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Installed L&R RPL 03 In My T/C Renegade............................

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7shortmag

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............................. sorry to say that I am somewhat disappointed.

It took me about an hour, no big deal. I used mainly a dremel tool with Carbude burs and a small chisel.

A coupla' years ago I bedded the OEM lock in to the stock with Devcon Steel Putty. (that's what I use for all my bedding work) Had to take most of the bedding out plus a LOT of wood. No big deal, I expected as much.

Had to grind a sizeable chunk of steel off of the tang. Expected that too from a forum members' posts.

So after a while of fumbling and farting around I got it inletted in to the stock and it just didn't function correctly. It turned out that the hammer was hitting the stock AND the side plate. On the sideof the hammer toward the base there was a pece of flash from when the hammer was cast/forged. Not only did this flash scratch the piss out of the stock, but it also left a mark on the side plate where it was hitting when hammer was down. I had to grind the flash off so the hammer would cock and fall correctly. Nice..................... A custom aftermarket lock that needed to be modified to work properly. Poor Q/C.

I'm not complaining about any of the work I needed to do, or any of the metal or wood that needed to be removed. The lock itself should have never left the shou without proper inspection.

This install has been an itch I wanted to scratch for a couple of years now. I would not have been satisfied until I tried it.
 
I didn’t know L&R made “custom” locks. I’ve used several of their locks and had issues on only one that I bought from a parts dealer to combine freight costs - only took a little extra filing and smoothing. I now buy direct from L&R.

IMO checking clearances in and outside the mortise before calling the job complete would be on the installer.
 
My first RPL had a very visible casting flaw in the nose of the lock plate, they replaced it. The second didn't have the cock properly installed on the tumbler shaft, the cock stop barely hit the edge of the lock plate. I sent this one back as well, they fixed the shaft problem but ground a huge burr on the shaft and forced the tumbler shaft back through the lock plate burr and all, the lock wouldn't cock.

Fed up with such crappy QC I fixed the last issue myself and vowed to never buy another L&R lock in my lifetime. My $180 lock cost me $200 if I added shipping back and forth. The lock went on my random parts TC Renegade build, If I can spot a flaw immediately as a beginner why can't professionals like the L&R folk spot the same flaw when they assemble the lock.

Sounds like you found about the same things I alerted you to in my earlier post.
 
plate where it was hitting when hammer was down. I had to grind the flash off so the hammer would cock and fall correctly. Nice..................... A custom aftermarket lock that needed to be modified to work properly. Poor Q/C

I have installed several L&R locks on Traditions, CVA, and Thompson Center. On the 03 for the renegade some stock work has to be done accordingly to the pattern that comes with the lock, as well as taking some meat off the front of the lock plate, but not all. The 03 0n the Hawkin needs less work. The Dixie squirrel rifle was the worst I have come across, but that was because the owner didn't do a very good job of assembling the kit. He was young at the time and in a hurry to get to the range. After a little fine tuning and evening the inletting down it was smooth as silk. A good lock in flint form will make or break a flintlock shooter.
 
The L&R replacement locks seem to be one of those controversial topics. Installing the flintlock version on a GPR the main problem I had was the lockplate itself not matching the factory mortise in the lock panel. Too large in some areas (easy to correct) and undersized in other areas (more difficult to add material to correct), making a tight clean fit with the lock panel tough to accomplish. Actually tried two different locks with each having different fit ‘challenges’.

Expected having to remove wood to clear the lock internals, but a little disappointed that I had to grind away some of the threaded insert for the tang screw..... I have seen and handled two that were installed in TCs and both showed signs of the challenges Eric, others and I have mentioned. Always find it entertaining that people go out and buy these locks and then are surprised and complain when they find previously reported issues.

That said, once you finish up the lock (polish, fit, deburr and case harden, etc), believe they are a definite improvement over the OEM locks. But they are not the drop in that some seem to claim or think they are.
 
Well I've known L & R from their beginning used & sold many locks without any of the difficulties written about here . But then I've never had much of anything to do with any factory replica but Parker Hales. aside of revolvers and sold a few Hawkens & Petersoli double shotguns & Navy Arms ditto . I did work for & sell' Hawkins Arms' New Zealand made rifles & barrels but these I expect are little known outside NZ though many barrels went to the UK and the late Gordon Gerrard shot a 98 at Bisley with a 451 Hawkins barreled ' Poor mans full match ' style rifle of my make .
The Hawkins ' Hawken' might be ugly but his barrels were very good . The rifles where made' down to a price'. To in his words "Get the jokers shooting". By' Poor mans' I mean the barrel used a Numerich plug an Indian small' bar in wood' lock, simple Enfield type mounts. Nothing poor about Gordon.
Rudyard
 
That said, once you finish up the lock (polish, fit, deburr and case harden, etc), believe they are a definite improvement over the OEM locks. But they are not the drop in that some seem to claim or think they are.

Can't say I have ever had any luck with replacement parts fitting fresh out of the box; some of the replacement locks can be a pain. The best part of gunsmithing the old smoke poles is that nothing is standard. It was that way then: as it is now. Even the replacement parts for the old pistols' were not exactly fit. Recently the replacement parts for pieta and Uberti are close enough to use out of the box, but usually need polish and taking a good look at timing.
 
The L&R replacement locks seem to be one of those controversial topics. Installing the flintlock version on a GPR the main problem I had was the lockplate itself not matching the factory mortise in the lock panel. Too large in some areas (easy to correct) and undersized in other areas (more difficult to add material to correct), making a tight clean fit with the lock panel tough to accomplish. Actually tried two different locks with each having different fit ‘challenges’.

Expected having to remove wood to clear the lock internals, but a little disappointed that I had to grind away some of the threaded insert for the tang screw..... I have seen and handled two that were installed in TCs and both showed signs of the challenges Eric, others and I have mentioned. Always find it entertaining that people go out and buy these locks and then are surprised and complain when they find previously reported issues.

That said, once you finish up the lock (polish, fit, deburr and case harden, etc), believe they are a definite improvement over the OEM locks. But they are not the drop in that some seem to claim or think they are.
Are you trying to tell me that the locks nreed to be case hardened? Including the frizzen?
 
Are you trying to tell me that the locks nreed to be case hardened? Including the frizzen?
No, frizzen and internal components requiring it are hardened when received. Some like the traditional look and resistance to rust and wear you get from case hardening the lockplate as part of the ‘custom’ finishing process one can do for example.
 
Lock plates cant go out hardened as the buyer/maker needs to drill & tap for the sidenails .Then it can be case hardened . many don't but I do , On quenching its best to plunge down length ways lest it warp if entering the cold water flatways . Rudyard
 
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