I guess I will have to stop & see Tip this week as I have to go that way in a couple of days. Last time I checked with him (couple of months ago) he didn't have a Correct lock for a Original TN rifle that he can show a evidence of it existing. He was using a MG lock, a Siler lock, or a english style lock with a tail on it he is having made & I have yet to find a original TN rifle that has a lock like his on one. Most of the TN originals I have seen had a rounded tail on the lockplate or they had a flat cut off the tail of the lockplate. (There was a Great exibition of TN & Southern rifles at the last CLA show, if someone has some photos they would share of the original TN's)
I have built Tip's Tenn. Rifle parts set & it is a good set & quality parts, but the ones I built didn't have a PC lock on them, they had a small MG lock on them. But maybe he has something different now, I will go check it out.
You can make a Ketland look similar to at TN lock by modifying the pan & frizzen & hammer & rounding off the tail of the lockplate. This way you get the Quality of the Chambers lock & a very close lookalike to the TN lock. Make sure the stock you buy doesn't have a inlet done for the lock as you are making the lock shorter than the inlet. Unless it is a new pattern, this lock won't work on Tip's Tenn. pattern, nor TOW's Tenn. pattern. Petatonica does have one it will work on as you can get it without the lock inlet on theirs, as well as Jacks Mountain Stocks will do one without the lock inlet.
What is really boils down to is do you want it to be PC or just a generic TN style rifle that most produce now. If I was not worried about it being PC, I would build a TN with a late Ketland lock on it & it will do everything you would ever want a lock to do.
:thumbsup:
