TRS Dutch Wheelock.

[granth]

I'm debating whether to get this Dutch wheellock by The Rifle Shop. I have basic wood and metalworking skills, and I'm not sure what to expect from a TRS kit. I've heard that they are around 80-85% complete, and that you might have to do some lock work to get the locks up and running. Should I pull the trigger on this kit? If so, what should I expect from one of these kits?

The Rifle Shoppe, Inc. - Wheellock - Dutch Wheellock (629)

 

[rich pierce]

Only genius craftsmen should attempt wheel locks.

 

[Flint62Smoothie]

Reluctantly I have to agree! FWIW Brian Anderson built a TRS wheellock ‘kit’ for me and found 1/2 the parts to be unusable. Most notably, the HUGE V-spring, likely THE most important part!

Adding to that, the various pieces or areas (e.g., wheel, tumbler and lockplate around the tumbler, etc.) need to be hardened and in a manner where some are harder than the others, i.e., the easiest/cheapest to replace pieces are softer.

I would rate them buildable only to advanced builders with blacksmithing skills and capabilities.

 

[granth]

Reluctantly I have to agree! FWIW Brian Anderson built a TRS wheellock ‘kit’ for me and found 1/2 the parts to be unusable. Most notably, the HUGE V-spring, likely THE most important part!

Adding to that, the various pieces or areas (e.g., wheel, tumbler and lockplate around the tumbler, etc.) need to be hardened and in a manner where some are harder than the others, i.e., the easiest/cheapest to replace pieces are softer.

I would rate them buildable only to advanced builders with blacksmithing skills and capabilities.

Dang that sucks! Thanks for the warning. Maybe I'll fulfill by wheellock ambitions one of these days if I happen to stumble across one.

 

[Teleoceras]

Granth:

Unfortunately I had severe problems with my TRS Dutch Wheellock to the point it was unshootable until Bolek Maciaszczyk remade the lock and now she fires great! From what Bolek told me about the basic design is that the geometry is off and some of the parts weren't hardened properly.

I would recommend Bolek Maciaszczyk as he builds beautiful and well made Wheellocks. Good luck in your quest!

 

[DuncNZ]

Only genius craftsmen should attempt wheel locks.

That is why Rudyard makes them .

 

[granth]

Granth:

Unfortunately I had severe problems with my TRS Dutch Wheellock to the point it was unshootable until Bolek Maciaszczyk remade the lock and now she fires great! From what Bolek told me about the basic design is that the geometry is off and some of the parts weren't hardened properly.

I would recommend Bolek Maciaszczyk as he builds beautiful and well made Wheellocks. Good luck in your quest!

Where can I contact him?

 

[Teleoceras]

Granth:

He has a facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/bolek.maciaszczyk

Bolek is a good guy and really knows his stuff with Wheellocks. Good luck!

 

[Flint62Smoothie]

In other words, break out the wallet and wait a few years …

For us here (US or any wheelie afficiando really), it is too bad that Brian Anderson retired. I have a wheellock from each one of them and I prefer the one from Brian better, although both are fantastic, like fine jeweled watches, less both handmade.

Maybe I prefer the homemade look of the one Brian made, as if I had to put my finger on it, it looks like a craftsman made it versus one a machinist assembled. The Bolek lock assembly almost looks too perfect or ‘cookie cutter’, like the parts were water jet or laser cut. Brian is a blacksmith as well as a gunsmith and artist, so he makes each part individually by hand, by forging. Although clearly Bolek is also a master with wheellocks, so both rate an A+! But the US lock was less expensive and only a 6-month wait.

 

[Rudyard]

Well DuncNZ made my day. Ime not sure I deserve such an accolade but ile eagerly except it anyway . Ive only made 6 of them .Dunks the only shoulder stocked' after' Louis the 13th' boys gun'. Three cheeked stocked & two pistols . The one Germanic 45 rifle Ive hunted with so much it would pass for' Antigue.' Come to that so would I.
A friend had an original Suhl region c1650 & at the time I was tradeing in India so I took out his lock & had it copied but oweing to the devious nature of bundook whaller s each part was copied in different shops so no one group of workers could sell to a rival concerns . Net result basically assembled kits I made two up from them & retain one other .The pistols where one of Paul Jacobi/Navy Arms ones And the other mostly TRS parts . The last cheek stock I made entire from stock as its an external chain affair .Hardly adds up to genius. The other Suhl style went to up state NY (Curtesy of Con rail) has two loons on the cheek piece. Not seen it since a snowy day in East Aurora where I delivered it but I made it in Mass near the Quabin close to Hardwick. Flint 25 smoothie might remember it ?.I made an English lock musket ended up being bought by Tom Brown or Peter Gobbles if made for Erik Volhiem I think had a few sleeps since then.
Regards Rudyard
What the poster needs is a Jacobi /Navy Arms lock got to be some about then the rest is simple gunmakeing

 

[sportster73hp]

A wheel lock is in my future just not any time soon. I like the selection of stuff available at the rifle shop just wish they included pictures of parts and finished guns.

 

[granth]

Well DuncNZ made my day. Ime not sure I deserve such an accolade but ile eagerly except it anyway . Ive only made 6 of them .Dunks the only shoulder stocked' after' Louis the 13th' boys gun'. Three cheeked stocked & two pistols . The one Germanic 45 rifle Ive hunted with so much it would pass for' Antigue.' Come to that so would I.
A friend had an original Suhl region c1650 & at the time I was tradeing in India so I took out his lock & had it copied but oweing to the devious nature of bundook whaller s each part was copied in different shops so no one group of workers could sell to a rival concerns . Net result basically assembled kits I made two up from them & retain one other .The pistols where one of Paul Jacobi/Navy Arms ones And the other mostly TRS parts . The last cheek stock I made entire from stock as its an external chain affair .Hardly adds up to genius. The other Suhl style went to up state NY (Curtesy of Con rail) has two loons on the cheek piece. Not seen it since a snowy day in East Aurora where I delivered it but I made it in Mass near the Quabin close to Hardwick. Flint 25 smoothie might remember it ?.I made an English lock musket ended up being bought by Tom Brown or Peter Gobbles if made for Erik Volhiem I think had a few sleeps since then.
Regards Rudyard
What the poster needs is a Jacobi /Navy Arms lock got to be some about then the rest is simple gunmakeing

I never knew Navy Arms made a wheellock. I would imagine they're out of production. How rare are they? I could probably make a wheellock provided I had the parts and tooling needed.

 

[Rudyard]

Dear Granth I doubt NA s made them just offerered them around 1984 as carbine or & Pistols probably Spanish no idea BUT no saying some one might have one to sell suggest look up Muzzleblasts or similar for adds at that time hope you luck in I don't think they caught popular imagination in the days of 'Gotta get a Hawkin' But a firm called Jacobi sold them in Europe . Cheers Rudyard

 

[DuncNZ]

Looking at his Facebook page ,I see that Bolek uses whole cubes of gold pyrites in his dog , and he uses lead sheet to hold the smaller lumps . I will give that a try .

 

[granth]

Dear Granth I doubt NA s made them just offerered them around 1984 as carbine or & Pistols probably Spanish no idea BUT no saying some one might have one to sell suggest look up Muzzleblasts or similar for adds at that time hope you luck in I don't think they caught popular imagination in the days of 'Gotta get a Hawkin' But a firm called Jacobi sold them in Europe . Cheers Rudyard

Getting a wheellock is a tormenting game!