Wheellock Building Class 2025

[PhDBrewer]

A Wheellock Building class is being coordinated for 2025 !​

2 locations!​

NMLRA Gunsmithing Seminar (TBD)* – Bowling Green, Kentucky​

Willamette Valley, Independence, Oregon​

The class will build a copy of the “Alden” Mayflower Wheellock that is shown above.

The Wheellock Lock​

The wheellock on the Alden musket is most likely from Bresica Italy. Source: NRA Museum

* PLEASE NOTE !
*The NMLRA is interested in offering this class and is trying to find room for us to have this class at Kentucky State University in Bowling Green, Kentucky in 2025. However, they are finding it more and more difficult to obtain work/shop space and/or machinery to use at KSU. Please let the NMLRA know that you value this as well as the other educational seminars and would like to see them continue. It is possible that a different venue for classes will need to be found.

The class will be either 6 or 9 days long. Students will use cast and machined parts to build a copy of the Alden inspired wheellock lock. Participants will be instructed on wheellock construction, terminology, & design. Theory, history and unique styles will be discussed as well.
Heat treating will be covered as the participants will harden and temper the wheel and springs. Case hardening of the arbor, main & secondary sear, bridle, and lock plate will be preformed if parts are finished and if time allows.
The course work aims to give as much instruction as possible during the participants time in the class. By getting the parts fitted, springs hardened & tempered, the participant will have a partially functioning lock by the end of the class. This will allow the Participant to finish the clean up of the parts and to polish them at their leisure.
The Lock – The lock set consists of all the parts necessary to build the lock. The sets are cast or machined to the specifications of the model that was built from images of the original. Lock sets will be made available for the participant to purchase. The cost at this time is unknown.
This first class will focus on building the lock. It is the intent to offer another class the following year to stock the lock & barrel and mount the hardware to complete the musket.
Barrel: Rice – Custom .62 cal / 20 gauge smooth bore, Octagonal to round. Participants can purchase through instructor or bring there own.

A scale drawing of the original was made. It was modified to have a 12.5″ Length of Pull (LOP)

Please contact me for more information
[email protected]


William

 

[Flint62Smoothie]

Wow, what a fantastic course and suberb effort!

 

[PhDBrewer]

Thanks Flint62smoothie for your help and images! This should be a fun time and get more wheelies out to the masses!

 

[LT Joe]

A Wheellock Building class is being coordinated for 2025 !​

2 locations!​

NMLRA Gunsmithing Seminar (TBD)* – Bowling Green, Kentucky​

Willamette Valley, Independence, Oregon​

The class will build a copy of the “Alden” Mayflower Wheellock that is shown above.

The Wheellock Lock​

The wheellock on the Alden musket is most likely from Bresica Italy. Source: NRA Museum

The class will be either 6 or 9 days long. Students will use cast and machined parts to build a copy of the Alden inspired wheellock lock. Participants will be instructed on wheellock construction, terminology, & design. Theory, history and unique styles will be discussed as well.
Heat treating will be covered as the participants will harden and temper the wheel and springs. Case hardening of the arbor, main & secondary sear, bridle, and lock plate will be preformed if parts are finished and if time allows.
The course work aims to give as much instruction as possible during the participants time in the class. By getting the parts fitted, springs hardened & tempered, the participant will have a partially functioning lock by the end of the class. This will allow the Participant to finish the clean up of the parts and to polish them at their leisure.
The Lock – The lock set consists of all the parts necessary to build the lock. The sets are cast or machined to the specifications of the model that was built from images of the original. Lock sets will be made available for the participant to purchase. The cost at this time is unknown.
This first class will focus on building the lock. It is the intent to offer another class the following year to stock the lock & barrel and mount the hardware to complete the musket.
Barrel: Rice – Custom .62 cal / 20 gauge smooth bore, Octagonal to round. Participants can purchase through instructor or bring there own.

A scale drawing of the original was made. It was modified to have a 12.5″ Length of Pull (LOP)

Please contact me for more information
[email protected]


William

William,

Sign me up!

-- Joe

 

[PathfinderNC]

Nice!

 

[Kentuckyjed]

KSU is not

A Wheellock Building class is being coordinated for 2025 !​

2 locations!​

NMLRA Gunsmithing Seminar (TBD)* – Bowling Green, Kentucky​

Willamette Valley, Independence, Oregon​

The class will build a copy of the “Alden” Mayflower Wheellock that is shown above.

The Wheellock Lock​

The wheellock on the Alden musket is most likely from Bresica Italy. Source: NRA Museum

The class will be either 6 or 9 days long. Students will use cast and machined parts to build a copy of the Alden inspired wheellock lock. Participants will be instructed on wheellock construction, terminology, & design. Theory, history and unique styles will be discussed as well.
Heat treating will be covered as the participants will harden and temper the wheel and springs. Case hardening of the arbor, main & secondary sear, bridle, and lock plate will be preformed if parts are finished and if time allows.
The course work aims to give as much instruction as possible during the participants time in the class. By getting the parts fitted, springs hardened & tempered, the participant will have a partially functioning lock by the end of the class. This will allow the Participant to finish the clean up of the parts and to polish them at their leisure.
The Lock – The lock set consists of all the parts necessary to build the lock. The sets are cast or machined to the specifications of the model that was built from images of the original. Lock sets will be made available for the participant to purchase. The cost at this time is unknown.
This first class will focus on building the lock. It is the intent to offer another class the following year to stock the lock & barrel and mount the hardware to complete the musket.
Barrel: Rice – Custom .62 cal / 20 gauge smooth bore, Octagonal to round. Participants can purchase through instructor or bring there own.

A scale drawing of the original was made. It was modified to have a 12.5″ Length of Pull (LOP)

Please contact me for more information
[email protected]


William

KSU is not in Bowling Green KY but WKU is.

