Frintlock assemby help

[R I Jerolmon]

In the process of gathering parts for a Northwest Trade Gun I managed to acquire a Jim Chambers Siler lock kit. This is beyond my expertise and ability. Is there someone willing to quote me on assembly cost or am I better off to set it aside and purchase a lock?

[smylee grouch]

Did you plan on using the Siler lock for the North West gun?

[David R. Pennington]

The Siler kit can be assembled into a very serviceable lock. Normally the kits come with some good instructions. If you don't have them I am sure you could get a copy. You will need to file and clean up the rough castings. You will need a heat source hot enough to get the parts to a bright red heat to harden them. Tempering can be done on a stove top. Drills and taps of the proper size needed as well.
I built my first rifle with a Siler kit lock a dozen or so years ago and it is still going strong.

[smallpatch]

Please use the appropriate lock.  Maybe sell the Siler, and get a lock that should be there.  Later, you'll be glad you did.

[rich pierce]

Agree with Dane, get a lock yay is appropriately styled for your build.  Back in the 70s the Siler was THE quality reliable lock so everybody used it for everything, and word on the shooting line was " get a Siler."  Now there are over 20 fine quality flintlocks available in many styles.

[deepcreekdale]

Listen to Dane and Rich. That is a good lock but would look awful on a NW trade gun. Totally wrong style. Keep it though, nobody builds just one gun.

[R I Jerolmon]

My sincere thanks to the members who responded. I will set this kit aside and shop for a different (appropriate) lock.

[B.Habermehl]

Might I suggest a Davis early English round faced lock. They really work nicely and would be appropriate for a trade gun. This lock is the lock I used on my type G trade guns. BJH

[RAT]

Contact Matt at Northstar West. He sells completed NW guns... NW gun kits... and he might be persuaded to sell you just the lock. Just google Northstar West. I don't have any experience with Caywood, but they also sell NW guns.

[deepcreekdale]

Chambers also has a very nice round face English lock that would look great. Also an excellent all round lock. In the ones I have used for builds the customers have commented on the reliability and how easy it is on flints. If possible try to buy direct from Jim, if there are ever any questions or problems, it makes it easier for him to address. Some vendors assemble his locks and may do quite as good a job as the assemblers Jim uses. Plus Jima and Barbie are good folks. As are the guys at Davis.

[Clark Badgett]

The Chambers English, Virginia and early Ketland are all very good choices for a NW gun as is the Davis round face Tryon mentioned up thread. L&R also makes one as well but I forget the exact name of it.

[rich pierce]

Agree these are very fine locks and English as is appropriate and from the correct time period.  The NW trade gun was as cheaply made as possible, selling for less than the most basic fowling piece of that time.  A flintlock with a frizzen bridle would be unusual on an early NW trade gun.  But that may or may not be a deciding factor for the builder or owner, who my prefer to have the best lock available that is of the era and English.

[Clark Badgett]

Rich, you do bring up an excellent point in regard to the bridle. The Chambers English/Virginia style is the most externally correct looking for most of the NW muskets I've seen, but they are bridled. The Late Ketland is available without a bridle, and is correct from original artifacts.

At some point in time I plan on building another NW gun, and when that time comes I'll most likely try to make one as close as possible to the imagery I have on originals, which means I'll have to modify  a Chambers English to remove the bridle. Not hard but certainly another step

[RAT]

The Hudson Bay co. began specifying a frizzen bridle on locks somewhere around 1800. I don't have Gooding's book handy to give the exact date. The NW co. started a bit earlier. Thomas Barnett... supplier to the NW co. and later the HB co... was using an internal bridle by 1790, I believe.

With regards to Chambers locks, while great locks, they aren't really right for a typical NW gun. The top of the cock is different where it rises behind the top jaw. The frizzen spring finial is also very different.

The flat faced Chambers early Ketland is just wrong.

I'll stick with my recommendations above for the most appropriate lock.

[Clark Badgett]

Rat, they may have indeed specified for them, but unfortunately many dated originals way past 1800 don't have them. Correspondence may say one thing but originals specimens something else. And yes the flatfaced Ketland is correct, Ketland made locks for the NW guns.