Unusual two piece lock, flintlock

[Kansas Jake]

I picked up this lock at a gun show yesterday. It doesn’t appear to have ever been used and the only marks on it are the numbers 19 on each half. The cock is one one piece and the frizzen is on another. It has a military feel to it due to the heavy nature. It is 7 3/4” long.

Any know what it is?

 

[SDSmlf]

I picked up this lock at a gun show yesterday. It doesn’t appear to have ever been used and the only marks on it are the numbers 19 on each half. The cock is one one piece and the frizzen is on another. It has a military feel to it due to the heavy nature. It is 7 3/4” long.View attachment 300563View attachment 300564View attachment 300565
Any know what it is?

I’ve seen a similar two piece hinged flintlock on a breech loading gun. I saw it in someone’s collection years ago, but don’t remember the details.

 

[SDSmlf]

I’ve seen a similar two piece hinged flintlock on a breech loading gun. I saw it in someone’s collection years ago, but don’t remember the details.

Something like this, though different than the lock you have.

 

[Kansas Jake]

Yes SDsmif but much too large for a hand gun. It is also a somewhat crude reproduction. I got it cheap enough I couldn’t resist.

 

[SDSmlf]

Yes SDsmif but much too large for a hand gun. It is also a somewhat crude reproduction. I got it cheap enough I couldn’t resist.

The one I personally saw was on a long gun. I posted the picture of the hand gun just to show the concept.

 

[Commodore Swab]

With a coil spring . . .

 

[Kansas Jake]

Yes, a coil spring.

 

[Sam squanch]

It’s Belgian for an African trade musket. Many were imported here for the bi centennial to sell as wall hangers. Look up Belgian flintlock trade gun, you can see examples of them. These were made from old military gun parts and leftovers from the Belgium gun trade for sale to countries where modern guns were banned or way to expensive to own.

 

[Kansas Jake]

Thanks Sam. I suspected it was for something like that. Now if it cleans up and sparks good what to do with it. I don’t think it has ever had a flint in it or been fired. It might work to put together a barn gun.

 

[Flint62Smoothie]

What Sam said … Belgium was both extremely good and very PROLIFIC at using up any old parts …

 

[Kansas Jake]

It almost looks like the hammer half was a percussion lock retrofitted with a flint hammer and a the other half added to provide a frizzen and pan.

 

[Tumbledown]

It almost looks like the hammer half was a percussion lock retrofitted with a flint hammer and a the other half added to provide a frizzen and pan.

Probably converted an old percussion for African trade. I've never seen a back action flint before.

 

[Sam squanch]

It almost looks like the hammer half was a percussion lock retrofitted with a flint hammer and a the other half added to provide a frizzen and pan.

The first ones were surplus back action percussion locks. Those are the good ones, good sparkers with a hard frizzen. Later when they ran out of them, the gunmakers made copies with a coil spring.

 

[cyten]

This comes from the old 6475W. As many here have said, NOS parts built into new guns for African trade or home decor. Here is an ad from 1947. I’ve seen them in catalogs as early as 1911 and as late as the 60’s

 

[Kansas Jake]

At least I paid less for the lock than the whole gun cost in 1947. If nothing else it makes an interesting conversation piece. I wonder if Dixie or Numerich etc. sold these locks at one time?

 

[vintovka]

DGW used to carry them

 

[1971fx]

This comes from the old 6475W. As many here have said, NOS parts built into new guns for African trade or home decor. Here is an ad from 1947. I’ve seen them in catalogs as early as 1911 and as late as the 60’s

View attachment 300748

I've got the 6494 elephant gun. Found it at a yard sale

 

[vintovka]

On close inspection of such locks it seems they are mostly obsolete original cheap Belgian made percussion and hammer shotgun lock repurposed to flint.

 

[rickystl]

Hi Jake

Much agree with Posts #8,10, and 18. In fact, I once owned a musket with that same two-piece lock. Except the hammer on mine was a reinforced style. Bought it new in 1964/5 from Century Arms (I think). Recall paying about $35.00 plus shipping. I was only 14/15 then. I use to fire blanks with it. Eventually, I had to send the frizzen to Dixie to have it hardened. Those were fun days. Don't remember what I did with it.

Rick

 

[rickystl]

I've got the 6494 elephant gun. Found it at a yard sale

I remember. Distributed by Stoeger Arms. Dixie use to advertise the elephant gun in their catalog as either 4 or 6 gauge. I remember seeing the elephant gun also with one of the two-piece locks. I guess it just depends on what surplus stock was on hand at the time. LOL It seems that most of them had the two-piece locks by the mid-1960's. (?)
The earliest ones I've seen, supposedly from the early 1900's had a one-piece lock plate that was very long with a reinforced style hammer. They occasionally come up at auctions.

Rick