 

[PhDBrewer]

KSU is not in Bowling Green KY but WKU is.

Well...
That is embarrassing !
Can change the web site but not the original message.
Thanks for pointing that out.
William.

 

[PhDBrewer]

! ! UPDATE ! !
CLASS SPACE HAS BEEN FOUND & CLASS WILL BE ADDED FOR 2025 ! !
The wheellock class will be held at the NMLRA gun building seminar in Bowling Green, KY.
Will post more information and links as they become available.

 

[MCFred]

Interested in attending as well.

 

[Rudyard]

Thanks Flint62smoothie for your help and images! This should be a fun time and get more wheelies out to the masses!

Not Sure if 'The Masses' are quite ready for Wheellocks' but there does seem to be an increasing awareness of Matchlocks( I had Indians makeing me flintlocks & some wheellock locks mid70s I made two rifles with them. )But that matchlocks didnt seem to be so general unless you did English Civil war type events . And I think we should thank Indian offerings for makeing them more available . Years ago I made a Caliver for the owner of the firm of Henry Krank in UK. whether he sent it to India No Idea but that was his thinking . Most all the India gun copies started with John Longstaff who had imagination . Kranks was just one of his shops . But he was murdered on a plane bizarre as it seems and the man who bought the Kranks firm went on to build a big concern
.I,me all for" The New way backwards" My article ran in Scurlock's ' Muzzleloader Magazine Nov/ Dec 1995' examining old styles in a reenactment context ' Observations on the more archaic locks 'certainly inspired Brer' ' Pukka Bundook 'Who by fluke found me when selling a Mary Rose Snap matchlock to a Victoria Rifles member . A later Video shows them both shooting M locks Pukka put me onto this MLF forum and some think it good and some numb sculls disagree . But I made a trip to one shoot in Alberta .My last round the world trip . Covid stopped that & old age & its decrepitude put the lid on my globetrotting . I recall Navy Arms & a German firm a Mr Pual Jacobi offered wheellocks as locks or as pistol & carbines but at that time I suspect few had imagination being bedazzled by" Gott a' get a Hawken" type notions. Well, what ever floats your boat of course .each to his own.
Best wishes Rudyard

 

[Feltwad]

Not Sure if 'The Masses' are quite ready for Wheellocks' but there does seem to be an increasing awareness of Matchlocks( I had Indians makeing me flintlocks & some wheellock locks mid70s I made two rifles with them. )But that matchlocks didnt seem to be so general unless you did English Civil war type events . And I think we should thank Indian offerings for makeing them more available . Years ago I made a Caliver for the owner of the firm of Henry Krank in UK. whether he sent it to India No Idea but that was his thinking . Most all the India gun copies started with John Longstaff who had imagination . Kranks was just one of his shops . But he was murdered on a plane bizarre as it seems and the man who bought the Kranks firm went on to build a big concern
.I,me all for" The New way backwards" My article ran in Scurlock's ' Muzzleloader Magazine Nov/ Dec 1995' examining old styles in a reenactment context ' Observations on the more archaic locks 'certainly inspired Brer' ' Pukka Bundook 'Who by fluke found me when selling a Mary Rose Snap matchlock to a Victoria Rifles member . A later Video shows them both shooting M locks Pukka put me onto this MLF forum and some think it good and some numb sculls disagree . But I made a trip to one shoot in Alberta .My last round the world trip . Covid stopped that & old age & its decrepitude put the lid on my globetrotting . I recall Navy Arms & a German firm a Mr Pual Jacobi offered wheellocks as locks or as pistol & carbines but at that time I suspect few had imagination being bedazzled by" Gott a' get a Hawken" type notions. Well, what ever floats your boat of course .each to his own.
Best wishes Rudyard

Well said Rudyard when I built my wheellock in 50cal the barrel I obtained from you and the lock from Major Noel Corry .At that time Mendie were doing a wheellock pistol kit
Feltwad

 

[Rudyard]

Well said Rudyard when I built my wheellock in 50cal the barrel I obtained from you and the lock from Major Noel Corry .At that time Mendie were doing a wheellock pistol kit
Feltwad

Dear Felt Wad Yes and a fine rifle you made with the parts mid 1970s?. It would be in my RFD Register I still account new guns and use other pages for shooting notes .I used a Jacobi lock for a WL pistol for Richard Moore who became famous due to his part in the 'Sharpes 'series .He gave it to David Edge then Curator of the Wallace collection there wives being sisters .Any way one day at Kirby Hall he was giveing a talk on armour . he showed the pistol as an item that brought about changes in armours it looked familiar so I mention it to his wife who was showing it .At the end of his talk they said "And if you want to know more about such guns theres the maker " That was first Kirby I did two and some after at Stonegate ? Some horsey place only did one ,playing Jacobite At first Kirby I wore My Waterloo 92nd of foot togs 1995 reenactment A Waterloo Shades of "If you was at Waterloo" dosnt matter what you do " , You can Cock & Doodle doo ,If you was at Waterloo !" "Old pun sort of jingle .I camped with two Swiss De Mourons ,Kings German Legion Art'y group & two Companie's of 95th Rifles with Richard & the series armorer Bill Whitlam First company 95th .On a football ground near the Battle field Sunday after heavy rain ,mud like glue & it started late (due to a printing error !) Wicked authentic as the original started late due to the wet ground My musket might have at the first battle I brought it from NZ and flicked it off to Mick Long. just a restored wreck I bought at Glastonbury or might been Allen town .gun show. Mick Long did both always good fun (He urged me to write a book & he'd pay for the printing .Now I am writing a book wants doing before I fall of me perch ..
Waffling on cant help it but I get ( Mostly) positive feed back .Some you can never please .
Regards Rudyard