History of Mule Ear locks?

[SavageArcher]

Guys I was wondering when mule ears or side slappers came into popular use. I've seen guns made in the post 1840's with this style of lock but don't know when it was introduced.

 

[fho]

Boonedocker:
I have been trying to find the same answer. I think that the sideslapper was started in America but not sure. It would have been made about 1820 to 1840 when the precussion era started as I don't know of a flint sideslapper.

I thought that the underhammer was invented in America but saw a Book with an underhammer flint in it so I don't know about a sideslapper.

They are sure fun to make and shoot.

Olie :imo:

 

[SavageArcher]

Well Olie, I guess its up to us to do the research on mule ear locks. I got American Rifleman all the way to 1951 maybe I could find some tidbit in there or find some book dealing just with the history of percussion locks. I keep thinking I have some articile in one the old magizines or books I have on them but don't know where to start. I need to hire a libarian to help sort this mess. Preferaly female with long legs and about 25 years of age.

 

[rusty]

I think the inventer of the mule ear lock was Dale Storey from Wyoming

 

[fho]

Rusty:

I think that it was earlier than that as I have a book on Bedford rifles and there are pictures of sideslappers in it. I would think that the time frame for these guns would be about 1830-1840 as that is when the percussion action became popular.

Olie

 

[Metalshaper]

Greetings,

From what I have been able to dig up.. The Mule Ear lock, was invented in the US and it is indeed an 1830 +/- era lock.
It seems that there is not much recorded about when and where and exactly who,,made the first one?? kind of blurr in History. Like the underhammer, I think its different appearence, had more to do with it lack of general acceptance. Most were not equiped with a half cock position,, and were generally used, if at all,,,on target rifles.

The Civil War had a Muley, that was used in limited service. The "Jenks" breechloading carbine. It loaded using loose powder and ball. the original pattent date was 1838,, and an imprved design patented in 1848. It was only the Third breech loader to be adopted by the US government.. The only one to use the side-slapper lock and also the only one to use the percussion nippple to secure the lock onto the weapon.

Dale Story, made his locks in the 1980's and it is a totaly modern design.. He was awarderd a patent for improvement to an existing design..mainly for the sear arrangement he utilized.

This picture is of My "Miss Muley" She is my takedown, back action Muke ear. I designed the lock and the takedown arrangement, myself.

That's about all I can help with!

Respect Always
Metalshaper

 

[big bore 75]

metalshaper, my that is a nice looking rifle, I have seen a kit made by deer creek and even thought on building it, but have hesitated on it, have heard that the lock is a mother, but have always been courious about one. bb75

 

[lanedh]

Adding to Metalshaper's excellent info on the Jenks, I was fortunate to stumble across not one but a dozen of the Jenks in a museum storeroom. The Navy purchased a quantity of Jenks fitted with leather sleeves covering the entire barrel and some of the breech. The idea was to keep salt spray from the metal and to protect the shooter's hands in hot action. These guns were in topnotch condition; I'd seen only one Jenks before (or since) and the leather was mostly gone. Now if somebody offered a commercial version today, would it be termed an in-line?

 

[rayb]

Mr. Bluejacket:

would you care to say at which museum you saw the jenks rifles?

thank you

rayb

 

[lanedh]

RayB:
It's a 'sea story', so bear with me.

My ship, a destroyer, was ordered to Washington, DC to "show the flag" on a holiday weekend. I was in the weekend duty section so couldn't go ashore to sample the local blandishments. I was allowed to wander around the Washington Navy Yard which also housed the Naval Gun Factory (long since out of use) and discovered an outdoor display of artillery tubes, most of which were misclassified (or at least mislabeled). Not missing an opportunity to point out others' errors, I looked up the curator staff of the museum housed in one of the old gun buildings and gave them the best info I could. They said they had a room full of small arms that they couldn't identify and would I like to help them out? When I walked into the room I felt like I had died and gone to heaven--some very rare guns of all kinds, Hall breechloaders, the Jenks mentioned earlier, several brass jacketed Gatlings, I can't recall what else. I spent the rest of the morning and all afternoon cataloging everything I could recognize while the staffers took note.

