Chambers make a lefty lock?

[mazo kid]

Can someone tell me if Jim Chambers does his magic on left hand locks? I've only seen mention of right handed locks that he builds and tunes.

 

[Birddog6]

LH Silers & the Gunmakers lock. If you go to his web site on each lock it tells if it is LH or RH. If it doesn't specifically say LH it is not made.

I have asked him for years to make a pair of locks for a DoubleBarrel, but the cost of having the casting molds far outweighs the making of them. I think he said it cost about $12K to make a lock mold setup, & it takes allot of locks to pay off that initial investment, especially on something that few would buy.

That is why I have not built the double parts set I have, can't find a set of locks I like.

 

[sundog]

I cant help but wonder why the lost wax casting method cant be used.
It is cheap and easy and produces very accruate reproductions if you figure shrink at 1/4 inch per foot between the wax model and the steel casting.

 

[rafterob]

I Think that would be a more viable option for small production but keep in mind you would have to spend the time machining the wax parts. In that case it would probably be just as easy to machine the individual parts from metal stock.

 

[sundog]

With lost wax you only need one model be that metal or wax, from that you make a silicone mold. Once you have a first piece you have the ability to make as many as you want.
That mold is so easy and fool proof we used to teach high school kids to do it.
From that silicone mold comes the wax pieces, the wax pieces are then attached to a "tree" which is basicly a upside down version of a tree with your pieces comming off as branches. The tree is painted/coated with medium then set into a crucibal and completely surronded with medium. The medium is water based and when it is set and dry it is put into an oven to burn out the wax. Now you have a mold in a crucibal. This is put into a cintrigfical casting machine, liquid steel is poured into a central chamber as the mold is spun and it fills the mold. Let it cool, break away the medium and you have a steel tree with your reproductions as the branches, cut them off and clean them up and you have locks or whatever.
The only in house part is the origional model and the removial from the tree and the cleanup. Send out the model and let experts do the casting.
Believe me it is cost effective and though my explanition is probably poor it is a simple process.

 

[lockjaw]

I cant help but wonder why the lost wax casting method cant be used.
It is cheap and easy and produces very accruate reproductions if you figure shrink at 1/4 inch per foot between the wax model and the steel casting.

...i think they are made by lost-wax...but an original has to be made with all the internals and then molded...this is before a wax can be made and sent off to a foundry...so in short, the cost reported in the previous post was to put a lock into production using lost wax casting...after the initial costs would come more machining of the castings and assembly...

 

[Johnny Tremain]

Or just call up and ask, if the model you want comes LH.

MLS makes LH and RH, so you have to figure Chambers does too

 

[J.D.]

Davis makes a pretty good lock and many are available in left hand.

 

[mazo kid]

Davis makes a pretty good lock and many are available in left hand.

I'm looking for a left hand lock that would be suitable for a J.P. Beck rifle.

 

[Stophel]

Left hand Siler. That's probably about it!

 

[Roy]

Left hand Siler. That's probably about it!

:thumbsup:

 

Or just call up and ask, if the model you want comes LH.

Or, http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showuser.php?uid/1287/

 

[Claude Mathis]

Or just call up and ask, if the model you want comes LH.

Or, http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showuser.php?uid/1287/[/quote]

Mr. Chambers hasn't visited the Forum in over 4 years. He's probably too busy making guns to talk about them. :wink:

 

[mazo kid]

Left hand Siler. That's probably about it!

Thanks guys. Yep, that's why I asked about Chambers/Siler left hand locks.

 

[Elnathan]

Jim uses the lost-wax casting method. First step is to machine a steel mold for the wax, then inject the wax in the shop, and send it out to the foundry to cast. Making up the initial molds is quite tricky, I believe, as he has to compensate for the shrinkage of the wax and then the metal - one of his criticisms of the silicon method off of original parts is the fact that neither shrinkage not wear has been accounted for.

 

[akapennypincher]

Danny Caywood does lefty locks.

 

[Darkhorse]

I don't think Mr. Chambers has a real high opinion of Lefty's. As many times over the years that I have suggested, asked and begged for a better selection of LH locks, and got nowhere. It's pretty discouraging.
I even found out from Barbie that they have a B weight LH version of their Isacc Haines. When I asked her why it wasn't listed on the website I got no good answer.
The siler is a wonderful lock and I know how to tune them but; The last one I built into a Turkey rifle. A couple of weeks into the season I called in 2 gobblers. When I cocked the rifle the mainspring broke. Now I know that can happen to any make lock but it couldn't have happened at a worse time.
I'm thinking real serious about an L&R or Davis for my next build.

 

[54mountain]

I have L&R locks on three of my guns and all are fine locks, the two flinters both throw showers of sparks and they make several styles in left hand. :thumbsup: TOTW has L&Rs Classic flintlock which is the same style as the large Siler listed for $110 right or left hand

 

[Stophel]

Trust me, an L&R is definitely NOT a better lock than a Siler.

 

[54mountain]

I was simply stating that I've never had bad luck with L&R locks Mine are all fast & reliable. I Know You can get a Siler for about $10 more and their owners are very loyal, but L&R has never let me down. your mileage may very.