An early English dog lock musket

[rickystl]

Originally Posted by Pukka Bundook

Rick,

Very good photos of the lock! Thank you for that.
First thing that struck me about it, is how Hard it looks. As in, case hardened.
Should be of course, but it looks like ceramic! Should wear very well if you stock it up.
Nice to see the 'simple' details. I want to make one at some time!

Did you get to try your toradar yet? Mine is getting better, but doesn't like patches.


Mark,

Thank you for the additional photos,...though some hurt my eyes!
Can't see any problems, maybe the odd screw replaced, nothing major.
Agreed it would never have had a buttplate.

Congrats again!

R.

Hi Richard.

All the "stress" parts of the lock are hardened. Which, as you mentioned you would want. Especially the sear on these horizontal sear locks, which is the weak point.
That "ceramic" look on the lock is just do to the parts not being polished out yet. That's just how the castings come out. Will look much better after polishing.

No. Believe it or not, I still have not had the Torador out yet. Can't seem to stop dabbling with other gun stuff to get to the range.

You might try a pre-greased wad with an over-powder card. Some guys like it better.

Rick

[rickystl]

OK. Here's another "transition" type of lock copied from an original in a private collection. This is called a Snaplock, from a Dutch/Swedish gun from about the first-second quarter of the 17th Century. Again, with the large proportions, this lock would have been fitted/refitted to a stock similar to a matchlock of the period.
Even with it's arcane look it functions quite well. It is a very simple design. You have to manually move the pan cover to expose the priming powder before firing, just like a matchlock. There is only a full cock position, with the only safety feature being to leave the frizzen in the forward postion until the anticipated need. While very simplistic, this lock would have been much preferred over a lit match from a matchlock. Just another variation of of the experimentation during the first half of the 17th Century.

By the way, I am currently having a gun made using this lock. Should be fun.

Rick

[rickystl]

AND A COUPLE MORE..........

[M ELEY]

"If you get a chance, can you take a couple more photos of the frizzen and pan area from different angles ? Thanks."

Rick



Absolutely, Rick, and this time with a cell phone that takes better pics than that crappy digital camera I bought. Once again, thank you for all of the information you have relayed to me about this piece. Also, thanks to Marcus, Richard, Fernando and Phillip for your comments and knowledge. It is not my specialty, so I will definitely be saving all your info for my records. Thanks!
Mark

[Pukka Bundook]

Mark,

It I sOur privilege to view this new gun of yours! Very hard to find in the wild!

Rick, Keep us posted on the build utilizing this lock.
It looks like it's uncle was a Baltic lock....
It also looks simple enough to build. I Must try one, hopefully Soon!
Is your lock based on this one? I had it saved as Must Make!

The Torador will do better with wads I'm thinking, as the little -short homemade Tusco-Emilian likes them. Yes, pre-lubed as you suggested!.

[rickystl]

Hi Richard

I am sure this Baltic lock is a close cousin of the one I posted. The similarities are unmistakable. One unique feature on the Baltic lock, which you can't see in this one photo, is the striking surface of the frizzen is "L" shaped. The L at the bottom of the frizzen being used as a pan cover. Must have been some of the first thoughts at making the frizzen and pan cover one piece construction.
Here is another Baltic lock showing this detail. As well, this lock still retains a matchlock style pan cover. LOL But it does show the continued experimentation of lock developement.

Rick

[rickystl]

Yet another "transition" style of lock. This is what is commonly referred to by collectors as the English lock. Sometimes referred to as the Jacobian lock.
Probably developed at/just before the early phase of the English Civil War period. Here we see the standardization of the frizzen and pan cover being one-piece construction. As well as the addition of the "dog" style external safety catch. Yet still retaining the horizontal sear, external hammer stop, and bridle arrangement from the snaphaunce lock period.
Progress was slow back in this period. But it never the less continued on it's way to the eventual "French" style flintlock.
Of interest, during the English Civil War period there would have been matchlocks, wheellocks, snaphaunces, English locks, and early forms of doglocks all being utilized at the same time. I'm sure that many matchlocks during this period were re-fitted with one of these lock variations.
This style of English lock must have been popular as there were locks/fragments found in diggings from the northest New England area of the USA.

Rick