eBay Flintlock Lock

[Philip Chua]

Howdy all!
Well, I bought a Flintlock Lock on eBay. Unmarked and I don’t know jack about it! I imagine that someone here knows what it is. Anyway - I guess I can check heat treatment with a file? Plan to mess with it a bit to learn how these work, maybe mount it to plywood.

Phil

 

[wiscoaster]

Some of the screws are somewhat boogered. Careful with them if you disassemble. It's possible to remediate boogered screws to some minor degree. You might want to look into doing that.

 

[Philip Chua]

Some of the screws are somewhat boogered. Careful with them if you disassemble. It's possible to remediate boogered screws to some minor degree. You might want to look into doing that.

Roger that. Can prob clean them up w a file. Should be interesting to see if it’s heat treated.

 

[Cruzatte]

It looks like the sear spring has slipped out of the retaining notch. Loosen the sear spring screw & see if you can nudge it back into its slot. Then tighten up the screw. Hopefully it will then stay in place.

 

[R Ellis]

I don't see a sear seems to be missing

 

[Philip Chua]

I don't see a sear seems to be missing

That's not it coming out horizontally from beneath the sear spring? I've never messed with a flintlock (or a caplock lock) but I think that its where the trigger would rest

 

[Philip Chua]

It looks like the sear spring has slipped out of the retaining notch. Loosen the sear spring screw & see if you can nudge it back into its slot. Then tighten up the screw. Hopefully it will then stay in place.

I plan to photograph then completely disassemble it

 

[wiscoaster]

I plan to photograph then completely disassemble it

Yes, in spades, photograph each part as you take it out along with its screw or spring and segregate them in separated baggies.

As an example, a pistol I disassembled this afternoon:

Slide, frame, barrel, grips, 11 baggies and not less than 21 photos.


(it was a S&W - you'd expect no less)

 

[R Ellis]

I enlarged the photo and see it now it sort of blends in

 

[Eterry]

Roger that. Can prob clean them up w a file. Should be interesting to see if it’s heat treated.

When I apprenticed at a gunsmith shop, the first thing they had me do was repair original screws.
The Smith had a 6"x6" round metal stand, with screw holes drilled and tapped all along the top.

You bottomed out a screw in the hole, then used a Two oz hammer to flatten and shape the material. The slot filled in during the process.
You then took a file with a safe thin edge and re-cut the notch.
Amazing what a Zippo lighter can do to the head of a screw as a finish.
Good luck.

 

[rickystl]

The tapered frizzen reminds me of some old contemporary lock. But can't put my finger on it. Hmmmm. Could this be a lock from the old H&A Minuteman rifles from the 1960's/70's ?

Rick

 

[RMFnLA]

I don't see a sear seems to be missing

This. ^

 

[Philip Chua]

This. ^

pretty sure its there look closer at the pic.

 

[RMFnLA]

pretty sure its there look closer at the pic.

Oh, I see it now, the part the trigger pushes is out of focus.

It actually looks like the part the mainspring pushes against is missing, and the sear might have been put in the wrong place.

I’d really need to see it in in person to be sure.

And the screw heads aren’t that bad…

 

[Long Drinkwater]

The tapered frizzen reminds me of some old contemporary lock. But can't put my finger on it. Hmmmm. Could this be a lock from the old H&A Minuteman rifles from the 1960's/70's ?

Rick

I've got one of those, a Numrich/Hopkins & Allen Kentucky kit from the 1970s. Mine looks just like that. Think that's what you've got. Not a terribly good sparker. Frizzen could use a little work? Also, half cock sits a little too far forward, so with a fresh 5/8 flint, the frizzen won't seat properly on the pan, and the 4FG leaks out. I have to knap a notch in the backside of the flint to make the frizzen seat properly. I paid $70 for the kit on clearance and have had fun with it for 45 years, so I can live with the workarounds. Besides, when it does shoot, it's more accurate than I am.

 

[rickystl]

I've got one of those, a Numrich/Hopkins & Allen Kentucky kit from the 1970s. Mine looks just like that. Think that's what you've got. Not a terribly good sparker. Frizzen could use a little work?

LOL. Hey thanks. Maybe my memory is not completely gone yet. LOL I remember those locks did require frizzen hardening. I also seem to remember that sometime in maybe the early/mid 1970's that DGW's offered a complete replacement lock for the Minuteman flint version.

Rick

 

[Bucks Co]

I'd agree either H&A or an early Dixie that has been worked on; I had a Dixie lock that had come from a Royland Southgate Rifle and that had an identical Bridle with no inner bearing - it had been percussioned when I got it - the sear spring could be a replacement hence not fitting the slot in the plate. Either way nice to have.

 

[ronaldrothb49]

You might want to go online and find a lock diagram that identifies the different parts cause I am about to blow your mind. The sear is there, the Tumbler is there it is the piece that the mainspring is resting on under the bridal. If your going to take it apart you need to be very careful in case it has a fly, A very small part in the tumbler which has a habit of flying across the room never to be seen again. If you are taking it apart you will need some special tools, a mainspring vise, a frizzen spring vise or a small c clamp will work for the frizzen spring. A good size punch to remove the hammer from the tumbler you need it big enough so it doesn't go into the hole in the tumbler. Has your head stopped spinning yet? Whole lot more to this than you thought?

 

[RMFnLA]

You might want to go online and find a lock diagram that identifies the different parts cause I am about to blow your mind. The sear is there, the Tumbler is there it is the piece that the mainspring is resting on under the bridal. If your going to take it apart you need to be very careful in case it has a fly, A very small part in the tumbler which has a habit of flying across the room never to be seen again. If you are taking it apart you will need some special tools, a mainspring vise, a frizzen spring vise or a small c clamp will work for the frizzen spring. A good size punch to remove the hammer from the tumbler you need it big enough so it doesn't go into the hole in the tumbler. Has your head stopped spinning yet? Whole lot more to this than you thought?

It doesn’t look like the mainspring is resting on anything; it’s just sitting there on its own, which to me is the problem.

[Edit] OK, after enlarging the photo way up I can see the tumbler.

No mind blowing, just dealing with an unclear photo.

Cheers

 

[deerstalkert]

It doesn’t look like the mainspring is resting on anything; it’s just sitting there on its own, which to me is the problem.

[Edit] OK, after enlarging the photo way up I can see the tumbler.

No mind blowing, just dealing with an unclear photo.

Cheers

enlarge the photo and use your bifocals! the lock is complete.