Japanese Tower Pistol Lock

[JV Puleo]

I realize this is probably a fools errand but a friend came by the house this evening with one of those Japanese-made "Tower" pistols minus its lock. He's a new re-enactor and I'm afraid was snookered by someone who told him "he could just order one from Dixie." Thats obviously not the case, but I wonder if anyone has one of those locks loose and available.
Thanks,
Joe Puleo

 

[LRB]

Chances are, he will have to just buy a lock that can be modified to fit.

 

[Russ T Frizzen]

Watch the on-line auctions. They show up fairly often.

 

[mazo kid]

I realize this is probably a fools errand but a friend came by the house this evening with one of those Japanese-made "Tower" pistols minus its lock. He's a new re-enactor and I'm afraid was snookered by someone who told him "he could just order one from Dixie." Thats obviously not the case, but I wonder if anyone has one of those locks loose and available.
Thanks,
Joe Puleo

A few years ago it was possible to buy those parts from Dixie, but they don't have them anymore. That's also true of several other gun parts that they used to carry. I suppose when the parts sold out they weren't able to get more. I bought that same pistol as a kit from Dixie sometime in the early 70s and it was $19.95 at that time! How things have changed.

 

[Many Klatch]

I bought one of those last Summer for $25 off of a trade blanket. All I had to do to get the gun to work was put in a new mainspring and frizzen, rework the trigger, reshape the tumbler, move the trigger and then reshape and color the stock. Finally I added a front sight. It changed from junk to something that can be shot, not particularly accurately, but hey it's a smoothbore pistol.

You probably are lucky that there isn't a lock. It would just be easier to put a new lock in it.

Many Klatch

 

[KABAR2]

I've redone three of them, 2 for other people, Those I replaced the mainspring tumbler, sear & added a bridle,thinned down the wood added carvings around the lock and tang, and replaced the steel ramrod and ramrod pipe with a more appropriate wood rammer and brass pipe the last one mine I picked up missing the lock and side plate, I used a Siler lock which I worked over, ( rounded pan profile) reshaped frizzen, etc. made it look like a Rapahanock forge pistol.

 

[Zonie]

From the sounds of it, I'm betting the lock to the pistol can be found just about as far as the previous owner could throw it. :grin:

 

[LRB]

Mine works great, but it took some tweaking. The India locks make these look good.