Wheel Locks

[Preflint]

Just curious if anyone has an average price range for bolek and Leonard days work. I know it probably varies on a lot of factors just hoping to get an idea.

 

[hawkeye2]

"ferrocerium" Duh! Should have known that. Thanks Canute

 

[wulf]

or contact the company it'self.

 

[Feltwad]

Enclosed are images of the lock of wheellock that I used in the 70s by Mendi Italian
Feltwad

 

[rickystl]

I remember when those pistol kits came out. I believe there were two kits. One for an Italian pistol, and the other German, if my memory serves.
Don't recall any of the guns coming up for sale in later years. Wonder where they went?

Rick.

 

[rickystl]

As long as we're discussing wheellock locks, thought you guys might like to see this.
An original double pawl wheellock. Northern Italian, about 1600. When I received it, it was all complete except missing it's sear. The mount for the sear was not broke or damaged. So my guess is that it needed a replacement sometime back in the period, but never got around to it (?). So, I had a new sear made for it. Works fine now.
Hope you enjoy the pics.

Rick :hatsoff:

 

[Feltwad]

I remember when those pistol kits came out. I believe there were two kits. One for an Italian pistol, and the other German, if my memory serves.
Don't recall any of the guns coming up for sale in later years. Wonder where they went?

Rick.

Are these the type of kits you remember
Feltwad

 

[rickystl]

YES!! That was one of them that I remember seeing the advertisement for. The other kit I believe was a German Saxon style. Have no memory who sold those kits. But I remember seeing the black and white printed add.

Rick

 

[ddoyle]

Do a search for Lauber his book will guide you thru building a lock. As well Kuntz has published at least 5 complete blue prints for locks and arms - miltary- french ladies rifle- wall gun etc. All the above are available free online. Study these 6 locks and you will see that once a mainspring is aqquired/built the remainder of the lock is not that daunting. A lathe is nice to make the axle but not required.

Wheelocks are a real joy to work on. Everything can be done with flat material and all of it is thin enough to be easily cut/shaped. Lauber really makes it doable for us less talented hacks.
On the prudence side it is much easier to make a safe wheelock then a safe flintlock. no tiny half sear notch to fail. (assuming the Lauber/Mendi ball bearing is used)

Feltwad- Interesting that your Mendi lock uses the same ball bearing arrangement as Lauber championed.

P>S to find the Kuntz works you might look up the french/german for wheellock and do your search on a european search engine. I have the prints but not the links.

Edit: sorry just checked my bookshelf and 2 of the Kuntz arms are not wheel locks one a flintlock and one a Snaphaunce.

 

[coloradoclyde]

This may be ff but, I can't help but wonder if anyone has ever made (or improved upon ) a "modern" style wheel lock?....Say maybe with a coil spring and modern components...

 

[cynthialee]

This may be ff but, I can't help but wonder if anyone has ever made (or improved upon ) a "modern" style wheel lock?....Say maybe with a coil spring and modern components...

I have wondered similar thoughts.

I got this fantasy gun in my head I would love to be able to afford to have built.

Put this idea through your noggin:
Wheel Lock Hawken

I think with one of the smaller wheel locks one would use for a pistol it could be pulled off.

 

[Wes/Tex]

If anyone knows, my pal Dennis Heckathorne will. I'l try to reach him. This is Dennis with his "Drachenjaeger". It's a early 15th century German style "cheek" wheel lock. The only thing he did make from scratch is the barrel.
http://i1086.photobucket.com/albums/j453/worter/artwork057.jpg

 

[ddoyle]

Say maybe with a coil spring and modern components..

Some upstart modernist by the name of Leonardo d- had a German gunmaker on staff who made silly springs that looked like a helix- they were also messing about with multi-flute milling cutters and lots of other silly ideas that will probabley never catch on in the real world. Dreamers and trouble makers really. REad " Leonardo and the milling cutter- John Hopkins Universtity Press."

In short there is nothing that you can imagine that someone has not already dismissed on grounds, alpha tested, beta tested or put thru field trials. If it did not surplant exisitng tech and persist for 3 or 4 hundred years then there likely is a reason.

That said
IIRC there is someone out there in America today making wheellocks with coil springs and they probabley work just great. The rub is thus: V spring wheellocks are simply beyond design perfection -100s of years of the world's smartest people incrementally improving an idea until it becomes the last word on fit for purpose.

re the wheelock hawken- I'll trump that fantasy and tell ya about the Wheel lock ferguson which spans the lock and turns the breech screw with one motion
:rotf: but a bit serious. it is in my sketch book

 

[ddoyle]

Ricky,

P Kunz presents a French rifle dated to 1620 with two cocks in CH-8200 Schaffhausen similar to yours. Guess it proves no one likes a FTF in any time period.

 

[robinghewitt]

Over a year ago y'all told me to send my wheely to Bolek. There was a waiting list but he is now fixing it :thumbsup:

It has grown a new pan and wheel cover, next comes the missing safety catch.

He dates it c1580 :grin: :grin: :grin:

 

[wulf]

I have and so has Mr. Day.

 

[coloradoclyde]

This may be ff but, I can't help but wonder if anyone has ever made (or improved upon ) a "modern" style wheel lock?....Say maybe with a coil spring and modern components...

I have wondered similar thoughts.

I got this fantasy gun in my head I would love to be able to afford to have built.

Put this idea through your noggin:
Wheel Lock Hawken

I think with one of the smaller wheel locks one would use for a pistol it could be pulled off.

I'm with ya... :thumbsup:

 

[coloradoclyde]

This is getting interesting.... :hmm:

 

[ddoyle]

Wulf,

Can you give any design advice/insight into using helical springs to power a wheel lock?

Do they simply attach to the axle eccentric and then anchor down where we would normally see the v spring stirrup? (i.e pulling the wheel with a stretched spring) or do they somehow push on the eccentric and operate from a compressed state?

 

[wulf]

To answer your question, I picture would be necessary
I can't post picture But Ricky has helped in the
past. Maybe I can persuade.Him to do some more for
me......Keep an open mind. I am not perfect.

Wulf