Newbie mistake

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bioprof

62 Cal.
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Thought I'd pass along a newbie mistake that I made while putting together a Bedford Rifle kit from TOW parts. After successfully putting together two percussion rifles, I started on a longrifle with an L&R Bedford flintlock. Not realizing that there is a stop surface on the arm of the cock that is supposed to hit on the bolster to stop the cock from going too far, I filed off the stop ridge so it wouldn't hit on the lock mortice. :youcrazy: Oops. After reading another post on this board, I realized that the stop ridge was there for a reason. There is still enough of the ridge to stop the cock from traveling too far, but not much. I can see that it is cutting into the surface of the lock plate already. I guess I'll be ordering another cock arm. :shake: After examining another flintlock, I realize that I need to cut a groove in the upper part of the lock mortice to make room for the stop shelf. This wasn't shown on the blueprints that I bought from TOW as they only show the percussion version. I guess this is why you don't try out your skills for the first time on extra fancy wood. I think this is what you call a "learning moment".
 
Solder may not be strong enough to hold the metal in such a high stress environment. Having someone build up the metal with a welder would be better. Even better would be to buy a new piece.
Black Hand
 
!!!CAUTION!!!

If you attempt to use the completed rifle with this situation in place you stand a chance of the mainspring sliding off the ledge of the tumbler.

:cursing: :cursing: :cursing: :cursing: :cursing:

I have seen mainsprings splinter the wood at the bottom of the lock mortise when this happens. At that point yOu will decide that waiting for the new part would have been really smart!!!

This would add grief to the misery you already feel. No one needs that.
 
Buy a new cock, these parts a cheap enough like a few bucks. Don't let it get you down, at least you know what you did wrong. .......George F.
 
I agree with the idea of ordering a new part, or lock, whatever. Some rifles have engineering flaws yet we continue to buy them. I recently fitted a TC tumbler and sear that were designed to conflict. The sear had a bulge that prevented the sear from fully engaging the trigger!! :thumbsup:
 
Actually, high temp silver solder can withstand mechanical shock and impact quite well.

25 years ago I converted a percussion Sharps to cartridge. reconfigured the hammer by cutting off the percusssion portion, rivited and SS on a new configuration for striking the firing pin. Many hundereds of rounds later, still just like the day I did it.
 
Sorry to hear about your lock. I would go ahead and order a new part. They aren't that expensive and as ghost mentioned a failure can cause a tremendous amount of damage in the wink of an eye.
Even if the mainspring doesn't slip off of the tumbler, the tumbler will rotate down and hit the stock wood resulting in the same disaster.

The existance of a clearance cut thru the wood for the cock so it can stop on the bolster is a dead givaway on a old precussion gun to it's being a conversion from a flintlock. :)
 
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