Indian Wheel Lock Re-Do

[rickystl]

Hello all. I have this Indian made Wheel Lock pistol. The lock itself has been tuned and works very well. Sparks good with pyrites. The overall gun is very bulky and has the usual excess of wood. Here are some options I'm thinking about:

1. Have the pistol re-stocked in European walnut utilizing the same hardware. But a smaller caliber (.50 or .54) barrel. Tapered octagon to round. The grip lengthen a bit. This would make the pistol a slimmer overall profile.

Since I have the lock (the most difficult to obtain part), there might be a couple other options: The lock seems just large enough for a long gun - with a slim profile. So two other options I'm thinking about:

2. Having a rifle built using the lock. Maybe a 36" swamped octagon, Jager profile, "B" weight barrel in .50 caliber?

3. A 42" tapered octagon-to-round barrel in 28 gauge? (Although a 20 gauge would be more useful).

Do you think the lock is a little small for a long gun?
Anyway, opinions are appreciated. Guess I can't ever leave well enough alone. :haha: Thanks, Rick.

 

[raszpla]

OK? :hatsoff:

 

[asbrown]

Hey Rick, I personally love the idea of a long slender fowling piece. I have a 28ga 48" barrel waiting for a build, but a 20ga might be more akin to what your looking for.

 

[ChrisPer]

:thumbsup: Raszpla!

 

[curator]

Ricky,

As you use this lock, be aware that the pan-cover actuating lever is quite fragile. I have had to replace mine twice. The current replacement is made with hardened tool steel not the soft steel of the original. I have had a lot of fun with mine despite the scarcity of good pyrites. I finally acquired a small diamond saw so I could cut large pyrite crystals into usable sizes.

 

[raszpla]

to jest moim zdaniem rozsądna alternatywa. to tylko niewielka przeróbka .

 

[cynthialee]

I wonder what the purpose of the holes in the chuck key is. Or is it just for decoration?

 

[raszpla]

Ten klucz to jest fantazja azjatycka :wink:

 

[cynthialee]

ok...what language is that?

 

[Matt85]

ok...what language is that?

its polish, raszpla lives in Poland. according to google translator he said "This key is the Asian fantasy"

raszpla mówisz po angielsku? Nie to, że nic za pomocą tłumacza. (odbywa się to z google)

-matt

 

[dave_person]

Hi Ricky,
These will give you some inspiration. The Borstorffer pistols have detachable buttstocks to make them into carbines.

The pistol below was made by Taylor Sapergia, one of the best contemporary makers working today. It uses a lock similar to yours.

Take care,

dave

 

[raszpla]

http://www.hermann-historica.de/auktion/images65_max/26235_d.jpg

 

[rickystl]

Hi Andy. Yes, it's awfully tempting to have a long gun made since I have the lock. And knowing it would probably take forever to get anything from TRS. But, after further thought, I think I'm going to keep with a pistol. And, I have a great back carry style holster to use with it. :haha: Thanks, Rick.

 

[rickystl]

Hi Curator. Thank you very much for the heads-up.
I took the lock off and noticed the pan sliding arm. You're right. That piece does in fact seem very delicate. In fact, the pan cover itself is starting to wobble more than it should. I think the pin holding the cover to the arm is starting to wear a larger hole in the arm? I'll have that fixed and try hardening the arm first. Otherwise, will have to have a new arm made like yours.
Again, THANK YOU! Rick. :hatsoff:

 

[rickystl]

Hi Raszpla! WOW!! Thank you so much for the before and after photos. That detail is most helpful. I've saved the photos in my library for future work on the project. This photo shows using the original stock but slimming, re-shaping in front of the lock, and adding a nose cap. What a difference!! Much better looking. This would probably be the least expensive route to take? Hmmmmm.
But, I keep thinking of that pair of plain military style horse pistols you recently posted. They really look good. Well, I getting closer to a decision here. Thanks again. Rick. :hatsoff:

 

[rickystl]

Hi Cynthia. I believe the round holes are just decoration. Rick.

 

[rickystl]

Hi Dave! You never miss a chance to make me drewl. Waaaayyyyy too fancy for what I have in mind. :haha: That last pistol is an absolute beauty!!! The stock almost looks like it's ebony.
But, yes, it does show how much slimmer and graceful these pistols were. Thanks again for the photos. That does help! Rick. :thumbsup:

 

[rickystl]

Here is another issue with this pistol. Look at the position of the vent hole in relation to the pan. It's slightly off center and right at the bottom edge of the pan. Who ever did this must not do much muzzle loading shooting. :haha: Not the best position. :td:
The barrel is right at .62 caliber. I guess I can have the hole plugged and re-drill in the right position - assuming I reuse the barrel. :hmm:
I bought this gun second hand in unfired condition. So, I have no more invested in it at the moment than the cost of a lock kit from TRS.
So this gives me some room to have something built more to my liking. Rick.

 

[rickystl]

Woops. Forgot. Here are a couple pics of the vent hole:

 

[curator]

Ricky,

My flash hole is in about the same place. I have found that the position of the flash hole means little to the ignition as long as the pan ignites. These pans don't hold a lot of priming powder so I wouldn't worry much about that. I have also found that if the pan cover is open ignition is much faster than if closed. There are several good reasons people were not satisfied with the wheel lock back in 1500.