Early 18th Century French Locks

[MSUWABBIT]

Attached are x rays of a French lock excavated by our archaeologists several years ago, along with a rusted butt plate and burst barrel from what appears to be a 1716 French Grenadier musket.  A brass French pulverin spout and justaucorps buttons were found in the same vicinity where some poor French marine died in the 1729 Fort Rosalie massacre.   I have been tasked with establishing a living history program at this site.

I am looking for large lock: 6 1/4 inches in length by 1 1/8 tall locks as used on the 1716 French muskets carried by French Marines.  Do you know of anyone who makes a lock that can be modified to this design?   I have considered the Siler Gunmakers Lock, but it is about 1/2 inch to short.  Would it be possible to take a piece of steel plate, then cut it to the requisite shape, then mounting the Siler parts on it?   As you can tell, I am new at this, but I want to make the most accurate reproduction possible. 




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[44-henry]

You may find what you need at The Rifle Shoppe. They are notorious for slow service (like sometimes years), but they have unique stuff. They offer both castings and assembled locks. I have linked a page to their French inventory.

http://www.therifleshoppe.com/catalog_pages/french_arms/french_arms.htm

[MSUWABBIT]

Thank you for the link.  As much as I like their products and admire the research they put into them, I want to have the firearms built within the next 12 months. 

Another hurdle we face is the National Park Service's weapons purchasing regulations.  In order for us to purchase even something as harmless as a ramrod, cone, or trigger guard, we have to go through NPS contracting officers.  Muskets are treated as firearms by the NPS, and since the regulation says that all weapons and weapons parts must be purchased through contracting, we have to fill out paperwork to purchase a ramrod, then submit it to contracting, who in turn will contact the vendor. 
    Here is the deal breaker for many vendors, for in order to be eligible for government contracts, they must obtain a Duns and SAMS number by registering their business with the government. https://www.sam.gov/portal/SAM/#1

  Many vendors do not want to deal with the hassle and consider it invasive.  This, of course, knocks just about all American musket builders out of the ability to provide national parks and museums with quality reproduction muzzleloaders.   So, where does the contracts go?  To the big time vendors who import low quality gear from Pakistan and India.....thus leaving small American craftsmen like yourselves twisting in the wind.     Unfortunately, as a government employee I cannot lobby to get this rule changed.  It must come from constituents.  This is especially relevant in the new administrations efforts to get government agencies to "Buy American" first.  It's not that Americans aren't making the products we need at historic sites and museums, its just that our own bureaucracy makes it nearly impossible for us to purchase them with our government issued credit cards.  As a result, when you go to a Civil War battlefield or museum, you will see park rangers and museum exhibits with Italian or India made muzzleloaders.    As a government employee I can only educate the public on our policies and regulations; but only you can get your elected representatives to change those regulations. 

[Mike Brooks]

Thank you for the link.  As much as I like their products and admire the research they put into them, I want to have the firearms built within the next 12 months. 

Ain't going to happen in that time frame. The parts are nearly impossible to get and few gunmakers even know what these guns looked like.  You'll be lucky to even get parts inside of 12 months, Anybody qualified to make what you want correctly is probably backed up years, I'm out so far I quit taking orders last year.
 Make sure to ask for detailed pics of a gunmaker's past work. Alot of  less than desirable choices out there blowing a lot of smoke around. Sort of a "if you squint just right what I built you will look just like what you ordered".

[Eric Kettenburg]

You can get a fairly nice early French Tulle lock out of the Chambers big banana plate German lock, but it will take (1) reshaping of the plate and pan, along with engraving afterward, (2) you need to change out the cock for one of the large blank/reconversion pieces that Track sells (will need some heating and bending also for proper function), and (3) not completely necessary but helpful to also use one of the large reconversion frizzens and file it out to a more robust shape than the stock frizzen.

These locks function just peachy so there's no need to fiddle with the guts.  It's all just cosmetic but it's a lot of work.  The upside is, you can do it relatively quickly.  It will result in pretty believable piece.

[MSUWABBIT]

Thanks Guys!  This is exactly the expertise I was hoping to find here.  Thanks!  I think it is important to educate the public with the best example possible. 

[MSUWABBIT]

I am also looking for a complete pulverin or kit that I can use to make casts.  Again, The Rifle Shoppe seems to be the only ones out there.   This French pulverin spout was found near the musket parts. 

[Jim Chambers]

Good news is we have dealt with the NPS before and have all the needed ratings, etc.  So, if there is anything we make that you can use just let us know.

[MSUWABBIT]

Thank you Jim.  I hate it that they make it so difficult to purchase musket parts.  A friend of mine ordered a nail gun with his gov credit card and received an immediate call from the regional office because the bureaucrat did not know the difference between a nail gun and a firearm.   True story! 

Thanks,

David