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by Nicholas L. Chandler. This is a coffee table book, something like all those handsome pictorial volumes by Dennis Adler.
It covers 1826 to 1840 because that's when Fordyce and Adin Ruggles were making their patented revolutionary underhammer percussion pistols. In an era when few American gunsmiths made locks and so they imported them from Europe. But the underhammer lock was simple. Just 4 parts: hammer, trigger, and 2 springs. Therefore rugged, reliable, easy to clean, and inexpensive. And they were also very accurate, I think probably because the locks produced uncomplicated movements when firing.
Mine came yesterday, $35 used on Amazon. It looked almost new.
The problem with simple locks was that a great many New England gunsmiths could copy the design without paying royalties for the patent (which was illegal, but they had little money and so not worth the effort to do a lawsuit). Also the wife of one of the Ruggles sold patent rights to anyone who would buy, to about a dozen other makers who produced their copies legally. This book has large glorious pictures of a great many of them from the various makers. 9"x12".
It covers 1826 to 1840 because that's when Fordyce and Adin Ruggles were making their patented revolutionary underhammer percussion pistols. In an era when few American gunsmiths made locks and so they imported them from Europe. But the underhammer lock was simple. Just 4 parts: hammer, trigger, and 2 springs. Therefore rugged, reliable, easy to clean, and inexpensive. And they were also very accurate, I think probably because the locks produced uncomplicated movements when firing.
Mine came yesterday, $35 used on Amazon. It looked almost new.
The problem with simple locks was that a great many New England gunsmiths could copy the design without paying royalties for the patent (which was illegal, but they had little money and so not worth the effort to do a lawsuit). Also the wife of one of the Ruggles sold patent rights to anyone who would buy, to about a dozen other makers who produced their copies legally. This book has large glorious pictures of a great many of them from the various makers. 9"x12".
