L/R side slapper

[B.Habermehl]

Any one have any experience with these locks. I've got some ideas to build a mid 18 00 rifle in .54 cal. It will be a half stock. I already have the barrel and a walnut blank. I was planning this build with Pa's early muzzloader season in mind. Using a peep rear sight and a marble gold bead front sight. The lockplate is the same as their durs egg lock. So the rifle can be converted to flint, just swap the lock and nipple for the flint lock and a touch hole liner. Heaven knows I have enough guns but I'm still looking for a excuse to build another.....BJH

 

[jrmflintlock]

I don't have any experience with them but they intrigue me. What timeframe in History did these locks come out. If I was going to own a Percussion rifle I might want a mule ear lock!

Good luck and keep us posted! Pictures!!!

 

[Wes/Tex]

First 'mule ears' appeared in the U.S. shortly after 1820 but took a couple more decades to catch on to any extant. They were made in single and even O/U configurations. Jenks designed a breech loading percussion rifle and carbine for the Navy that was adopted in 1848. A somewhat unusual approach, it had a top lever that pulled back the breech block to load and had a 'mule ear' action to prevent the hammer fouling the ship's rigging. The guns were actually built by Ames on contract and even Remington developed a carbine version using the Maynard tape primer they were fitting to M.1816 conversions, though in smaller size.
Tingle and Navy Arms have made commercial guns in the past but no longer. Pioneer Arms of Broomall, Pa. makes a lock kit if you feel like a project.
http://media.liveauctiongroup.net/i/14162/14348813_1.jpg?v=8CF76D1E6C3E6D0
Navy Arms 'mule ear' that they refer to as a Jenks?

Real Jenks http://media.liveauctiongroup.net/i/15125/15297782_1.jpg?v=8CFBC143267F1D0
http://www.angelfire.com/oh3/civilwarantiques/cwimages/1st2011printcat_descrips1-33-5.jpg
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/16/e1/7b/16e17b04386d3368f0db5fb20b1e8650.jpg

Jenks Naval carbine http://www.angelfire.com/oh3/civilwarantiques/cwimages/1st2011printcat_descrips1-33-2.jpg

Lock of the Remington version of the Navy and Marine carbine http://media.liveauctiongroup.net/i/8690/9966283_1.jpg?v=8CD4A78F4A82860

 

[Captjoel]

I have a Navy Arms mule ear half stock rifle in 32 caliber. A fun light weight squirrel getter and plinker.

 

[B.Habermehl]

I tried to get one of Bernies side slapper lock kits quite a while back. I'm not sure he's still making them. To answer the time period question the lock type would fit in around 1840 or later. BJH

 

[Col. Batguano]

Not that it's a particularly attractive gun for those of us that are more accustomed to seeing our hammers coming down from the top, but man oh man those originals are FAR more attractive looking than that Navy Arms repro.

It almost seems that these repro factories set out to deliberately make a gun that is far uglier than any original, and with as little fidelity to the original architecture as possible. You have to ask why, when making it more accurate would take almost no more work to either make, or set up, and use the same amount of raw materials.

 

[F.G. Ford]

Just in case you men of keen eye did not notice that those guns were "BREECH LOADERS"
What a step forward. Not that there were no other breech loader type guns already.
But very interesting to say the least!
Much appreciated pictures.
Fred

 

[Col. Batguano]

Yes indeed I did notice that, but the architecture of breech, and muzzle loading guns of the BP era was often kept remarkably similar, particularly for the single shot guns. Even in to the cartridge age. English SxS hammer cartridge guns look remarkably similar to those that strike a nipple. The US trap door rifles look a lot like their muzzle loading forbears as well.

When you get in to the repeaters, like guns with a revolving cylinder, or lever actions, like the Lorenzoni system things change a bunch.

I WOULD indeed love to build a Lorenzoni actioned flint gun some time, but I suspect the machining and fitting issues would be EXTREMELY challenging. I doubt there would be enough commercial demand for someone to tool up to make them to sell either.

 

[Wes/Tex]

Just in case you men of keen eye did not notice that those guns were "BREECH LOADERS"
What a step forward. Not that there were no other breech loader type guns already.
But very interesting to say the least!
Much appreciated pictures.
Fred

Oh yes, was very aware of the Jenks being a true breech loader, but it's the only 'mule ear' percussion gun adopted by the U.S. Navy so we have to make allowances! :wink: :haha:

 

[F.G. Ford]

I would love to have the opportunity to view and touch these guns to appreciate the machining of the piece.
I did have a reproduction IAB .54 Sharps paper cartridge rifle a few years back........I regret trading it away, so needless to say I would really enjoy seeing a Jenks.
Man I love this site!
Fred

 

[Captjoel]

Not that it's a particularly attractive gun for those of us that are more accustomed to seeing our hammers coming down from the top, but man oh man those originals are FAR more attractive looking than that Navy Arms repro.

It almost seems that these repro factories set out to deliberately make a gun that is far uglier than any original, and with as little fidelity to the original architecture as possible. You have to ask why, when making it more accurate would take almost no more work to either make, or set up, and use the same amount of raw materials.

I wouldn't be to quick to make judgements about the Navy Arms side slapper.
A lot of those rifles came out as kits and were put together by skilled and quite a few unskilled builders.

I agree with you regarding the rifle shown in the posted picture. It looks like either a poorly made kit or it was left outside near a beaver lodge. :rotf:

At the time these were on the market they were a good way to get into muzzle loading for a very reasonable investment. OK....cheap is a better word here.

My 32 caliber was built right and even has a pewter nose cap with good fit and finish of all of the parts. The mule ear lock, while quite simple in its construction is very safe and dependable, having a good half cock notch which many of these type locks lack.

 

[jrmflintlock]

Wow Thanks for all the info. I am a flintlock shooter at heart but there is something about that design that intrigues me.

Thanks again!!