L&R locks

[Tom Compton]

I’ve used 3 of L&R’s RPL locks in the last 10 years or so and will use them again if I do another upgrade. GREAT service and quick turn around.

I prefer to buy direct from L&R as they have helped with information before and after purchase as well as parts and repairs.

 

[Sparkitoff]

Agreed. I too have three of them. Good advice from them and I buy the flints from them too.

 

[Tom Compton]

Agreed. I too have three of them. Good advice from them and I buy the flints from them too.

All three of the above mentioned locks are flinters. I didn’t know L&R sold flints but will be in touch with them shortly.

 

[GANGGREEN]

L&R takes a lot of heat from the more experienced builders and I have to presume that those guys know of what they speak. That said, I've used L&R locks on some of my builds and have always found them to be reliable and acceptable (although I did send an L&R Classic to Cabin Creek for a "tune-up" once).

 

[BigAl52]

Im not saying they dont but I dont see a mention of selling flints on there website. I have an L&R RPL lock in a 54 cal Lyman GPR.

 

[EC121]

L&R locks will work. The one I got just needed a good internal polish. There were some casting marks that should never have been there. But I don't mind the tinkering so it wasn't a big deal. I have also found the occasional burrs on Chambers locks. The assemblers aren't getting rich on what they are paid per lock, and a batch of bad castings from the foundry just causes more work. You can have a super smooth, polished custom-made one-off lock, but you will have to pay more for it than mail order locks. I think Jud Brennan will make you one for $5000 with an additional $1000 for a hand made set of triggers.
Any takers?

 

[Sparkitoff]

BigAl52 - there is no mention of flints on the website - correct! When I asked what they recommend, they said "we'll sell you some". Since then (2-years ago) I have purchased flints from them 4-times including the latest just this past summer.

 

[smo]

My smoothbore has a L&R lock, I have had zero problems with.

 

[Spikebuck]

IMO, it's not that L&R locks break more than any other or any other problem...once they are made shootable. I just won't ever get another kit with one because I'd rather spend that extra 20 hours or so doing something other than getting their lock to where the other makers already have theirs when I receive them. Two of my current rifles have L&R Queen Anne locks and they both shoot very well (one had significant rework by Brad Emig to get it working well). It's more about the time it takes as a builder to deal with getting them to that stage.

 

[SDSmlf]

Once tuned up L&R locks work well in my experience. Just may take a few trips back and some additional effort before you get there. No where near the best out of the box. I have only owned two new ones. Will take a hard look at other options before purchasing a third.

 

[Cowboy]

Have a number of both Flint and Percussion lock’s made by L&R. They’re descent lock’s. Never had a problem worth mentioning with them?

Respectfully, Cowboy

 

[SDSmlf]

Have a number of both Flint and Percussion lock’s made by L&R. They’re descent lock’s. Never had a problem worth mentioning with them?

Respectfully, Cowboy

Examples include warrped or bent lockplates. Hammer stop missing the lockplate after factory ‘repair’. Correctable, but not exactly advertising copy. Others have experienced similar if not identical issues. Means L&R is not putting corrective actions in place to resolve known or reported problems, at least in my opinion. Totally unacceptable in other industries.

 

[Cowboy]

Examples include warrped or bent lockplates. Hammer stop missing the lockplate after factory ‘repair’. Correctable, but not exactly advertising copy. Others have experienced similar if not identical issues. Means L&R is not putting corrective actions in place to resolve known or reported problems, at least in my opinion. Totally unacceptable in other industries.

I’ve personally never experienced any of the problems that you’re referring to?

I’m also not comparing L&R to other Lock’s. I personally have other dedicated Lock/trigger manufacturer’s on some of my guns, either individual custom or company dedicated.

Anyway, from my personal experience which spans from some of my Muzzleloader’s being 20 years old or older, their L&R lock’s function just fine. Hatfield-Sharon-TVM- and some older custom builds I’ve collected through the years.

I’ve done some lock rebuilds using their kits due to wear and tare due to age and refurbishing the muzzleloader as a whole.

I’m personally not prepared to pass a verdict on L&R lock quality. They function just as well as Chamber’s, R.E. Davis, Bob Roller, Cherry Corner’s, or any other that I pull the trigger on that I personally own?

That’s my personal experience with L&R my friend. Everyone’s opinion is definitely based upon their own personal experiences and I respect that.

Respectfully, Cowboy

 

[Art Caputo]

I have rifles with L&R locks that have performed quite well over the years. Keeping them clean, and using a good lubricant is important(as with any lock) and, if disassembled, attention to the amount of torque applied to the screws is important for smooth operation. I find the Chambers/Siler a step up in fit/finish. While more contemporary in design and manufacture, my Kibler Colonial lock is, IMO, superb in every respect.

 

[LawrenceA]

Never had one, but read that they were under new management and a lot of quality issues have been resolved.
No idea how much, if any, of that is true.

 

[Mike Payne]

My experiences with L&R have been very good. Have a Queen Anne on a Virginia I built many years ago had some trouble with a tumbler after a few thousand rounds. I called them about ordering a new one they sent me a new one no charge! I replaced a old Russ Hamm on a 36 that was built for me back in the 70s with one of their rpls I don't like the double throated hammer so they replaced it with a goose neck. The lock works great! I am starting a Yeager build and going to use one of their Yeager locks on it.

Mike

 

[Cpt Flint]

I have found L & R locks to be a poor substitute for a Chambers. I’ve seen too many of them break to ignore that fact. I have talked to too many famous name builders who agreed that they are unreliable. I saw one that worked
well that had been tuned and modified. One.
Why not just buy a Chambers lock that has a sterling reputation for reliability that works from the start?

 

[Eric Krewson]

I only had two, the first one had a casting flaw in the nose of the lockplate that a 6 year old could have seen, it never should have been sent out like it was. I sent it back and they sent me another lock that was even more flawed, I sent it back and they screwed it up even worse than when I sent it in (the tumbler wouldn't even rotate).

Having only built 3 guns at that time(Chambers locks) and I could spot the lock flaws in a matter of seconds, why would people who make locks for a living not be more exacting in their production. It cost me $10 every time I sent the lock back and cost them the same every time they had to send it back to me. If they had taken the time to tested the lock function before they sent it out the flaws would have stood out like a beacon. Good grief, if you can't cock a lock something is wrong and needs to be addressed.

Realizing they just didn't care about QC I fixed the flawed lock they sent back to me myself. I was already out $20 on shipping and didn't want to add another $10 to that total.

 

[Bob McBride]

Nothing wrong with second best except it’s closer to first best in cost than in quality.

 

[ThumperJones]

I've got a trade lock from around the late 90s sometime. It never sparked very well, mainspring was weak. I bought the gun it was in, unfired, a couple years ago and started shooting it.

I contacted L&R about a new mainspring, and they said they were aware of spring issues in a lock from that period, and would sell me an updated mainspring for about $12. They explained the new one was forged and the old one wasn't. And would install it for free if I would just send the lock to them. I opted to do it myself, and they took the time to explain that it would take a little modification and exactly what it would take and made and sent a template with my spring. Even offered to be of any help if I got hung up installing it.

The new spring went in without hassle, and the lock performs very well now. Sparks well, doesn't smash flints. Just works and seems pretty quick for a lock this size.

I can't make an informed opinion about their current offerings as I haven't used one. But their customer service couldn't be faulted in my case.