What flint lock to use with 3/4” barrel?

[Woodsroamer]

What lock would you recommend for a 3/4” .40 cal barrel? I am thinking a small siler, but not 100% sure.

[smart dog]

Hi,
It depends a lot more on what kind or style of gun you building not size of the barrel.

dave

[Daniel Coats]

I like the Chambers Late Ketland lock for my Tennessee rifles. Available with steel or brass lock plate and fits a 3/4" barrel just fine.

[Eric Krewson]

Late Ketland if it is a southern rifle,

This lock is on a 13/16 .40 barrel, it is a TN rifle.

 

[Daryl]

My SMR in .36 & 13/16" bl.  has Track's Durrs Egg lock.

[Ted Kramer]

Kibler’s Ketland.

[Bob Roller]

My two favorite muzzle loaders were the SMR made for me by Len Meadows,walnut,iron trim from wrecked original and 13/16 45 caliber
Bill Large barrel 44 inches long.The other was the very extreme opposite,a Whitworth 451 Long Range Rifle.The Chambers Late Ketland is a good one and I used them for a custom mechanism and bought the externals assembled and frizzen hardened and ready to go.
I made a Ketland from external parts from Jerry Devaudreuil and a few went to makers of "Flint Hawken"rifles and some more went to a
Verein (club)in Switzerland.The Meadows SMR had a Chet Shoults Ketland with my old style mechanism and I heard a Cochran replaced it
after my lock wore Bill's barrel out twice.Merry Christmas to all who see this and those who don't ;
Bob Roller

[Sandro_ventania]

What lock would you recommend for a 3/4” .40 cal barrel? I am thinking a small siler, but not 100% sure.

This measurement 3/4 or 13/16... Is it measured at the breech of the barrel?

[Bob Roller]

Two different sizes.13/16 is common and if it;s 13/16 at the breech and 3/4 at the muzzle then it's tapered.
Bob Roller

[Daniel Coats]

12/16 aka 3/4 straight sided barrel from Rice is what I've used. Cut to 40 inches length makes for a light handy rifle you can hold in one hand.

[Woodsroamer]

I am kinda trying to do a western Pa poor boy style. The barrel will be a straight 3/4” from rice.

[Sandro_ventania]

Up to what caliber is a 3/4 barrel used?

[sdilts]

I got one in 40.

[MuskratMike]

Late Ketland, either Kibler, Chambers or Buck Ridge.

[Woodsroamer]

I believe .40 is the biggest

[Hungry Horse]

 Be very careful cutting in dovetails for sights, and barrel lugs, or pins. Also be careful installing the touchhole liner. I’m working on a .62 cal. On an 1-18” barrel that is also going to be a knuckle biter. Good luck.

Hungry Horse

[Dave B]

I build a few target pistols for the late Joe Williams of the Gun Works in Springfield Or. They used the L&R Bailes lock for their pistols. Chambers late Ketland lock is a good one just a little bit bigger

[Sandro_ventania]

I got one in 40.

for a .45 the 13/16 is more common, isn't it??

[Woodsroamer]

Hungry Horse I understand the difficulty for the dovetails, but what about the touchhole liner? I have never installed one but isn’t it basically drilling and tapping a hole? Or our you talking about keeping it flush to the inside of the barrel?

[Frank]

Hungry Horse I understand the difficulty for the dovetails, but what about the touchhole liner? I have never installed one but isn’t it basically drilling and tapping a hole? Or our you talking about keeping it flush to the inside of the barrel?

No need for a touch hole liner on a barrel this diameter. Just drill a straight touch hole.

[Dphariss]

Depending. On the rifle to be built. And the builders experience.
The only one I would trust 100% to work right out of the box is Kibler.

[Dphariss]

I would solder the underlugs on and cut the sight dovertails REALLY shallow .040” and short, especially the rear sight. If you figure a 40 with a .010 deep grooves we have a .420 bore. .750-.420=.33 divided by 2= .165.

[Robin Henderson]

I used an old Cochran on this 3/4 barrel.

[BJH]

When I built my “Tooth pic” rifle I used a L&R Bailes or Manton lock. As it was the smallest lock on market at the time. I still had challenges with mainspring clearances and lock mortise depth. IIRC I reduced the bolster thickness or tapered it. Neat little gun still have it. BJH

[kutter]

I used an L&R John Bailes flint w/a 3/4" ATF GM bbl in 40cal for a SM style rifle.
I was going to use one of the Ketland style locks I had lying around. But it was larger and didn't look right for the build.

I restyled the plate outside edge shape just a touch, and use just one side bolt. A forward one would have come right thru the RR hole.
Simple escutcheon for the bolt head and everything is fine 4yrs later after much use.
I soldered all the bbl pin attachment fittings in place. No dovetails. I do that alot anyway.
The rear sight is dovetailed but very, very shallow. That's all you need if it's cut cleanly and accurate.

No issues with the L&R lock, no complaints. I did work it over a bit as I do most any of them. But it's a great sparker and the rifle fires very reliably.
No flashhole liner, just a hole drilled in the bbl like was used for a few centurys .

I haven't seen the need for one yet. Maybe some day..