Here's the info I promised, as I got this when I bought a flint double-barreled shotgun that used his locks, with the info provided by the gents on the American Longrifles site.
Locks by W. L. Cochran
Willie Cochran is a retired machinist in Tulsa, OK. I used to live near him and built my first rifle and first pistol using his locks. Back in the 70s-80s he made locks and triggers for other builders as well as building rifles himself. Willie was a member of the local BP shooting club and would show up in fringed buckskins at local rendezvous with his homemade longrifle – it was slim, trim and scaled to his little locks. Some catalog stores such as Dixie and Log Cabin used to carry his locks and triggers.
I first met him at the annual Gilcrease Museum Rendezvous, the Gilcrease being one of the best western art museums in the world. The buckskinners of his group demonstrated muzzleloading rifle skills behind the museum while Indian dancers entertained in front of the building. Imagine actually shooting live rounds on museum grounds in a city, where of course the museum occupied a large estate on the edge of town! He gave up making locks some years back and sold out to a fellow in Texas who marketed them for a while.
Feedback on the Cochran Locks
The Cochran lock is a very good copy of the ‘Chet Shoults’ lock that I made for years. I gave Mr. Cochran advice on making these and the materials that I used and for a while he followed my advice. After that he had parts cast. He could have obtained all the cast parts he needed from International Arms Co. that was in Livonia, MI as owned by Harold Hess. I made my own mechanisms and still do and got away from the old-style tumblers and mainsprings in 1970. Recently I found a plate for the Shoult’s-style lock and I may make a lock from it using the Nock frizzen and cock, but there is no priority on it, and it will be for sale IF it works like I want it to.
[Input provided courtesy of Bob Roller, a lock builder of some renown]
