Need help finding lock for antique halfstock

[Leslie Sapp]

So, this has come down to me in pieces, with some lost. It's an old family gun, otherwise I wouldn't put this much time and money into it.

This is the lock we're thinking may work, but I'd like some opinions from the forum, as I know there are some very experienced rifle builders on here.

https://www.dixiegunworks.com/index/page/product/product_id/2714/category/372/category_chain/350,371,372/product_name/LK0908+L+%26+R+Back+Action+Percussion+Right+Hand+L ock

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[LAGS]

I have often made my own side plate to fit a un named stock.
Then I fitted it with parts of a commonly available lock.
It was a little bit of work.
And some lock parts had to be modified like the hammer bent.
But it ended up working out well.
Is this barrel a percussion or flintlock?
If the barrel goes with that stock.
Then the flash hole or nipple location are you data points to line up and design your lock.

[Leslie Sapp]

Precussion

[LAGS]

One suggestion.
Make yourself a pattern of a lock plate that fits your stock out of cardboard.
Then contact some antique builders that may have old parts in their possession.
Then you can mail the template to them to see if they might have something that fits , or be able to tell you what you need to look for.
If I had those kind of spare parts , I would ask you to mail it to me.
They then might be able to tell you if they can build you a working lock and what you need to do to get that done.

[GregLaROCHE]

LAG’s suggestion is a good one. Just curious, but what happened to the original lock?

[Leslie Sapp]

what happened to the original lock?

The gun had a broken stock and many years ago my dad gave it to a cousin to put it back together. The cousin died on us, and the buttstock and barrel are all we could find in his house after his death.

[Tatume]

Track of the Wolf has a couple of hundred different locks. There are photos of most.

https://www.trackofthewolf.com/Index.aspx

[Leslie Sapp]

couple of hundred different locks

That's the problem....

[Tatume]

I don't see why. Call them. Ask how to identify the best fit. Have measurements at hand, and a ruler and the stock. You may find the folks at TOFW to be helpful; I have.

[LAGS]

Make that template of the lock and mail it to TOW.
That would be a good start.

[Tatume]

Including the barrel in a photo next to the stock might help to determine if yours takes a back-action lock. If so, the nipple will be completely forward of the lock. If the nipple is near the center of the lock it is not a back-action gun. I can't tell from your photos, but it doesn't look like a back-action rifle to me.

[LAGS]

I agree with sending the reference points like the lock plate screw hole and the distance or location of the nipple location on the barrel.
A couple locks that I made years ago were for rifles built around the civil war out of misc parts that someone had.
The rifles did not match up to any manufactured rifles.
In fact.
The lock lay out looked like the original lock was a flintlock , converted to percussion.
Also,
In your pictures.
It looks like wood was added to repair the stock.
Possibly , he never finished inletting the stock to fit the original lock.
Or had another lock he was going to attempt to use.

[Tatume]

In your pictures it looks like wood was added to repair the stock.

If this was my project that's exactly what I would do; build it up and inlay the lock in the new wood. The through-holes can be filled and relocated. We haven't seen the left side, but I assume there was a side plate, which is also lost. A new side plate can be drilled to locate the screws wherever they should be. While I was at it I would probably inlay and glue a couple of steel rods so the stock doesn't crack again. Is the trigger guard also lost?

322726

[LAGS]

I looked on eBay.
They have a lock for sale from an 1800's rifle that the front part looks similar to the inletting on your stock in the old wood.
Without seeing your whole stock and the barrel sitting on the stock , it is hard to decide if that is a correct lock.
But it could be.
All you might have to do is inlet the new added wood to complete the fit.

[Leslie Sapp]

A picture of the stock and barrel together. 323013

[LAGS]

Thank you.
Now that picture gives me a better idea on how everything is laid out.
Is there a hook Tang for that barrel ?
The way I build my rifles from scratch is.
I rough cut the stock to shape sort of like your stock.
I inlet the barrel and tang with the tang actually glued to the barrel.
The next thing is to get the lock and line up the hammer to the nipple.
That will show you where the Tumbler is going to be.
Then the lock side plate can be lined up based on where the Tumbler is centered.
Now with your situation it is going to take a little more steps to get everything lined up.
Your barrel may not be inletted exactly where it needs to be to line up with a lock that may not be exact to how the stock is inletted.
But I can now see better what style of percussion lock you need to look for.
That one you posted from Dixie might be able to be fit to work..
But I was correct in that the new wood on the stock is not fully inletted for the original lock.
And will have to be inletted fully for the new style lock.

[LAGS]

I don't know what your skill level is , or the type of tools you have access to.
But I can see that your project is one that is Doable.
One thing that I did for one of the pistols I built on this forum was to take a Philadelphia Derringer lock and use the parts to build a functional lock buy just making a new lock side plate.
Look up the thread " Lags is up to something again "
If you go on line.
I am sure you can find a lock similar style to the one you found at Dixie.
But maybe at a much better price.
But if you need to.
The lock inletting on your stock can be fully filled with new wood to let you inlet for the lock you want to use.

[Leslie Sapp]

We do have a hook breech and tang.

[LAGS]

I take it that the Tang is kind of long , and there is still some inletting in the old wood part of the stock.
That would be great.
That gives you another reference to where the barrel was originally located.
So that could be your first step.
Glue the tang on to the breech plug.
Then finish inletting the rear of the barrel to get it set in the stock.

[waksupi]

There aren't many of those locks available new on the market. It could probably be made to work.

[LAGS]

I noticed in your picture of the barrel.
It looks like there is rusting or pitting at the breech plug.
How is the bore on this barrel.
What caliber is it now.
If the bore is not great , but you intend on shooting it in the future.
I would suggest you send the barrel to Bobby Hoyt to have the bore reworked.
But that is something you can wait till you finish rebuilding the stock and get things mechanicly operable.

[indian joe]

We do have a hook breech and tang.

depending on how "handy" you are with tools you mght find an old back action shotgun lock you can work over -- that would need a hammer fabricated tho
making a new lockplate to fit the inlet is not so hard and a good way to tidy things up

[LAGS]

On several locks that I adapted to other guns I built.
I just switched out the hammer with another style or manufactures one.
Like I said before.
I just find a hammer that you set on the nipple location.
Then where the square hole in the hammer is , tells you where the Tumbler location will be.
On some rifles,
I tried several different hammers to find one that placed the tumbler in the area it needed to be.

[LAGS]

Just to give you a heads up.
I just bought back action style lock on line .
But this one is left handed.
I am planning to build a left handed pistol out of it just for fun.
There will probably be more of this kind of style locks on line in the future.
I only paid less than $20 for this one , including shipping.
So as I said before,
Parts can be found from time to time for way less money than at suppliers.