L&R Replacement Lock

[stinkyfeet]

Question is the L&R replacement flintlock worth upgrading to over the stock TC flintlock, also hows the fit compared to the stock TC lock. The gun now lags on ignition time, and am looking to speed it up. Anyone who has made the swap got any insight it would be appreciated.

 

[mr.flintlock]

I have used one of the L&R eplacement locks and got good results. However, Your current TC lock may not be the problem. I assume that you are using real genuine black powder in the barrel and lock pan, right? Ok try this: With the rifle unloaded and pointed in a safe direction, prime the lock pan, close the frizzen and squeeze the trigger. Do not shoulder the rifle but look at the lock as the flint strikes the frizzen. Does the powder ignite instantly? If it does, than the lock is doing it's job. If it does not ignite quickly or you have many misfires, then there may be a problem with the lock.

 

[bpd303]

I have had some reproduction arms that had ignition problems. They would spark but not a lot. Found out the frizzen's are soft. All it took was a little tuning and case hardening the frizzen to make them reliable. http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/265162/

 

[phoenix511]

I've two L&R replacement locks. Both seem "snappier" (very subjective term on my part) and a shorter cock throw than the TC original.
All function vry well, smooth when pulling back the cock, frizzen is smooth opening.

They were well worth my money.

 

[stinkyfeet]

Thanks thats good info.

 

[buzz]

I can. Tell you it was worth the money night and day over my cva locks but big improvement over the factory lock

 

[Rifleman1776]

The gun now lags on ignition time

That may not necessarily be the fault of the lock. Even a cheap lock, if it sparks it shoots.
Too much primer, too small a touch hole, not using real bp, stars not in aligment with venus, etc. can cause your "lag".
However, L&R is good stuff, you can't go wrong.

 

[stinkyfeet]

Hmmm there is a full moon out last night too. Actually I am having a new barrel made whivh will have a white lightning liner in it so maybe that will help out as well. See how what the results are with the new barrel and then make changes as needed to get it dialed in to where it is fast.

 

[Mzzlldrinpa]

I had the lock in my TC PA hunter "tuned". My wife shoots it a lot and said that made a world of difference. However, to answer your question. I know of two guys that have switched to the L&R and said it was the best thing they could have done. They also said that they did need to remove some wood to make it fit correctly but it was easy to do.

 

[Grenadier1758]

You also need to make sure of the length of your sear. The tip can drag on the wood. The sear needs to be long enough to ensure that the trigger bar can release the hammer and that the sear doesn't drag in the lock mortise.

 

[nkbj]

Thanks for the info. Got a L&R to fit to a New Englander stock for a longer barreled smoothie.

 

[Billnpatti]

Whoa! Don't go spending that money just yet. First, if you are using a black powder substitute, that is your big mistake. It doesn't work worth a darn in a flintlock. You must use only real black powder in a flintlock. Next, look at your touch hole. Is it centered on your pan and just about level with the top of the pan? What is the size of the hole? It should be about 1/16 inch in diameter. Too small of a hole can significantly delay ignition. Make sure that your fire channel is clean and clear. After you have made any of the needed corrections, turn your attention to your lock. With an empty pan and an unloaded gun, cock and fire your lock while you carefully observe the sparks. Does it spark properly. Not enough spark usually means one of two things; either your flint is not sharp and needs to be re-knapped or replaced or your frizzen is too soft and needs to be rehardened. The latter is not likely with a T/C, they are almost always good and hard. Also be sure that you have a good flint and not some crappy (in my humble opinion) soft chert. If you don't have a good English or French flint, order some from someplace like TOW or Dixie Gun Works. Be sure that they are the correct size for your gun. How you charge your pan can make a difference, too. One of our very knowlegable contributors to the Forum, a man who goes by the name of Plege (I'm not sure that I spelled his name correctly) did some high speed photography to see where the best place to place your pan charge is. His findings suggested that the best place is to bank your pan charge up next to your touch hole but not plugging it. Use about 3 to 5 grains of powder in your pan. While 2f will work in your pan, 3f or 4f seems to work best.

I used to have a T/C flintlock and it was all original. It fired instantly with no hesitation so I am pretty sure yours will too and you will not need to spend the money for a replacement lock. However, if you do decide to replace your lock, L&R is a very good choice. I think it would be my first choice. One caveat, seldom will a replacement lock be a true "drop in". they will almost always need a bit of fitting to get them to work. Nothing all that difficult, just a bit of careful fiddling.

 

[Billnpatti]

I just read that you are getting a barrel with a White Lightning touch hole liner.......good choice in liners. But, White Lightning liners come with a very tiny hole. They are made to suit bench rest shooters and the hole is too small for regular shooting. That's okay and it is an easy fix. Jim Chambers intends it to be this way. Just take a 1/16 inch drill bit and carefully open up the hole to 1/16 inch. It works best if you have a pin vise to hold the bit and just work it out by hand. DO NOT USE A POWER DRILL. If you do, you will absolutely screw up your liner and end up with an oversize hole. If you don't have a pin vise, you can substitute a dowel with a hole drilled into the end that is smaller than your 1/16 bit. then use a scroll saw to cut a slot across the end of the dowel so you and insert the 1/16 drill bit and then put a hose clamp around the end of the stick to hold the bit in place. With this home made device, you can carefully hand drill the touch hole with the 1/16 inch bit and end up with a nice hole.

 

[greggholmes]

I need a T/C fintlock lock, if anyone has one sitting in a box or something. Im asking before i order a replacement lock from TOW

 

[Rifleman1776]

I need a T/C fintlock lock, if anyone has one sitting in a box or something. Im asking before i order a replacement lock from TOW

Read this thread from the beginning.
You will be much better served with an L&R RPL.

 

[redneck]

order it from l and r direct

 

[Mzzlldrinpa]

You may be able to get parts replaced. They have a lifetime warranty. Not sure how easy it is to get them to give them up, may be worth looking into.

 

[greggholmes]

I would order one from L&R but they don't make it easy.

 

[stinkyfeet]

T/C was bought by S&W and the lifetime warranty no longer is a true lifetime warranty. It doesn't cover normal wear and tear anymore, or anything from neglect, and or excessive use or worn out parts.

 

[stinkyfeet]

Gregg its easy I just ordered one from TOTW they are the same price as L&R if ordered directly. 148.00 It can with easy to follow directions to inlet the lock a bit inside the motise to get the new lock to fit it took about 10 minutes with a dremel. It made has made a big difference and improved ingition over the stock lock.