What exactly is a bridle?

[sooter76]

What exactly is a bridle? I see them mentioned in multiple posts in reference to a lock having or not having a bridle and I've looked at different photos of locks trying to see what it is, but I'm still missing what it is?

Somebody help a newb...

 

[Keb]

The frizzen is mounted to the lock with just a screw.
lock without a bridle on the pan:

The frizzen is mounted on the lock with a "bridle" which means the frizzen is mounted between a bridle and lock plate with the screw running through it.
lock with a bridle on the pan:

It is thought the bridled lock is better but many old locks without bridles are still around.

There is also another bridle on the inside of many locks. This bridle is the piece with 2 screws going through it which helps keep the tumbler (thing the hammer rotates with) in line.
Here's a picture of one:

 

[sooter76]

Ah... I see now. Thanks.

 

[necchi]

CVA (Spanish) Un-Bridled lock;

CVA (Spanish) Bridled lock;

(the arrow points to a screw in these locks that adjusts sear engagement)
Like Keb said the Bridle supports an axel on the tumbler opposite the lock plate. Un-bridled locks can wear much faster if neglected and the pivot point in the lock plate get's loose,, everything starts getting out of alignment and the hammer can then rock back-n-forth.
If you have an un-bridled lock,, don't be bashful with the lube/oil.

 

[Artificer]

Normally, the internal bridle came first in chronological order and then pan bridles came afterward. For example, British Pattern 1730 Long Land Muskets (an early Brown Bess pattern) just had the internal bridle. However, the pan bridle was added on P 1740 Locks and British Land Pattern Muskets had both bridles from the Pattern 1742 onward. However, British Sea Service Muskets did not generally have a pan bridle for a number of years later. Since Sailors did not handle/use muskets near as often as Soldiers on land, and thus did not have as much opportunity to BREAK their muskets, they did not go to the added expense of a pan bridle until later.


Gus

 

[Zonie]

So, summing it all up, the screw, axle or boss a part rotates on can be supported on only one end, or it can be supported on both ends by something called a bridle.

IMO, the term "bridle" comes from the bridle horses wear which supports both ends of the bit in their mouth.

Although the tumbler and frizzen of very early locks often don't have a bridle at all, some of them did.
Also, there are later locks made when bridles were fairly popular that did not have bridles.

Because of this, generally speaking one could say, a unbridled lock is probably an early lock and a bridled lock is probably a later lock but this isn't always true.

IMO, a bridled lock with the bridles supporting both the tumbler and the frizzen is a much superior lock.

 

[pwbsmokey]

Does the pan bridle support the frizzen screw to help prevent the screw and/or frizzen from breaking

 

[tenngun]

I've been doing this for 40 years, almost all my shooting and all my hunting with a ml. I read about people using unbridaled locks, and only thought of the internal bridal on the tumbler. Only in the last couple of years had I learned it applied to the frizzen support also, and then learned it on the forum...a wealth of information

 

[Zonie]

Does the pan bridle support the frizzen screw to help prevent the screw and/or frizzen from breaking

Not so much the frizzen but basically, yes. The leg of the bridle at the outer end of the pan supports the outer end of the frizzen screw which greatly reduces the stress the screw must endure when the flint hits the face of the frizzen.

Because both ends of the frizzen screw have support the screw can be smaller and still take the loads generated by the frizzen as it is struck by the flint.

The same sort of benefit happens with the tumbler.

With the innermost end of the tumbler being unsupported if there is no bridle, the hole thru the lock must take all of the loads created by the mainspring.

Any softness in the lockplate steel in the hole where the tumbler shaft passes thru it will cause the hole to be rapidly worn.
In such a condition, the tumbler can become misaligned causing problems with the alignment of the sear nose and the half cock and full cock notches.

If a bridle is added to support the innermost end of the tumbler as it rotates, the wear problem is greatly reduced.

 

[pwbsmokey]

Thanks, I don't know much about the inner workings of a flintlock, but I hope to get one someday. The information that you provided explains a lot.