Haddaway Lock.

[Cpt Flint]

Can anyone out there tell me about a Haddaway Lock? Are they more valuable than a Siler?

 

[Captjoel]

A good lock but out of production for many years and hard to find parts to replace. A Siler lock has been around a long time and is still made. I put the most value on a lock that sparks well and can find parts EASILY! Siler best in my opinion.

 

[Rudyard]

I made a long rifle with one. worked but no better than a Siler. I bought a Douglass barrel 50 cal long Nimpkish valley School .heavy affair I made it at the logging camp . Made others later but only one I used too heavy ! I made more but wouldn't carry one . Too heavy but in 1971 there where few offerings
.Rudyard

 

[Larry Akers]

They are good locks but no better than a Siler. Haddaway advertised that their locks "have a tapered bolster to properly set the tail of the lock out". Back then you could only get parallel-sided barrels.

 

[oldwood]

Back in the early 1970's , there were three pretty good locks on the market. Haddaway , Siler , and another guy whom I can 't remember his name. Of the three , the Had. was slightly less expensive. That's more than likely why I used them. Never had one fail to do what it was meant to do.........oldwood

 

[Cpt Flint]

Actually, I have three Haddaway locks and am partial to them. Chambers Delux Large Silers are the "go to" lock. His Golden Age lock is the same except for a slightly longer lock plate and frizzen spring. It's easy to put a Golden Age in a Large Siler mortise with a few minutes work. When large Silers get scarce I use his Golden Age.

 

[toot]

I would never buy a product that is no longer made & parts are no longer available? doesn't make any sense!

 

[Cpt Flint]

We bought a splendid rifle with a Haddaway lock. I purchased a spare lock at Friendship for parts. I was offered a third brand new one and purchased it at Friendship. A Chambers Delux Large Siler is the best lock out there now, but the Haddaway is my favorite.

 

[Notchy Bob]

Back in the early 1970's , there were three pretty good locks on the market. Haddaway , Siler , and another guy whom I can 't remember his name. Of the three , the Had. was slightly less expensive. That's more than likely why I used them. Never had one fail to do what it was meant to do.........oldwood

Maybe that third lock was the Golden Age flintlock by R. Gale? I believe all three were well regarded in their time, but only the Siler has continued in production. I think there was a Canadian lock, built in a similar style, which was available at that time as well. I pulled my 1973 Muzzle Blasts out of storage recently. I'll browse the ads and see what I can find.

The famous "Astorian" rifles by the now-defunct Green River Forge used Haddaway locks. The rifles were of questionable authenticity, but they were generally acknowledged to be top quality.

For more information on Haddaway locks, I would recommend searching the ALR forum. I recall a fellow posted on there a few weeks ago about finding (I think) three un-used Haddaway locks at a gun show. I believe Bob Roller weighed in with a few comments about them.

Best regards,
Notchy Bob

 

[oldwood]

Thanks Notchy for the time capsule. Roller was the third lock maker I could not recall...........oldwood

 

[Cpt Flint]

One of the problems with the Haddaway lock was the hammer screw threads being too small. You could ring one off if it wasn't oiled and clean. Drilling it out is above my pay grade. A Chambers small Siler mainspring does fit right in, so that's not a problem. All in all, it is a splendid little lock that deserves any extra attention that it might need.

 

[Rudyard]

Maybe the Canadian lock was Clarks in Toronto ?. Re parts a good lock should never need parts .Their where a lot poor locks offered ugly things fit for poor guns . I got my locks made in India little shop in Cawnpore (Kanpur) I offered my customers a three hundred year guarantee ( If they broke bring them back in 300 years & ile fix them !) Non came back . I also sold them' Warrented not to burst more than once' , again no returns to date . Few US makers seem to Case harden locks Iv'e checked high dollar renown makers work & found soft parts . I wont mention who's work their both now dead . Where parts are needed is when bochers go meddling with guns . I did find that Siler.s locks where improuved by replaceing the scear with a ' North Star' scear which allowed the cock to stand more away from the steel (Frizzen) face and not be impeaded by the flint at half cock . I made a Swan gun for a distinguished Red Hat/Widow maker who insisted I use a Siler so I did. But by then more befitting locks where on offer . As locks go I felt the Davis Twigg was the hieght of elegance .We are a world away from the only locks where' Blue grass' sorts .
Rudyard

 

[Cpt Flint]

English style locks are built with a dueling pistol mentality. They generally have strong mainsprings and short throws for a quick first shot. Flint life doesn't count.
That mentality doesn't apply here. German locks such as the Silers seem to function much better over a long period of time without breaking flints.

 

[David Sbur]

You forgot Russ Hamm for another lock builder back in the day.

I built a rifle with a Haddaway lock and it was a top notch performer.

 

[Grenadier1758]

And of course, there's the Cochran lock.

@Wilmer Leon Cochran can tell us about those locks.

 

[Cpt Flint]

Last year it rained a lot at Friendship and ruined the shooting for most of Tue thru Thurs. We all had bought a lot of targets and had little time to get them shot and turned in for score when the sun came out on Friday. Anyone with gun problems was simply out of the game. My rifle stayed the course.
I was using a Chambers Siler lock primed with Null B in a little Lancaster .40 on the offhand line. It never hesitated once, not even once, when the fat was in the fire.
Situations like this teach you about locks.

 

[Rudyard]

Chamber's Siler was cured of the poor half cock problem . The German import locks like Siler where just utility affairs .Duelling pistols are light years better quality . But priced accordingly .Each a' Horse for a course'& never the twain would ever meet. Of the other offerings mentioned they where a matter of taste, or lack there of .
Rudyard

 

[Larry (Omaha)]

Can anyone out there tell me about a Haddaway Lock? Are they more valuable than a Siler?

My second build in the mid 70s was a long rifle with a 44" Douglas Golden Age barrel and Haddaway flintlock. One of the best locks I have every had. I did have to replace the frizzen because of poor sparking. My SIL still shoots it today as it is too heavy for me anymore.
Flintlocklar

 

[Cpt Flint]

Chamber's Siler was cured of the poor half cock problem . The German import locks like Siler where just utility affairs .Duelling pistols are light years better quality . But priced accordingly .Each a' Horse for a course'& never the twain would ever meet. Of the other offerings mentioned they where a matter of taste, or lack there of .
Rudyard

 

[jimhallam]

I would never buy a product that is no longer made & parts are no longer available? doesn't make any sense!

Sorry -- I can't resist this response ;-)

I presume that you don't ever want to own an ANTIQUE firearm?