L&R QUEEN ANNE

[Capt. Jas.]

What time period are these locks for and why? Trying to learn what's night right for certain time periods. Thanks

 

[Musketeer]

Track of the Wolf gives 1730 to 1770 as the period of use for the Queen Anne lock, while Jim Chambers gives 1740 to 1770. Apparently fairly popular in both England and the Colonies. :winking:

 

[rich pierce]

The Davis Folwing Gun flintlock, the Chambers English Fowler and Virginia, and the L&R Queene Anne are of similar vintage and are good for guns from (I'll say) 1740 to the Revolutionary War. They all have different styles and sizes and that's what would induce me to use one over the other. Of course Chambers locks have the reputation as the best but I've not tested these head to head. Large locks often spark like crazy. There's a lot of flint, a lot of frizzen, and a wide old pan. Something's bound to catch.

I like the large size and "fullness" on the Chambers English locks, and on the R.E. Davis, I like that it comes without a pan or frizzen bridle. Many locks exported to the colonies from England lacked the refinement of a pan bridle. I wish the lock was a little bigger. The L&R is also a little smaller than the Chambers, about the same size as the Davis. I'd use any of them depending on the gun. With a big-barreled fowling piece (1 and 1/8" or bigger at the breech) the Chambers would get the nod. For a militia gun, I'd use the Davis or the L&R, which is not as finely styled for my taste as the Chambers. And a less "high end looking" lock works better for some applications.

Think about the Chambers Early Ketland too without the pan/frizzen bridle for a gun from 1750-Revolutionary War.

Earlier fowler locks than this in English styling are hard to find on the market. Easy to find a big banana shaped, flat faced "jaeger" lock and I have seen such locks modified (by Mike Brooks, I think) to be rounded etc.

 

[Mike Brooks]

What time period are these locks for and why? Trying to learn what's night right for certain time periods. Thanks

Depends on where you want to use it. English locks with bridled frizzens weren't commonly exported to the colonies till the 1770's. Only the very highest end guns in England had bridled frizzens in the 1750's. So, it's a question of where as well as when.

 

[tg]

Is the "Queen Ann" lock supposed to be a replica of the lock use on the Queen Ann muskets of the Queen Anns war period?

 

[Swampman]

No, it's not even close.

 

[benvenuto]

Queen Anne reigned 1704-1714.
These early locks are bent, very bulbous looking and and with a long tail on the lockplate
Basically in the French style of about 20 years earlier

 

[Capt. Jas.]

As some progress to wanting their most expensive piece of equipment (firearm) to be authentic to a certain period it is great to have those who are knowledgeable give us a hand as to correct locks, barrel types, hardware etc. on the guns.

I have seen some threads really bash the true experts because they gave a correct assessment of a gun.

I want to thank you experts who have studied and spent a great deal of time in researching what is authentic. I want to utilize that resource and pray you wont refrain from putting forth the truth about what is right and wrong with the certain types of guns that makers are dating for us as well as available components.

Thanks guys and keep us informed with the truth.

 

[Mike Brooks]

Well , if you want real truth , the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help me God, here's what I'd recommend.
For colonial made guns with an english export lock, pre 1775 I'd use in this order. #1 Davis' new english export lock. #2 Chambers early un bridled Ketland with the plate properly beveled. #3 The Chambers Colonial Virginia lock.and this would represent a little higher quality export lock than #1 or #2 because of it's bridled frizzen.
#4 would be the L&R Queen Anne. I rate it last because it's also bridaled and it's a little smaller than what was commonly being exported during the time period.
ALL OF THESE LOCKS WORK GREAT and would be a great choice for a pre rev. war gun in the colonies.
These are only my opinions, others opinions may vary. :yakyak:

 

[tg]

I recall seeing a pic of a Queen Ann musket circa 1700 and a Brown Bess circa 1725 and the Ann lock appeared to be a flat lock anyone have any info on the locks used on the Queen Ann muskets, which preceeded the Brown bess?

 

[benvenuto]

The Queen Anne period dog-locks had a flat lockplate...
Haven't seen any English flintlocks from that era made that way, but the flat lockplate was the new French military style that was coming through in the late 1690's (for resons of economy in mass production I'm guessing?) so anything might be possible.
The architecture of the Queen anne muskets is pretty distinctive tho' - a lot of dutch styling and those peculiar bulbous butts

 

[Mike Brooks]

In my opinion, L&R could have picked a different name for their lock since it misses Queen Anne's reign by what 4 or 5 decades? :youcrazy:

 

[tg]

That is what I thought Mike, I have used a couple of them and figured they would pass for pre rev war import locks, but could never get the connection to Queen Ann to make any sense particularly when I saw a pic of the Queen Ann musket.

 

[Capt. Jas.]

Mike, is this the Davis export lock you are talking about?
[url] http://trackofthewolf.com/cat...subId=148&styleId=840&partNum=LOCK-DF-FR[/url]

 

[Mike Brooks]

Yep, works like a champ too! :thumbsup: