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News about some exciting new locks

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Hi Folks,
Jim Kibler recently posted a note on another forum that his new round-faced English lock is available for sale on his web site. These locks will replace the Chambers English locks used on his colonial rifle kits but he is also selling them independently. Most of the components are CNC machined and incredibly precisely fitted. He is charging $225, which is a bargain considering the lock is probably the best lock of its kind on the market today. He will eventually have a late flint English lock available and possibly a 1770s flat-faced English lock. The late flint lock would be the replacement for his southern mountain rifle and the 1770s lock could be for an English fowler kit he may be contemplating. I believe Jim is using cast flint cocks and frizzens, which are then machined post casting. A disadvantage to that is he may not be able to easily make left handed locks. In contrast, Chris Laubach is CNC machining his locks entirely and stated that he should be able to mirror image the programming easily to produce left handed versions. He will soon have a large early Germanic lock for sale and is working on a late flint English lock as well. I also gave him an original 1770s flat-faced English lock that he may copy. On another topic, based on a post by Allen Martin on another forum, R. E. Davis Company was sold to Log Cabin Sport Shop. It is unclear what that will mean for their line of products. Change is coming and at least some of it will be very good.

dave
 
Hi Folks,
Jim Kibler recently posted a note on another forum that his new round-faced English lock is available for sale on his web site. These locks will replace the Chambers English locks used on his colonial rifle kits but he is also selling them independently. Most of the components are CNC machined and incredibly precisely fitted. He is charging $225, which is a bargain considering the lock is probably the best lock of its kind on the market today. He will eventually have a late flint English lock available and possibly a 1770s flat-faced English lock. The late flint lock would be the replacement for his southern mountain rifle and the 1770s lock could be for an English fowler kit he may be contemplating. I believe Jim is using cast flint cocks and frizzens, which are then machined post casting. A disadvantage to that is he may not be able to easily make left handed locks. In contrast, Chris Laubach is CNC machining his locks entirely and stated that he should be able to mirror image the programming easily to produce left handed versions. He will soon have a large early Germanic lock for sale and is working on a late flint English lock as well. I also gave him an original 1770s flat-faced English lock that he may copy. On another topic, based on a post by Allen Martin on another forum, R. E. Davis Company was sold to Log Cabin Sport Shop. It is unclear what that will mean for their line of products. Change is coming and at least some of it will be very good.

dave
Dave those new locks sure are sweet.
I am sure they will be considered by many

SM
 
Good news on the locks...it's nice to see others entering the market with some quality products. I've had to get a couple L&R locks "shootable" and the hours it took to do that would gladly be traded for $50 or $75 of cash for built-in quality!

I'll also be waiting to see if Jim K gets that English Fowler on the market....
 
Hi Frank,
I agree. However, I think all of our suppliers and lock makers using cast parts are struggling with the foundries. With Peter Allan gone, I think they are having trouble getting quality work done. Jim Kibler is managing. He apparently has a pretty foundry that he works with but he supplies all the waxes. He does not let the foundry do that. This is where CNC machining likely will take over.

dave
 
Ah, to be just 30 years younger! These Kibler locks, and other newer manufacturing technique locks are going to change the ML'ing world, if they work near-perfect from the get-go.
I love the Chambers locks still, but even mine had to go back for a bit of tweaking when new and returned in perfect order.
 
Got an email from kibler yesterday and checked the tracking number. My colonial kit should arrive tomorrow. Looking forward to seeing this new lock. Funny thing, I attended Dixon's show this summer and while I enjoyed the various seminars I stated that I doubt i would ever build a gun. Well guess what....never say never.
 
Chris Laubach is waiting on forged mainsprings and should have them soon. Then, he can start assembly and shipping.
 
Jim Kibler is a great guy to do business with. Very passionate about his work.
I bought one of his colonial rifles last year came with a Chambers lock.
Thinking about buying another for my other son with his new lock.
You can't go wrong trading with Kibler.
 
Hi Folks,
For those who read my post after Spikebuck's and clicked like, I thank you. I asked the moderators to remove my post because I worded it poorly and it might only serve to upset some folks unnecessarily. Jim Kibler says it all in the video and I don't need to add to that.

dave
 
struggling with the foundries

Yes, Dave very true. I once received a lock from Davis that was pure El Junko. After calling and complaining to them they told me their foundry had "used the wrong powder". Meaning, of course, wrong steel that would never make a functional lock. They did exchange that lock but, sadly, were still shipping the faulty ones.
 
I hope there'll come a day when such quality locks are available for builders of French and English trade guns.
 
I find it ironic that the great flintlock revival is driven by computers.

Ironic but necessary and a sign of the times. I once had an opportunity to spend a day with Lynton MacKenzie (sp?). Those who remember the name will know he was one of the greatest antique arms restorers ever. He showed me locks and triggers that were made centuries ago. The craftsmanship was exquisite. He used them as models for building his restorations. Of course the difference between then and now was time, and often mens lives, had almost no value. An apprentice might spend days filing out one small part. Today, a lock made that way would cost thousands of dollars. I think we can be grateful for the good new days that allow us to recreate the past.
 
A CNC lock which mates with a CNC inletted stock; for people such as me with a terrible L>R tremor, how wonderful.

Now, if little more than screwing on parts and bits, sanding, staining and final top-coating were required, I'd give Jim Kibler even greater praise.

(For anyone interested, there is a procedure being developed/in trials called MR Directed-US Focused Thalotomy which requires no drilling of holes in one's head and shows good results. I want it!)
 
A CNC lock which mates with a CNC inletted stock; for people such as me with a terrible L>R tremor, how wonderful.

Now, if little more than screwing on parts and bits, sanding, staining and final top-coating were required, I'd give Jim Kibler even greater praise.

(For anyone interested, there is a procedure being developed/in trials called MR Directed-US Focused Thalotomy which requires no drilling of holes in one's head and shows good results. I want it!)
Hi,
That is about the point Jim's kits are at. He has quite a few videos available on building his kit guns that would give you a clear idea of the work. I'll put it this way, I could have a Kibler kit assembled and ready for stain in 2 days. https://www.jimkibler.net/rifle-kits-overview.html

dave
 
Hello dave. I have watched several of Jim's videos and I am very positively impressed with what I have seen; watching this video, with him simply press-fitting the lock into the mortise and noting his comment that more CNC "things" are to come gladdens my heart.
I would have no hesitation in spending money for something that I had a very good probability of building into a reasonably presentable longrifle.
 
Jim and his "groundbreaking" CNC work on kits and parts will drastically change things in this hobby. Right now, with only two styles to choose from, the impact is still fairly limited. But just wait until he has a Fowler and a Lancaster available (I'm a bit surprised a Lancaster wasn't his first style) and then other schools...and perhaps even a Hawken...one that really looks like a Hawken! Eventually, with just a few CNC programming code changes, he could pre-machine stocks to individual trigger pull lengths.

The sky is the limit and other providers had better take note and start working on this themselves or be left in the dust. At least that's my two-cents!
 

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