Mule ear

[David W.]

Does anyone here own a mule ear rifle? Has anyone ever shot one?

 

[Tumblernotch]

Does anyone here own a mule ear rifle? Has anyone ever shot one?

Yep! The first ML I ever shot was a mule ear back in '73. When I built my chunk gun, I made up my mind that it would be a mule ear, so I took some pictures of a lock that a friend had copied from one in a museum and made one for it myself. You can't get any faster than with a short throw mule ear.
:thumbsup:

 

[CoyoteJoe]

Here's one I built from scratch as a drop in replacement for a Blue Ridge flintlock.

 

[silverfox]

I have to agree I have one and it is very fast. Mine does have the half cock so is a safe hunting gun but being .32 only good for small game. They are a good action just didn't get very popular.
Fox :thumbsup:

 

[David W.]

I have to agree I have one and it is very fast. Mine does have the half cock so is a safe hunting gun but being .32 only good for small game. They are a good action just didn't get very popular.
Fox :thumbsup:

I really hate showing my ignorance here, but that is why I am asking questions about them since they never became popular. I know they would fire as fast as the under hammer since the nipple has a straight line to the powder.

Did not all mule ear's have a half cock? I have never seen these locks offered by anyone like L&R. Is there anyone who makes them?

 

[Tumblernotch]

Here's mine.

 

[David W.]

I like the thumb cock. I see the spring is on the outside. Does it have a half-cock? Is that a plains style rifle perhaps?

 

[Tumblernotch]

It's actually easier to cock it with the trigger finger while gripping the stock. There is no half cock. The original lock that this was patterned from was on a Confederate sharpshooter's rifle in the museum at Gettysburg. A friend of mine copied it on a rifle he built years ago. Mine is considerably larger than his to make it fit this rifle. It's not a plains style rifle. It is a chunk gun or "over the log rifle". The lock is the same size as a M1861 rifle musket lock and the barrel on this rifle is .50 cal. and is 42 inches long and 1-1/4 inches across the flats. It weighs a little over 17 lbs. It is designed to shoot while lying down but can be shot from a bench. This one is a half stock however with no provision for a ramrod.

The barrel is a Hoyt barrel with a tapering bore, one turn in 63 inches. The stock is walnut cut from my Grandma's place, everything but the barrel and triggers (Davis) made in my shop. It ain't pretty but it shoots purty good.

 

[CoyoteJoe]

There are lots of different designs for side slappers. Some use a horizontal sear which requires the trigger to employ a cam ramp to disengage the sear. I prefer a vertical sear just like any conventional lock. It is not difficult to build a lock with a vertical sear but it is difficult to incorporate a fly for use with set triggers. Many years ago I built my first one and used a sliding safety to the rear of the hammer which allowed safe carry at full cock and it worked splendidly. On this one however, I intended it strictly as an offhand target rifle, to be capped only on the firing line and therefore no need for a half-cock or a safety.
Just guessing, I'd say that probably most side slappers and many underhammers did not have a half-cock position.

 

[selvinman]

I have two mule ears one with a Story lock on a custom 1/2 stock .50 cal offhand rifle. The other is on a light bench rifle also a .50 cal with a 1 and 1/8 inch Green Mountain barrel. This lock was built by a local gunsmith long since gone to his reward.

 

[Idaho Ron]

I read a little about Dale Story and his rifles. Sam Fadala (spelling) wrote about them in a black powder book I have. He liked them a lot and were accurate rifles. I wanted one bad for a long time but gave up trying to find one. Ron

 

[buckweet]

i've wanted a mule ear for my GPR.....well ? i guess forever.

wishes somebody'ed start makin n' selling em...

i'ed buy one in a heartbeat.

 

[MRW]

Get your heart beating!!! http://pioneerarms.com/mule_ear_lock.html

 

[rmark]

I think the fella at Pioneer has been moving his shop and is just getting back into production - i want one for my TC.