losing the pan bridle

[rich pierce]

A guy on another forum asked about removing the pan bridle on a lock to make it bridle-less.

Do you guys then use a larger diameter pivot screw?  Seems to me the Siler, etc frizzens don't have enough extra meat around the pivot screw hole for this.  What do you do?

[AndyThomas]

Rich,

I have debridled a Chambers early English lock. I used the 10-32 screw from the unbridled early Ketland lock for this. The bridled locks use an 8-32 screw.

I believe the unbridled Christian Springs lock also uses a 10-32 pivot screw, as opposed to an 8-32 on the Siler.

The disavantage to increasing the screw size is that the frizzen has to be annealed and then rehardened after the hole is enlarged.

Hope this helps,
Andy

[rich pierce]

I hear ya.  I noted that some frizzens don't have much extra metal right there around the pivot hole. I think the Davis locks with/o a pan bridle use really big screws, maybe #12?  A 10-32 should be good, eh?

[northmn]

You might try a Kasenit treatment on the 10-32 screw.  That seems to help resist any bending.

DP

[Stophel]

On the old German locks I have (and locksets from TRS) the unbridled frizzen screw is usually close to an 8.

[JCKelly]

Caywood Guns has several bridle-less locks available, including left hand. And they throw an impressive shower of sparks.

[HistoricalArmsMaker]

Here is a good idea yall should try. In a lot of applications requiring a "stiffening" of the screw, you can make a screw shoulder larger than the actual thread size. In this case the axle is a long shoulder. What happens is that when the shoulder contacts the surface (the plate), it not only can't go any further, it shoulders and provides a positive stop and stops the screw from rocking. I wish locks made today had shouldered screws. If they did, you couldn't overtighten the sear! Think about it, I am considering using them in some locks I'm going to attempt.
Susie

[Stophel]

I just did a Siler where I removed the bridle (and reworked the pan so it is unrecognizeable as the all-too-familiar squareish Siler pan!).  Just used a 10-32 screw.  The frizzen has PLENTY of metal to use a larger screw.  It's an easy change...well, if you're starting out with a kit.