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"Best" lock for a fowler???

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The Durs Egg and late English by L&R are very good locks with all the bells & whistles. Fast as any. I have the English on my .54 rifle oct-rd. bbl. and it looks and shoots very well---better'n me mostly...Tom
 
It seems to be quick. I shot 20 rounds with 1 miss fire which was my fault. I didnt clean the flint or frizzen of fowling..
 
I'll put my 2 cents in. I have to say a Zornes lock from the M/G shop are super fast. I can consistently fire mine upside down.
 
To see the looks on peoples faces AND if the lock is a little slow the powder will fall out of the pan before it can get ignited
 
My fowlers have a few different locks on them. 2 have l&r round face queen Ann's. One have a Davis engraved fowler lock ( see tracks catalogs) the last has a Davis flat faced trade lock. They aii great locks never had any problems with sparking or relibilty. As far as speed. I don't have a high speed camera so I do t know which is fastest..My favorite is the engraved fowler it's a beautiful lock. L&R had some problems a few years ago but seem to have turned around and are making a fine product again. fowlers should not have siler style locks on them. Too bad they are great locks good luck with your build
 
I'm resurrecting this thread from the dead.

Still hoping to hear opinions on the fastest (and reliable) flint locks suited to a fowler or trade gun build.

I'm wanting and needing the fast ignition for shooting offhand (roundballs). With slow/spotty ignition, you wouldn't want to be standing next to me as I shoot. :shake: :redface:

Thanks for any more feedback and experience you can send my way!

Best regards, Skychief.
 
Mr Skychief,

In my mind no doubts at all. most reliable are the Chambers r-faced English, Virginia, (same lock really) and his Early ketland.
Had a few Davis and never worked well.
Have a little L&R Durs Egg that sparks very well, and if you wanted a later fowling piece, this smaller lock would do. For an earlier time, the bigger locks I first mentioned are the bees knees.
 
Skychief said:
Still hoping to hear opinions on the fastest (and reliable) flint locks suited to a fowler or trade gun build.

I'm wanting and needing the fast ignition for shooting offhand (roundballs).
Get a trade lock from Danny Caywood! Preferably one built by Mike Rowe, as he as moved on, but I hear that his current locks are just as good!

I have 3, all built by Mike, and nothing else I’ve seen can touch them.
 
A good lock, with a good flint and properly primed, will light up before the powder has a chance fall out of the pan when the gun is inverted.

The spring tension ratios between the hammer and frizzen springs need to be pretty clost to optimum also.
Others here can tell you what the ratios should be for sure, but I'm thinking it's something like frizzen spring tension to be about one third of hammer spring tension.
 
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