Cleaning wheellock

[Ghfgyrb75638]

I recently purchased a very nice wheellock, and I am itching to try it out. I'll probably wait for some nice spring weather, but I started thinking about cleaning it, with the wheel, grooves, pan clearances, and places I probably can't get to well unless I take the lock apart, which I am loath to do. Any suggestions?

[Mike Brooks]

I recently purchased a very nice wheellock, and I am itching to try it out. I'll probably wait for some nice spring weather, but I started thinking about cleaning it, with the wheel, grooves, pan clearances, and places I probably can't get to well unless I take the lock apart, which I am loath to do. Any suggestions?

Long ago I did some shooting with a wheel lock. After about 8-10 shots the wheel fouls out and doesn't spin well. You had to take it off and dunk it in a bucket of water. After that you got another 8=10 shots. Nature of the best. Where did you find a very nice wheellock that is good enough to shoot?
 You must completely take the lock apart to clean it when you're done shooting.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Here's a couple of pictures of the wheellock dag that I made for my friend Peter.  Having made the lock, I am not imtimidated to take it apart, and for Peter, I wrote a detailed disassembly/assembly paper so that he could do the same, and he didn't have any difficulties whatsoever.  He learned the hard way, that when cleaning in the field, have a strong rare-earth magnet at hand, so you can retrieve small parts that fall into the grass.  Peter is the only person I know who has aced the pistol trail at the BC Rendezvous, and he did it with his wheellock pistol.  He shot 25 shots in succession without cleaning the lock, but I set the gun up to work with a flint over a smooth grooved wheel rather than with iron pyrites on a serrated wheel.

[44-henry]

Wonder how one of the little ultrasonic immersion cleaners would work? I know they are used for modern arms frequently.

https://www.amazon.com/iSonic-P4810-Commercial-Ultrasonic-Extraction/dp/B005GA1I3M/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?crid=1IPMHS983H2K2&keywords=ultrasonic+cleaner+gun&qid=1642251662&sprefix=ultrasonic+cleaner+gun%2Caps%2C89&sr=8-4

[Mike Brooks]

Here's a couple of pictures of the wheellock dag that I made for my friend Peter.  Having made the lock, I am not imtimidated to take it apart, and for Peter, I wrote a detailed disassembly/assembly paper so that he could do the same, and he didn't have any difficulties whatsoever.  He learned the hard way, that when cleaning in the field, have a strong rare-earth magnet at hand, so you can retrieve small parts that fall into the grass.  Peter is the only person I know who has aced the pistol trail at the BC Rendezvous, and he did it with his wheellock pistol.  He shot 25 shots in succession without cleaning the lock, but I set the gun up to work with a flint over a smooth grooved wheel rather than with iron pyrites on a serrated wheel.

Nifty. That's one helluva nice job. The gun I was shooting was a rifle if I recall. The lock started out life as a Navy Arms kit. There wasn't much Navy Arms left in it when it was done.

[Ghfgyrb75638]

I recently purchased a very nice wheellock, and I am itching to try it out. I'll probably wait for some nice spring weather, but I started thinking about cleaning it, with the wheel, grooves, pan clearances, and places I probably can't get to well unless I take the lock apart, which I am loath to do. Any suggestions?

Long ago I did some shooting with a wheel lock. After about 8-10 shots the wheel fouls out and doesn't spin well. You had to take it off and dunk it in a bucket of water. After that you got another 8=10 shots. Nature of the best. Where did you find a very nice wheellock that is good enough to shoot?
 You must completely take the lock apart to clean it when you're done shooting.

Alright, thanks for the lead

[smart dog]

Hi mysterious and I am sure digitally secure avatar,

Mike Brooks has the right idea, dunk it in warm soapy water, and clean it with a tooth brush.  Then spray the whole thing with a water dispersant like WD-40, wipe it clean, and oil.  If you can easily remove the wheel, do so and clean all sides of it and the lock plate and pan underneath.

dave

[Daryl]

I should not, no- I want to note here, that that wheel lock Taylor built, has the ignition speed of a modern pistol or revolver. REALLY!
Touch the set trigger and boom - instantly. I was amazing - the only non-cap-lock that was faster than my flinch.
IT sometimes win, even with those.

