Found a Miquelet lock.

[Goo]

I need some help with possible Identification for this miquelet lock it's long gun size approx 5 1/2 inches long. Came out of an antique store the makers mark is faint the crown in the mark is legible but what is below may be a cross but not strong enough stamping to see well.  As you can see from the photos the main spring wedge is missing.  I have made no effort to clean it up. Thanks in advance!

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

...main spring wedge?

[Levy]

The mainspring will have two tabs that go through the lockplate.  They are both undercut and a wedge goes in between the two holding the mainspring on the lock.  I've cleaned and preserved some from 1715 and 1733 Plate Fleet wrecks on Florida's coast.  James Levy

[WESTbury]

The lock looks very Spanish.

On page 15 of Gorge Neumann'ss book Battle Weapons of the American Revolution, there are proof marks of European arms. #36 looks very much like the one on your lock. #36 is a Spanish marking.

[Mike Brooks]

The lock looks very Spanish.

Wow, never would have guessed.

[Goo]

...main spring wedge?

Taylor here is a picture of the back side of the lock lower left there is supposed to be a wedge to secure the tabs of the main spring.

[WESTbury]

The lock looks very Spanish.

Wow, never would have guessed.

You are only allowed three guesses. Could have been Italian (see photo) or possibly EU. 

[WESTbury]

I need some help with possible Identification for this miquelet lock it's long gun size approx 5 1/2 inches long. Came out of an antique store the makers mark is faint the crown in the mark is legible but what is below may be a cross but not strong enough stamping to see well.  As you can see from the photos the main spring wedge is missing.  I have made no effort to clean it up. Thanks in advance!

Goo--here is page 15 from George's book showing #36. Not sure who Gomez is, maybe Gomez Addams.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Goo:  thanks for the pictures and explanation.  You have a wonderful lock in remarkable condition.  What an addition to a lock collection!

Taylor

[Pukka Bundook]

Lovely lock!

They always remind me on an English bull terrier....all jaws!
These locks also made in abundance in N Africa, but Not up to this standard.
Usually very sure fire, with that wicked strong mainspring.

[Metalshaper]

clean piece of aluminum foil, as smooth as you can get it to be.. lay over the crown/marks and then burnish with a somewhat pointed wooden stick of 'sandwich sticker'
if your careful and not too heavy handed, you can sometimes bring out the impressions..  has worked for me.. and has not 

Respect Always
Metalshaper/Jonathan

[Levy]

Due to the tremendous strength of the mainspring and the battering nature of the impact, a miquelet lock can use the same flint as long as it will stay in the jaws of the cock.  They would rotate the flint and use it until used up ones appear round.  James Levy

[Bill Paton]

James Lavin’s ”A History ofSpanish Firearms” has many maker’s marks in it. That ”crown over rectangle” was widely used by many different makers, usually spelling their names out in 2 or 3 lines in the box, so each line has 2 or 3 letters of the name.Therefore, if you can decipher some of the letters, and determine the row and position of each recognizable letter, we might be able to tell who made the lock from the many pages of examples.

      ANT.
       GO
      MEZ

is how Antonio Gomez put his name in the box, as in WESTbury’s example. There are dozens of others.

Your lock is the typical Spanish “patella” type, with the mainspring acting upward on the heal of the cock, and the little foot (patilla) in front of the cock engaging the noted cylinder of the half cock sear as well as the rectangular full cock sear.

Nice lock. If you can deduce some letters and positions in the box under the crown, post them and we can see if they match any of the dozens of maker’s marks.

Bill Paton