lock and side plate panel different profiles?

[curly]

I have a Danish Gentlemen's pistol that I'm building. My problem is the side plate is exceptionally wide, height wise, with very elaborate detail. It comes only 5/16" from the belly rounding up to the side plate panel. I have about 1/16" from the side plate to the panel line. Now the problem comes when I transfer the profile of the side plate to the lock plate. I used a small matten lock and now the lock plate profile is about 1/2 " or so from the bottom of the lock. Is it OK to have two slightly different profiles for the side panels? I don't have pictures of both sides of the original, just the lock plate. I'm stumped on this one and I need all the help I can get. Thanks in advance guys.

[Mike Brooks]

I'd cut out a new sideplate the correct size.

[Stophel]

The sideplate is too big for the lock?  That means the lock is too small.     Despite the current trend, pistols do not have to have tiny locks.

[omark]

I have seen different size panels on original guns. Mark

[Mark Elliott]

Maybe I have been doing it wrong for years, but I wasn't aware that lock plates and side plates had to be the same size.    I don't think any of my guns have ever had ones that were exactly the same size.    Usually,  the side plates are a little smaller, and I still often think mine are too high.  However,  they need to be about the same size and shape just so that the lock panels are about the same size and shape.   The panels don't need to be exactly the same size and shape either as long as they begin and end in about the same place.    Because trigger plates are rarely exactly in the middle of the lock panels,  the lock panels will not be exactly the same.    It should all just look "right" when you are done.

[Bob Roller]

The sideplate is too big for the lock?  That means the lock is too small.     Despite the current trend, pistols do not have to have tiny locks.

Neither do rifles. In The Huntington (WV)Museum of Art resides a light hunting rifle credited to Simon Kenton and it has a large military lock which I have always thought was an expedient to get a rifle ready.
The late Tom Dawson copied this rifle using a big military lock and he said when fired that the opening and rebound of the heavy frizzen reminded him of starting a half inch capacity electric drill.
On the other hand,these little locks if properly made are fast and with a proper vent will give caplock speed of ignition.
Bob Roller

[Ryan McNabb]

Are you building this kit?

http://www.muzzleloaderbuilderssupply.com/pistols/danish.html

If so, then don't the parts fit together appropriately?  It is a large side plate that very much fills up the off side mortise.  Did you stock the pistol from a blank using their parts?