[Mike Brooks]

I should not, no- I want to note here, that that wheel lock Taylor built, has the ignition speed of a modern pistol or revolver. REALLY!
Touch the set trigger and boom - instantly. I was amazing - the only non-cap-lock that was faster than my flinch.
IT sometimes win, even with those.

Same thing I noticed when shooting the one I shot all those years ago. It's really odd, you notice you can't feal the hammer fall either.

[smart dog]

Hi,
I own a wheelock which I haven't put on a gun yet but I worked it over and understand its mechanism well.  This last summer several members of our woods walk club brought wheelocks and we had a lot of fun shooting them.  Yes, ignition is fast, when it happens. One issue is the dog spring and dog have to be well shaped and adjusted so the spring puts hard pressure on the dog when it is lowered and resting on the pan cover.  That is important so that when the lock is fired and the pan cover slides forward, the dog continues to lower the pyrite onto the wheel.  After some shooting, fouling can hang up the dog and it doesn't drop the pyrite onto the wheel.  The short term solution on the range is to manually open the pan cover before shooting and push the dog all the way down into the priming  In addition, the synchronicity of the action can be impaired by fouling such that the pan cover does not open fully quickly enough to expose enough of the pan and wheel to the pyrite.  The pan cover is knocked forward by a lug on the main spindle of the lock that hits the pan cover rocker arm. That force must also overcome the pressure of the pyrite on the top of the pan cover as it slides forward.  That is one reason wheelock mainsprings are so big and strong.  They have to spin the wheel despite fouling and overcome other frictions cause parts like the pan cover and dog.

dave       

[Daryl]

We set the dog with pyrites or flint on the wheel in the priming, not on the pan cover. Ignition was instantaneous.

[Marcruger]

I have zero experience with wheellocks, but they are very cool. Could they not be flushed out with "Gun Scrubber" or similar, blown dry, and then lubed?   

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

As with rifles, there are probably many ways to clean a wheellock.  But having spent a month of ten to twelve hour days making every part with hacksaw and file except for screws which I turned on my little lathe, I am not willing to take a chance on a cleaning system that I am unsure of.  I know how the lock is assembled and disassembled, and that water and elbow grease gets it brand new clean, so I stick with what works.  You do what you wish with your $3000 lock.

[Canute Rex]

When I clean my wheellock lock I always remove the wheel and clean behind it. So much crud builds up behind there. With mine it is four screws to remove. The main thing to remember is the position of the recess in the back for the sear. If you aren't careful you can install it 90 or 180 or 270 degrees off.

I keep a little brass oiler (originally for a famous Soviet firearm) in my bag. Right before shooting and every six or eight shots I put a drop or two of light oil at the intersection of the center post and the wheel. The oil seeps inside and liquefies the powder residue behind the wheel. I might have to wipe the edge of the wheel. I'll hold a clean patch on top of the wheel with my thumb as I span the lock.

That and a good solid pyrite and I have shot 20 times without a misfire. Of course, my lock was made by Bolek and then tuned a bit by Brian Anderson.

[Flint62Smoothie]

FWIW, prime w/ 3F on the inside of the wheel (to the barrel)  and I've shot up to or more than 40-shots in a row - no bound wheel or pan cover. Mine was built by Brian Anderson of VT.

If anything limits the reliability, it is the pyrite getting dirty, if not the pyrite integrity and/or quality itself. I have found that cleaning the pyrite with alcohol every six to dozen shots greatly improves the reliability. And for some weird reason the pyrite seems to last longer …

I also have experimented with various cleaning techniques and have done the ‘forced water behind the wheel’ approach and also a gun scrubber or brake cleaning aerosol, but only used outdoors. The lock assembly is then rinsed in water and left on a heated heat duct to dry or I will warm it in the oven or use a hairdryer or heat gun.

