Purdey stalking rifle lock

[snapper]

I recently picked up a Purdey stalking rifle.   

I always pull the locks on guns and clean them up as needed.   This rifle in general is dirty and does not show much TLC.   The lock was really dirty and needed to have a good cleaning.

I am sharing pictures of this lock as it is unlike any other English lock I have seen.  All my other English locks with a safety has a nub that slides into a notch on the back side of the hammer at half cock.  This lock has a bar on the inside of the lock that slides into a notch in the tumbler.    At least this way if you have to replace the hammer no worries about milling the notch in the hammer.   

The only markings on the inside that I could find was the serial number.

Dont know if this will help anyone or not, but I used to struggle with trying to remove the tiny screws from the locks as they are always frozen in place.   I used to just soak them in penetrating oil and hope for the best.    Now I use a micro torch and heat the screw head and if I can get to the threaded end of the screw.  Works like magic.  Never had a screw yet that did not come out fairly easily from a lock with a little heat.   No more buggered up slots on the screw heads.

Enjoy

Fleener

[Mattox Forge]

I am sharing pictures of this lock as it is unlike any other English lock I have seen.  All my other English locks with a safety has a nub that slides into a notch on the back side of the hammer at half cock.  This lock has a bar on the inside of the lock that slides into a notch in the tumbler.    At least this way if you have to replace the hammer no worries about milling the notch in the hammer.   
...
Enjoy

Fleener

That is interesting. Nearly all of the sliding safety locks I have are notched on the tumbler. I have about 5 original flintlocks with the safety locks on them. I think one has a notched hammer. I only have one percussion original with that feature. It is by Harkom of Edinburgh. I can't recall if it have the slot in the hammer or in the tumbler.

Mike

[smart dog]

Hi Snapper,
That was the typical arrangement for safety or "bolted" locks during the 18th and early 19th centuries. Here is a Wogdon pistol lock I built from parts supplied by Blackley.  It shows the same mechanism.
















The really tricky part was making that tiny, tiny mortise through the safety bolt for the tenon on the thumb slide.  I treated myself to two stiff drams of Laphroig after cutting those for my dueling pistols. 

dave

[snapper]

Thanks for the replies.   I am not a good student of flintlocks, and I have only owned one original briefly.

Makes me wonder if the lock makers got lazy and looked for efficiency on moving the safety to the hammer on percussion locks?

Fleener

[Mattox Forge]

It might have been that they decided it was better to directly lock the hammer in later locks. I am not sure if it is actually safer to lock the hammer, but I could see how one could think that.

Mike

[Pukka Bundook]

I'd like to see some better pictures Fleener, but this is the type I have on a few different guns, rather than a notched hammer/cock.
Some photos and details on the whole gun would be appreciated too!

[Bob Roller]

I'd like to see some better pictures Fleener, but this is the type I have on a few different guns, rather than a notched hammer/cock.
Some photos and details on the whole gun would be appreciated too!

The screws are seldom the problem but the lack of knowledge about altering a screw driver or "turnscrew"to fit the slot.
Bob Roller