• This community needs YOUR help today. We rely 100% on Supporting Memberships to fund our efforts. With the ever increasing fees of everything, we need help. We need more Supporting Members, today. Please invest back into this community. I will ship a few decals too in addition to all the account perks you get.



    Sign up here: https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/account/upgrades

Questions Regarding Flintlock Repair and Maintenance

Muzzleloading Forum

Help Support Muzzleloading Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

AlagomSwede

32 Cal.
Joined
Dec 20, 2014
Messages
7
Reaction score
0
Hello, for a very long time I've been thinking of getting a flintlock firearm, and long story short, I saw one on an auction and got one for an affordable price. As expected the gun was more than a little rough around the edges and is in dire need of some TLC. The problems it has that I was able to pick out with my limited knowledge are as followed: A metal piece from the back of the stock appears missing, so is the ramrod and the wood feels very brittle where it thins off. The lock is loose, the main spring missing, and the screws are stripped. Additionally, the barrel simply rests in the stock and is not attached. I also believe that the lock itself has been replaced in the past based on how crudely its been fitted into the "hole" and the misalignment of the touch hole.

I took this on as a project of mine and I want to do whatever I can to restore it to it's former beauty, no matter how long it takes. Are there any possibilities for repairing/replacing the damage and missing parts on my own or do I need to hand it off to a professional? :idunno:

PS. I would be very happy if someone could help me identify the rifle. It's 85cm long and appears to fire a large caliber bullet.


https://goo.gl/8iNfW0
https://goo.gl/caQb6w
https://goo.gl/PnEXQq
https://goo.gl/8iNfW0
https://goo.gl/caQb6w
https://goo.gl/YU3egA
https://goo.gl/S3OTT5
https://goo.gl/HAunb8
https://goo.gl/k34Epz
https://goo.gl/ZuqWqd
https://goo.gl/9Ke5U6
https://goo.gl/O0upPW[

I appreciate any response :wink:
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Interesting. I looked up "dog lock" since I was unfamiliar with the term and as far as I can tell they all uses the external catch for a half-cock position. But if you look closely at my lock here , there is an internal half-cock notch as well, so is it some sort of hybrid?
 
Perhaps it is a hybrid. I can see that the original lock mortise is very different from the lock that is now installed. The side plate has been moved based on the impression left in the wood.

I saw barrel bands near the muzzle. Wish I had some more time to look at your gun. Later.
 
It certainly is a novel piece. The lock is obviously a replacement, but the general style of the gun appears to have been contemporary with this dog lock, whether it was ever original to the gun or not. The whole thing gives the feel of 1680-1710 era...give or take a decade. Not very precise and I'm sorry about that. Also makes me feel it's a Continental made musket, not English...though who is hard to say. With any luck you may find some proof or viewers mark under the barrel or somewhere around the lock plate, though the general wear seems to indicate that may be a hopeless effort. For some reason, someone through the centuries decided to convert it into a cavalry carbine, which is interesting in itself.

I can't say that the side plate style is familiar but I will check through some of my sources and see if I can find a trigger guard that is similar...it does have a familiar look to it but no idea what or where right now. makes me feel I've seen a similar trigger guard in pictures of guns from the era I mentioned above. It certainly is a novel old gun. Trying to track down it's history may give us all a headache though! :wink:
 
Indeed. Even if I somehow was able to restore it to shooting condition I would never want to shoot it anyway. Not to mention that getting the Dynamite license needed to handle black powder here in Sweden is really, really, difficult. :(
 
I hope this doesn't put you off antique gun collecting which is a fascinating hobby. As you investigate this gun you will learn a lot and your next purchase will be more interesting. I am sure there are many on this forum you could send a picture to for advice before spending your money.
 
I will definitely keep that in mind. Next time I find something of interest you guys better be ready of an onslaught of questions. :grin:
 
AlagomSwede said:
I will definitely keep that in mind. Next time I find something of interest you guys better be ready of an onslaught of questions. :grin:
Can't scare us, we don't know any better! :wink:
Seriously, ask any question you like, you may get 8 different answers, but they'll all be well meant! I like your new baby, it's such an interesting piece with a good bit of historic fascination. I doubt you can get it up to shooter level, but it's just a fascinating old gun.
 
Also, be wary of shooting it if you were to decide on trying to, as the breech plug appears to be significantly cracked, or so it appears that way to me in the picture where the lock is removed from the gun. Otherwise it would make an interesting wall hanger decoration!
 
Indeed, the crack splits it right in two, but I already got a special place for it on the wall. So all is well! :grin:
 
I found this link and information that the Swedes were still using Dog Lock Flintlocks as late as the M1791 Musket. I had no idea that Dog Locks were used that late by any European Country.

http://www.digitaltmuseum.se/011024382639/gallery?pos=21&count=24&search_context=1&name=Flintl%C3%A5smusk%C3%B6t

Gus
 
Hejhej svensken! :hatsoff:

I remember that gun from the auction and tried to figure it out.

The lock is a poorly fitted swedish musket lock from a 1791/1799-musket. The rest of the gun is I belive a m/1815-20 jaegerrifle that has been drilled out to be a shotgun. The used to have such nice rifled barrels. This one is cut down, you can also se marks for the springs that used to holds the bands around the stock and barrel. Its not the right trigger guard and and you are missing the buttstock. The m/1815-20 rifle had sam decoration on the stock and you can see a military marking beside the decoration.

I would say that this is a 20th C build.


This is pics of a m/1815-20 jaegerrifle that I used to own.

10608585_799182890122507_271905959850012654_o.jpg


10599615_799183256789137_846186678952650369_n.jpg


You can also see that special breach plug. Only these rifles have these.
10553925_799183683455761_7583930372962387864_o.jpg
 
The fact that the tumbler has no bridle but the frizzen pivot does, and the vent hole being off location, makes me think this is a parts gun with components from widely differing eras . The dog lock hammer style would predate the frizzen bridle by several decades. It may be a conglomeration of parts that all finished their useful life as an American Indian gun of some sort. If it could only talk!
 
The external "dog" was not the half-cock notch, but a backup safety of sorts for the half-cock, in case it failed due to sometimes faulty metallurgy, if I recall correctly.
 
Back
Top