My Access Heritage doglock

[TobJohn]

Are dog locks ( just the lock) sold by any shop or retailer?

I think Leonard Day’s sons are planning on selling them. I’ve seen images of their stands at two of the shows the past year, where they had them (just the locks), and their flier had a bunch of guns with them. Not sure what their current time table to tool up is. I talked to them in November and they were still at least a year out.

 

[ajbennettnc]

I have an early land pattern bess (Dublin Castle) from Loyalist. Its a good shooter. At least they are not made in China.

I've got one too! Good gun.

 

[nhmoose]

Nice gun! Enjoy it.

 

[Poguetx]

If you keep the muzzle pointed down, the dog should fall in place as you pull back the hammer. At least that's how it does on my doglock blunderbuss. You're lucky with a 6 lb trigger pull. Mine is 20+ pounds! But it sparks great.

 

[ArmorerRoy]

If you keep the muzzle pointed down, the dog should fall in place as you pull back the hammer. At least that's how it does on my doglock blunderbuss. You're lucky with a 6 lb trigger pull. Mine is 20+ pounds! But it sparks great.

The lever on mine does not swing freely. There is a screw to adjust the tension. I will loosen it and try that. Im still adjusting to the difference. Thanks

 

[oreclan]

There is no half cock. It is a true dog lock design as far as I know. It’s awkward too, kind of need a third hand sometimes . I see why they changed the design especially for military use.

I own a Middlesex Cookson doglock fowler I have used for F&I re-enacting.
I have to reverse my hand in order to engage the dog for half cock while in the loading sequence.
Rather than using the thumb or even the small fingers to set the cock at half cock, I use my index and middle finger reversed over the cock and my thumb then reaches down to the dog to set it.
Hard to envision, I know, but it works although awkward.

 

[ArmorerRoy]

I own a Middlesex Cookson doglock fowler I have used for F&I re-enacting.
I have to reverse my hand in order to engage the dog for half cock while in the loading sequence.
Rather than using the thumb or even the small fingers to set the cock at half cock, I use my index and middle finger reversed over the cock and my thumb then reaches down to the dog to set it.
Hard to envision, I know, but it works although awkward.

I wanted the cookson but I didn’t want to wait a year.

 

[rickystl]

The lever on mine does not swing freely. There is a screw to adjust the tension. I will loosen it and try that. Im still adjusting to the difference. Thanks

What you want is from half-cock, while pulling the hammer to full-cock, the dog catch falls back out of the way at the same time.

Rick

 

[oreclan]

I asked as I will likely break down and get one, since it's an actual dog-lock...,

Funny, but the Swedes didn't do away with the dog-lock on Military muskets until the 19th century.

Swedish 1815 Musket

View attachment 232413


LD

My Swedish ancestors were very conservative, and still living in the memory of King Charles XII !

 

[Loyalist Dave]

My Swedish ancestors were very conservative, and still living in the memory of King Charles XII !

Actually I think it was a safety issue for guys having to deal with the prospect of combat in very cold weather with bulky glove on..., and (iirc) Sweden had a pretty good navy in The Age of Sail, and they didn't have different muskets for use on ships..., again cold weather, an unsteady deck, etc.

LD

 

[ArmorerRoy]

 

[tenngun]

Actually I think it was a safety issue for guys having to deal with the prospect of combat in very cold weather with bulky glove on..., and (iirc) Sweden had a pretty good navy in The Age of Sail, and they didn't have different muskets for use on ships..., again cold weather, an unsteady deck, etc.

LD

We who have shot a bit always get a shiver seeing a primed gun loaded, such as a military style.
Last woods walk I went on one had to demonstrate the half cock worked by putting the gun on half cock and supporting the weight of the gun just by the trigger.
A dog would take a killer of a blow to the cock to fail.
Reading old loading info they had concepts of basic gun safty
It seems I’ve seen snaphaunce lock photos with a bar that would hold the cock that retracted when cocked (?)

 

[ArmorerRoy]

Finally ready for the range tomorrow.

 

[ajbennettnc]

How is the pan to breech flat fit? That's one area I need to work on some more on my Indian made musket, as mine has a tiny gap there. During shooting, I fill it with a tad of beeswax, but I need to fix it eventually.
This dog lock is now on my will-one-day-buy-list!

 

[ArmorerRoy]

How is the pan to breech flat fit? That's one area I need to work on some more on my Indian made musket, as mine has a tiny gap there. During shooting, I fill it with a tad of beeswax, but I need to fix it eventually.
This dog lock is now on my will-one-day-buy-list!

The gap in front of the touch hole is the thickness of paper.

 

[ajbennettnc]

Not a big problem there at all! Looks good to me. I personally don't prime with 4F though, so others may have very different yet valid opinions. I'd recommend checking under the lock after 10 shots or so to make sure there's not powder leaking into the lock inlet.

 

[ArmorerRoy]

Not a big problem there at all! Looks good to me. I personally don't prime with 4F though, so others may have very different yet valid opinions. I'd recommend checking under the lock after 10 shots or so to make sure there's not powder leaking into the lock inlet.

I have used bees wax in the past on other guns and I probably didn’t need to.

I use three f to prime as well and I use it sparingly.

 

[Billy-by-gosh]

I put a thin coat of grease on the barrel flats, then degrease the offending area of the pan and apply a little acra glas (or J B Weld) compound to the vertical area of pan where it meets barrel. Carefully mount the lock to the gun and tighten the lockscrews. Let it harden, then pull it off and sand/file it to final contours ot pan. That will cure the possibility of burning powder causing damage into the interior of the lock and its mortise.

 

[BadDaditood]

Last month Track sold a Swedish Doglock built by the Rifle Shoppe owner for 4600 +
It looked fabulous but I didn’t wanna wait a year or 2 so I bought an Indian one for 670, and got it in 2 weeks.
I’m happy for you guys whose locks spark, mine stalled at the frizzen.
Going through the lock I discovered the hole in the lock plate was a lot bigger than the boss on the tumbler, causing the cock/tumbler assembly to wallow around. The mainspring and it’s hook on the tumbler are scraping on the back of the plate, scrubbing off so much speed it won’t even move the frizzen, let alone spark.
It’s not too much work for me, I just don’t think I should have to do that much tweaking to a fully assembled piece.
The “over polishing” was disconcerting enough, but the lock needs so much work I decided to send it back to Ottawa. He’s a real nice guy, answers the phone if you let it ring long enough. I hope his “gunsmith” knows what he’s doing but I have my doubts.
I wish I hadn’t drilled a flash hole and sent the whole thing back so I could order a Doglock from the Rifle Shoppe and wait a year or 2 for it to arrive.
Hope my lock doesn’t take that long!

 

[ArmorerRoy]

I finally made it to the range this morning. It shoots great with no misfires. The above target is a load of 12 30 caliber hand cast lead balls with 70 grains of fff at about 25 yards. I’m going to increase the powder charge in the future and then make a dedicated powder measure.

A single shot 20 gauge shotgun is one of the most useful things ever.