is that a Jim Chambers lock is a real bargain.

[David R. Pennington]

Pete you are right. Chamber's locks are a bargain, but my goal is not just to assemble rifles, but to learn as much about them as possible. Building this lock up was definitely not a cost effective project but in the process I learned a lot about the geometry and relationship of the parts in a lock. What will work and what won't. I feel more confident now that I can make most any part for a lock and make it work. If I ever want to call my self a flint riflesmith I surely should be able to build a lock from scratch. A completely hand forged lock is one of my future goals, to go along with the forge welded barrel if it ever gets completed.
Not only did I spend a lot of time on the lock but I also made some tools I needed along the way, i.e. a hand reamer to size tumbler holes for precise fit and gravers / chisels to cut fly mortises and notches for sear spring tabs etc....,.
This is why this flintlock stuff never gets boring, I am always learning.

[Mick C]

Wow.  That is truly amazing.   I wish I had the ability and patience to do something lie that.  Right now, I'm lucky to get one of the Pedersoli, beginner kits assembled.  David, and the others here who build rifles and locks, either from scratch or from parts sets, have my total respect.....Mick C

[retired fella]

I am a newbie on this forum and have just recently gotten back into shootin' after 25 years.  Bought a Jim Chambers Siler for my recent build in kit form.  I later related to Jim that it took me approx. ten hours to put together and works great.  He told me that he couldn't pay me by the hour...I then told him that four of those hours were spent on all fours in the shop floor huntin' the fly which kept escaping from my hemostats!

I'm impressed with anyone that can take a pile of parts and fabricate something that intricate.  Nice job on your build.