I slyly implied that it sure would be nice to take "something" away with me for my efforts I had my eyes on a couple of things; they saw me coming and said that unfortunately everything in the room was accountable to an inventory tag, so nothing could leave. I spotted a metal chest sitting on the top shelf and asked to look inside. It was a complete voyage repair kit for a WW II vintage range recorder device that ships of my class were still carrying; our recorder was CASREP'ed (under a longstanding CASualty REPort) for lack of a part no longer carried in the Navy supply system. The staffers were happy to part with the kit and I was able to make the necessary repairs to restore my tactical range recorder to full operation. Imagine my CO's reaction when I was able to report that USS GLENNON was the only ship in active service with a fully functional recorder!

That was a fun day in an otherwise wasted weekend!!

 

[rayb]

understand sea stories

the navy yard, oh what a place...

seems i stored some army road graders there in anticipation of snow storms (that never developed) during presidential inaugrations. this was a reaction to a snowstorm during a previous inauguration (?Kennedy?) don't remember the details, all this was in the early 70's and memory fades.

this during a tour at Ft Belvior, VA, down the bay from the yard....

great museum there back then, wonder if a. its still there?; b. can you still visit it?

haven't been up that way in a while..

rayb

 

[Dixie Slugs]

Back in the early 60's, I acquired a mule ear over/under made by Calvin Miller of Honeyoe (sp) New York.......it was .40 over 16 ga. After replacing the nipples and some work on the rifle barrel, I hunted with it for about 5 years.
I was able to contact some people in New York that were distant kin of Miller. The O/U seems to be made about 1838. Miller had an apprentice named Dan Lefever (of later shotgun fame). Miller died in 1840 from infection gotten fron a accident while test firing one of his guns. LeFever continued making mule ears for some years. I have seen two mule ears....my Miller and one LeFever. I feel the American mule ear design can be traced to western New York.......

 

[lanedh]

RayB:
Don't know if the museum is still there at the Naval Gun Factory. NAVSEA (the ship/submarine development branch) moved to the Navy Yard from Crystal City a few years ago and may have taken over disused buildings at the Yard. It was a pretty good museum as I recall; hope it wasn't abandoned in favor of 'more cubicles for more "sand crabs"'.

 

[grayghost]

Does anyone currently make mule ear locks. I had a .36 cal Navy Arms when I was a teenager. After I joined the Army I became interested in spray and prat rifles and like an idiot traded it off. I would like to build another.

 

[Metalshaper]

Pioneer Arms < think thats it? :hmm: >

has a production model and if I'm correct, they are the ones who bought the design rights from Dale Storey.

I just make my own.. and if you want something similar to the old Navy arms "Poor Boy" you mentioned. We took one down and made a drawing of its lock components.. Should give you a good place to start

Respect Always
Metalshaper

 

[Old40Rod]

Here is the link to Pioneer's muleys

http://pioneerarms.tripod.com/id3.html

 

[arcticap]

There is an outfit on[url] auctionarms.com[/url] that seems to always list a mule ear lock that has a half cock notch like the Navy Arms/Pedersoli did. I believe he advertised that he will build a mule ear rifle to order and he had a used one for sale at one time also. Check out all his current auction pages for general info.:

http://www.auctionarms.com/search/displayitem.cfm?itemnum=7048381

blackpowderdotbiz Phone 253 884 7625 Toll free 877 301 0708 (He mentions that he's not home days, Pacific Time, leave message)

 

[Rebel]

Isn't that Bruce at Blue Grouse?

 

[big bore 75]

old40 thank yo for the website I have been looking for just the lock and it looks quality, do you own one? they look good but i'm wondering about how reliable price don't seem bad either, cdomparing it with quality locks form L&R and Davis price wise, might be interesting on a gun in my imagination. bb75

 

[rayb]

Gray Ghost, i bought a mule ear lock from Bruce at the Blue Goose / Blue Spruce or whatever it is called site, refered to elsewhere on this forum regarding underhammers. It seems ok, need finishing and probably hardening of some parts.

If i remember corectly, i found his advertisement on auction arms.

hope this helps

rayb