original Ketland flintlock

[b bogart]

As I blurted out in another thread, I have a small oiginal Ketland flintlock that needs a frizzen and mainspring. I think the Chambers Late Ketland frizzen will be a close fit. I'll find a mainspring too. The big question is do I replace the "guts" with modern guts or just buy a new lock and admire the old lock. It is small, approximately 4.25" at the longest. Would be a nice pistol lock. Input is appreciated!!

[JTR]

I guess you could give it a try. I'm sure you could find a frizzen and a main spring that will, or could be made to fit, and work just fine.

Ketlands were for their time a well made lock., not the best, but far from the worst.
 
However, I've seen quite a few of them with loose/worn fitting tumbler axles where they fit through the lock plate, plus looseness where the tumbler fits through the bridle, so you have to wonder about the hardness of the metal, and how it would do with a lot of shooting.
So your old lock might work fine, at least for awhile, and then maybe wear out quickly. Given that the lock does have some collector value, wearing it out will only diminish that value.

So I guess you could either fix it up and use it, fix it up and just admire it, or sell it as is and buy a couple of new lock with the bucks!

John

[Hungry Horse]

Bruce;

  A suggestion would be to check around and see if somebody has a frizzen off of one of Dixie's old F1 flintlocks. These were very popular locks back in the day. The internals were nicely made of milled steel, but they had no axle through the tumbler bridle, and no fly in the tumbler, they tended to bind up after a little wear. The frizzens are about the right size, and are good steel. They are very generic style wise, and can be shaped to fit many applications. My old N.C. poor boy has one on it, and it never shot better. In fact we had a contest with flinters, that involved who could get the most shots out of one flint. I won it with 71 shots with english flint, and the old F1 frizzen.

                                Hungry Horse

[Pete G.]

I would add the frizzen and main spring to the old lock looking right and place it on the mantle. Take it to hand about once a month and just observe and let it talk to you.
Buy the new lock for shooting.