If a percussion lock is faster that a flint, how much faster? Is a mule ear faster than a side hammer? How much faster is it? We all have had our opinions about these questions. Our next research is to answer these questions.
Steve Chapman and I have spent time recently designing a fixture, collecting locks, and developing the methods we will use for this project. This project was hatched in Jim Chamber’s booth at Friendship. Jim asked if I had ever timed a percussion lock and compared it to a flint. We discussed ways that this might be done. Jim started us off with a pistol stock inlet for his pistol kit. Since it was inlet for a small Siler lock we could use it to make comparisons by swapping locks.
The project grew when more locks became available. A fellow shooter and friend makes a sweet mule ear lock on a small Siler lock plate. We quickly added that to our project. Another long time friend owns a much modified small Siler flintlock. It was timed twice and is the fastest non-original flintlock I have timed.
This brings the lock list up to four: a stock Siler, an intensely modified Siler, a small Siler percussion, and a mule ear percussion. Below are two photos of the pistol and fixture. The first shows the pistol in battery. The second shows a closeup of the pistol rotated vertically. In this photo you can see the brass contact below the sear. The muzzle photocell can be seen in the first photo.
Since the fixture holds the pistol in two positions, we can rotate it to vertical for cleaning and reloading. Then the pistol is lowered into battery and prepared for firing. The lock is fired by a computer-controlled solenoid located below the sear. A thin brass blade is positioned just below the sear. (These can be seen in the second photo.) When the solenoid is fired it presses the brass blade against the sear, trips the sear, and starts the computer clock. A photocell is located at the muzzle and used to stop time. The actual time measured is from sear contact until material exits the muzzle. We anticipate that there will be differences in the sear locations of the locks and will shim the brass to keep the distance between the brass and the sear the same.
The methodology will be to load and fire each lock fifteen times and find the average. The barrel will be drilled and taped for a 1/4x28 drum and also for the mule ear nipple. After the percussion locks are done, the barrel will be drilled out to handle a 5/16x32 Chambers liner. The two flintlocks will then be timed and averaged.
In an attempt to control variables, the barrel will be carefully wiped between shots. The powder, caps, priming powder, etc will be the same throughout. Loading and cleaning procedures will remain the same throughout.
Our goal for Tuesday is to complete the percussion phase of the testing. The flintlock phase will be done after the WL liner is installed.
Regards,
Pletch