Then lube! All is swell! Oh, when I do disassemble it, I run any bearing surface with a construction pencil. The graphite appears to inhibit any crud build-up, plus improve cycling.

Works for me! And many thanks to Canute Rex for his help in my early ‘growing pains’ with this ignition type, especially for sources for good pyrite!

[Marcruger]

" You do what you wish with your $3000 lock."

Taylor, I hold you in the highest respect, and did not mean to raise your ire sir.  Knowing nothing about wheel locks, I was truly wondering if cleaning them could be done similar to flint locks, that is without disassembly?   From your response it sounds like disassembly is the indicated cleaning method. 

I seem to be heading backwards in time regarding firearms technology, and I know a gentleman not far from me with a wheel lock.  Perhaps one day I will own one.  It is good to store away information for the future. 

God Bless, and best wishes,   Marc 

[Flint62Smoothie]

... if you shoot your wheellock regularly ... there is IMHO absolutely zero need to disassemble the lock assembly every time.  Clean - rinse - DRY - lube!

Uhhhhh, it is all ... metal? And mostly hardened pieces where it counts. Use good moly grease on the hub and bearing oil on the bike chain and pan cover and all is well. Plus lube of choice elsewhere.

And $3,000 for the lock? I paid less that for the complete build, of the ONLY replica of the John Alden wheellock carbine known to exist, as originally built by Beretta in 1560 that now resides in the NRA Museum.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

I built my lock from scratch, every spring and screw.  It took a little over a month and I worked on it hard every day for at least ten hours.  What do you do for a living and what do you make in a month?  I have read that historically, wheellocks were very expensive compared to other firearms, and I can see why.

[Dunc NZ]

I have zero experience with wheellocks, but they are very cool. Could they not be flushed out with "Gun Scrubber" or similar, blown dry, and then lubed?

Gun scrubber and other volatile cleaners can cause the springs to freeze and snap .Not just on wheel locks . Be very careful , Don't ask me how I know this 

[Dunc NZ]

Here's a couple of pictures of the wheellock dag that I made for my friend Peter.  Having made the lock, I am not imtimidated to take it apart, and for Peter, I wrote a detailed disassembly/assembly paper so that he could do the same, and he didn't have any difficulties whatsoever.  He learned the hard way, that when cleaning in the field, have a strong rare-earth magnet at hand, so you can retrieve small parts that fall into the grass.  Peter is the only person I know who has aced the pistol trail at the BC Rendezvous, and he did it with his wheellock pistol.  He shot 25 shots in succession without cleaning the lock, but I set the gun up to work with a flint over a smooth grooved wheel rather than with iron pyrites on a serrated wheel.

I have a wheel lock with a serrated wheel and it chews pyrites to bits Does the smooth wheel work very well with Flints ? I have tried all sort of pyrites and am sick of having to clean the rifle after getting one flash in the pan per 10 shots .

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

I made the wheel for this pistol from a length of drill rod.  I hardened and tempered it as if it were a frizzen, and it sparks like a cutting torch.  The flint on the smooth (unserrated) wheel produces lots of sparks as soon as the wheel begins to spin.  The action is very fast, and the wheel rotates about 3/4 of a revolution.  The serrated wheel works with pyrites but not as effective as the smooth one with flint.  Rather than put the flint down on the pan cover, I move the pan cover off the pan and lower the flint right down into the pan.  The heavy spring holds it there very firmly.  This pistol does not require any maintenance during a 25 shot course of fire.  The mainspring is very stout.  I'm much more impressed by Bolek's wheellocks as far as function goes.  I've never seen one up close, nor have I ever seen any of the commercial efforts that are apparently available.

[Flint62Smoothie]

FWIW I have wheellocks by both Bolek and Brian Anderson. Brian’s are smoother & look like a Master craftsman of a gun guild built it, hand forge parts et al. Bolek’s is smooth indeed, but appears too refined or ‘machined’, looks like it was ‘CNC machinist made’ in comparison …