First Lock Assembly from castings

[bama]

This is a lock that I have built using a set of casting from Chris Hirsh.

This being my first time dealing with the lock castings and first time assembling a lock from scratch it was quite a nerve racking experience. I have managed to get it together and it is functional so far. I have heated and tempered the springs but I have not hardened the frizzen, tumbler, sear and fly. I plan on pack hardening these in the forge and do a water quench, then draw them back in the oven. We will see how that goes.

First, I have to do the final polish of the parts and engrave the frizzen. Then onto the hardening process. I will post some pictures and let you know how that turns out.  :'( :'(

The picture is of the original lock from a David Kennedy rifle that I am building a copy of and the lock that I am building for the rifle copy.

[Mike Brooks]

Nifty

[Bob Roller]

That looks like the L&R Late English lock with double throated "cock". I have made a good number of these but used a custom mechanism.They are a good performing lock and this version allows a higher strike on the frizzen. Most of the L&R based flintlocks
I made went to Germany,most of these were the Manton style for pistols.The last 2 flintlocks I made were on the L&R Durs Egg
external parts and that was in 2019 and delivered at the CLA Show in Lexington.Maybe someone here can post a picture of one of
my L&R's with custom parts.I want to thank L&R for their help when they sold anything I wanted from them in this odd vocation
and so far nothing reported as sub standard.Lower back stenosis and my wife's recent health issues will probably mean permanent
termination of shop work for me,

Bob Roller

[homerifle]

Looking good Jim.

[rich pierce]

I’m glad I’m not the only one who gets nervous on these assemblies. Some sets of castings are much better than others, for sure. This looks good, much more common shape than the L&R late flintlock.

[bama]

Rich, I have learned a lot from this project. These castings are good ones but the lock plate doesn’t have the hole locations marked. Chris did supply a template with the hole locations. I found out real quick that you have to be very precise with the tumbler, tumbler bridal and the sear hole locations. Even the smallest error will cause problems with alignment and functionality of the lock. Like I said, this lock functions and functions well but I will do things differently on the next one. There is very little room for error. Makes you have a lot more respect for the lock making business.

[rich pierce]

Jim, I’m guessing that those who forge locks are able to do adjustments as they go along, like leave the sear nose a little long until final fitting, same with half and full cock notches and so on. When things are at final dimensions already, as you said, a few thousandths here or there are critical.

[Spalding]

Looking good, Jim. I have that same set of castings sitting here waiting for me to get the courage up to assemble them.
Is that the frizzen spring that came with it or or a commercially available one? What to use for the roller has been one of my assembly questions.

Bob

[bama]

Spalding, that is the frizzen spring that came with the casting set.

I made my roller from a piece of sheet steel that I have in the shop for making triggers and other small parts. I drilled a 1/16" hole in the ears of the spring and used a piece of piano wire for the pin. I then assembled the roller to the spring, then I hardened and tempered the whole thing as a unit. I wasn't sure if that was the way to do it but it seems to have worked. The spring functions fine and the roller rolls, so I am happy with it.

[Spalding]

Thanks Jim, looks good.

Bob

[Clint]

Looks like Chris' "Elwell" lock which goes together pretty nicely. Pay close attention to the temper on the frizzen and let the heat climb well into the pan cover from the pivot area. I was a little casual about one and didn't let the pan cover catch up. The result was that the frizzen snapped right where the cover started and the the pivot ended. CW

[Bob Roller]

Show the parts on the back of the plate where the lock really is if possible,
Bob Roller