Mule ear percussion lock

[sdakotadoug]

I am looking for a website about mule percussion lock. I remember cruising it several months ago. I believe it was posted by a lady from Austrailia and it was literally a "How to build" one from scratch. I am interested in plans, how to, old ones to copy or refine, any help would be appreciated. TIA Doug

 

[BLAHMAN]

Ask Olie, he has made quite a few side-slappers and has a penchant for them. He can guide you in making one.

Actually, I need to stop in and see Olie. I know I'll see him in February...going to the Sandusky County (Ohio) Living History Show, so I'll bring the camera, take some intereseting pics about the show, get some pics showing Olie's side slappers and post them.

 

[Metalshaper]

http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Olympus/9080/mule.htm


This is the web site by Laurie Fenton.. A man btw.. He lives is Woy Woy NSW,, and is quite a guy. He actually helped me, with some troubles I was having, while designing my own lock.. the end result allowed me to build this

Respect Always
Metalshaper

 

[sdakotadoug]

Wow, what a great forum, very fast response. I hope I didn't insult Laurie. However the site in my memory was of a coil sping actuated hammer. I'm impressed with the back action mule ear. Congrats. I've already printed the entire site you put me onto. Everything one can glean should improve the final product. Thanks again Doug

 

[Metalshaper]

Doug,
I'm not sure I know of any others?? I'm sure they are out there? But "Miss Muley" Lock is coil spring. I also designed a fly on the tumber, to use with set triggers. My trigger system, a condensed version of Fento's, worked so well I never needed to finish my 'set trigger' idea..
Fento and Tom crooks, have a colaboration, that allows a Muley to use convenional set design. so I would go that way, when I make my next one.

I'd be iterested in seeing what your up to,, as Muley's have a special place in my heart!

Respect Always
Metalshaper

 

[sdakotadoug]

I'm brand new to the forum. As of this afternoon, so who's Olie?

 

[BS]

Muzzleblasts [?] had an article on building a Mule Ear, very simular to the one Metalshaper posted a link to. I will try to find it!

 

[gmww]

John Taylor a poster here has a web site. I found it when I searched Mule ear locks.

At the bottom of his page is one he made. Check it out.

Mule ear lock for T/C

 

[gmww]

This vender also sells Mule ear locks

Pioneer arms

 

[thehorn]

Pioneer Arms (Broomall, PA) has a nice mule ear that can be retrofitted to TC's flint Hawken & Renegade as well as the Lyman flint GPR with a little work. Bernie's always at Dixon's Gunmaker's Fair and I've seen the quality of the lock. Heavier than the factory locks it replaces and high quality. I've been putting off buying one until now. Next project will be converting a GPR flinter to mule ear.
Pioneer Arms mule ear lock

 

[thehorn]

lol :haha: looks like gmww beat me to the punch on this one!

 

[Swampman]

I wish someone made a hooked breech plug that would convert a percussion T/C barrel to flint. I'd order one, and one of those mule ear lock.

 

[fho]

Sdakotadoug:

I am Olie. I like side-slappers and under-hammer actions. I make the ones that I use.

I know that you can make a side-slapper lock pattern off any other lock you may have. I take a pattern of a lock and trace it on a piece of paper, then glue it to a piece of steel and cut it out on a metal band saw. There are 4 parts to a side-slapper lock, the hammer,sear. main spring and a sear spring.

I realy don't just what else I can say. A lot of times I set and watch TV and draw parts for locks. Most of the time I use a external main spring. This make the wrist stronger as you don't have to remove so much wood.

Hope this helps
Olie

 

[sdakotadoug]

Thanks for the quick reply. Amazing forum. I've learned more in the last 15 hours than the last 3 years. I think I understand about the lock plate. I think I understand about the hammer and spring. But how to convert the verticle movement of a trigger to the horizontal movement of the "sear" has me buffalo'd. Any pictures or drawings? TIA Doug

 

[Metalshaper]

on the locks that were made in the conventional manner, the sear activates rearward. To make a vertical trigger, push the bar, you can do a two piece trigger. This is froma drawing I and MRW did, when we were allowed to dissmantle a NA "Poor Boy" Muley. This is on the same order as the one Fento shows on his "Building a Muley web pag ..< URL, in the posts above> You can see in the drawing that by lifting the forward piece, the secondary bar is cammed or moved in a backward arc..The trigger on "Miss Muley" works like this one or Fento's < I just worked to condense the action..to fit in a smaller area..>

Or as on Fento's website. this is a Muley made using the modification that Tom Crooks and Fento worked on together. basically a pivoted L-shaped piece.. that does the same thing as the secondary bar in the above picture.. it just does it turned 90 degrees. when the vertical trigger is activated this 'secondary' arm roatates aganst the fixed pivot at the plate. The vertical extention, then imparts it outward movement to the rea of the sear arm. Thus activating a Muley with a vetical trigger. This mod, allows the use of 'set' triggers with no further modification or redesign..

This lock is not one of mine, but I shared my Muley info with the builder..and this is what he came up with.. And did a GREAT job of it!!

Hope it helps!!

Respect Always
Metalshaper

 

Interesting discussion about "mule ear locks " besides their seeming to be simplicity, are there any other advantages to using them?

Bunky :haha:

 

[Swampman]

Faster ignition I believe. :thumbsup:

 

[sdakotadoug]

What a beautiful lock displayed in the picture. My learning curve is trending up fast. I am continuing my research and hope to get started on putting one together. Probably not real quick as I have to finish a Mauser stock that recieved the first coat of finish Sat. When working out the geometry do you do a mockup or? Do you fit it to a shorten version of the real thing ie. just the barrel, tang, wood and action/trigger area? For the other poster the other advantage is a lock that I may actually be able to make myself, from scratch.

 

[Metalshaper]

Doug,

If I was smarter,, I would have mocked it up. :hmm: A lot of Muley's do not have a half cock position, so if your headed that way.. Its not that hard. I like a half position and added a fly, so I made the work a lot harder than it needed to be.
The builder of the lock, had access to a mill and he did a LOT of the work on that. I do not have much 'powered' tooling in my shop,,and almost none when I built my "Miss" I used improvised techniques, to get it done.
I think the best advise I can give is look over Fento's site.. < The URL I posted above> this will help explain a LOT and also gives some important design/construction tips..
One tip I'd use a thinner plate and mill or build up some bolsters on the inside of the plate.( to hang the hammer and sear ) It would be a lot easier to drill through them.. than trying to drill through the width of the plate < like most Muley's >

Shout if I can be of help!

Respect Always
Metalshaper

 

[CoyoteJoe]

For T/C breech plugs try Track of the Wolf. Part number Plug-TCF-15-5 for 15/16 and Plug-TCF-16-3 for 1" barrels. Now you have no excuse. :grin: