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Interesting percussion rifle.

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Joined
Jul 20, 2017
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Location
Space Coast, FL
I was at the range this morning to shoot my flintlock. A couple of folks were already there, one with a flintlock, and the other with a very interesting percussion. I've never seen anything like it.
Sidelock 1.jpg
Sidelock 2.jpg
 
That one is obviously custom & looks like the lock-plate may be brass?
 
Navy Arms made some as did a few others , on and off. Very positive ignition as the fire goes directly into the barrel. Several over/unders were manufactured - rifle/shotgun, double shotguns, etc. The idea's not new.
 
That’s what’s known as a ‘mule ear’ lock commonly referred to as a ‘side slapper’. Lyman or somebody offered one for aa while. Obviously not real good sellers.
Navy Arms had Pedersoli build a hawken mule ear 25 or 30 years ago. Had one - a tack driver but the metal used in the barrel came from fiats and was extremely soft and super prone to rusting no matter how much you tried to prevent it.
 
About 40 years back I built a rifle using a lock like that for light bench and cross stick matches. Won a lot of matches with it. Very fast ignition. Still have one of those locks in my parts collection, May someday get around to making another rifle out of it.
 
I was at the range this morning to shoot my flintlock. A couple of folks were already there, one with a flintlock, and the other with a very interesting percussion. I've never seen anything like it.View attachment 135813View attachment 135814
called a MULE EAR or a SIDE SLAPPER. a great gun, some do not have a half cock and can get hung up in brush when moving through it. toot.
 
I think it is a very uncomfortable set up. jmho.
Actually very simple to use. True some don't have a half cock but a short piece of ramrod between the plate and hammer with a string attached will serve as a half cock. it simply falls out when you go to full cock. Super fast ignition. Plus safer you don't have to worry about pieces of the cap coming back at your face.
 
They have the same advantage as the under hammer , the flash goes straight into the powder charge , no corners to turn , and no flash in your face .I prefer the under hammer , I wonder about that sticky out hammer getting hung up on branches when hunting , still it a very simple lock and it does work very well .
 
Dale Storey made Mule Ear rifles that were of very high quality. I have a Pioneer Arms mule ear lock that I installed on a Lyman Great Plains Flint lock gun. It makes the gun convertible from percussion to flint just by changing the lock.
Yes, those Dale Storey mule ear rifles were profiled in a book Sam Fadala and Dale Storey co-wrote. Wish I had one of those guns as they were excellently crafted guns. I, like you, was fortunate to obtain a Pioneer Arms mule ear and mate it to a GPR flinter. Fast ignition. Love that gun. Unfortunately, Pioneer Arms is no longer making the locks. May have been a liability issue as there’s no half cock on them. Just need to be aware of this when handling and shooting one is all.
 
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