Russ Hamm lock anyone?

[S.Kenton]

I just aquired a half stock poor boy in a 45 cal with a Russ Hamm lock on it. It's a full on custom rifle and looks pretty nice, I've just never heard of that lock maker.... Anyone know anything about it?

 

[Silky921]

He's a pretty well known guy from when the interest in this hobby got going in the 60s-70s. I have a flintlock lock that he made which I have a love hate relationship with.

He also made a lock which sparked like the 4th of July that was coated with some type of, if I remember correctly, radioactive material.

 

[dave_person]

Hi,
Russ Hamm made mediocre locks back during the 1970s and early 1980s. They were better than Jukars but not up to today's standards. I used several because they were relatively cheap, however, I regretted it later.

dave

 

[George]

I've never used one, but here's an unused Hamm flint lock I've had since the 1970s.





Spence

 

[S.Kenton]

Thankfully mine Is a percussion....hoping I won't have many issues with it....but as I look at it, the nipple alignment is a little off from the hammer...it strikes just fine...but isn't centered perfectly.

 

[Zonie]

Thankfully mine Is a percussion....hoping I won't have many issues with it....but as I look at it, the nipple alignment is a little off from the hammer...it strikes just fine...but isn't centered perfectly.

That's not the locks fault. It also might not be the builders fault.

If we are talking about a side to side misalignment, it might have the problem because the previous owner didn't properly seat the lock in the mortise before tightening the lock screw.
It also might be because he over-tightened the lock screw.

It doesn't take much tilt of the lockplate to move the hammer to the side.

You might try removing the lock and reinstalling it.

If the lock is a tight fit in the stock, while it's out, use a knife blade as a scraper to enlarge the lock mortise slightly, just until the lock plate will slip into place easily.
Then while your tightening the lock screw apply a little pressure to tilt the lock so that the hammer lines up with the nipple.

If the problem is a fore/aft problem, it's the builders fault and beyond bending the hammer (always risky), there's not much you can do about it.

That said, a slightly misaligned hammer often works fine at firing the cap. If it does, be happy and enjoy shooting it.

 

[steinauge32]

IME Russ Hamms percussion locks worked Ok.His early flintlocks were troublesome,but he improved them considerably later.I dont remember that he was the feller that was selling the radioactive material for resoling frizzens.That was around the early 80s.I remember reading about it in the Buckskin report at the time.

 

[Zonie]

I might be wrong but I think it was the early '70's.

I don't know if Russ Hamm had anything to do with it but a few people were installing depleted uranium on the frizzen face back in those days.

The stuff sparks like crazy when a flint hits it.

Because depleted uranium is slightly radioactive and fine particles of it are sheared off when the flint hits it, the National Muzzle Loading Rifle Association (NMLRA) made its use in any sanctioned shooting event illegal.

With DU outlawed, it rapidly fell out of favor.

Just as well too.

A little radioactive dust floating around can't be too good for ones health.

 

[nwtradegun]

if you need a new one l and r locks makes a replacement http://www.lr-rpl.com/index.php?op...tions-lock-small&catid=36:cva-small&Itemid=62

 

Russ Hamm was the one selling depleted uranium for refacing frizzens. I only saw one demonstration but it WAS impressive. There were sparks dancing around and fizzing on the floor. The lock was not mounted on a gun.
I would have to get out my circa 1969 DGW to check, but I think Hamm locks were about the only game in town for new made mass-produced locks for several years. There were Roller locks and Robbins locks but they were never produced in the same volume. In addition, Russ made several different styles. When he retired, Dean Minton took over the business and tried to improve the reputation of the product. I don't think he was in business very long but I don't know if he just got tired of it or if the competition was too strong.

 

[simonbeans]

Years ago I obtained a Navy Arms 1805 Harpers Ferry repo. The barrel and lock were basically junk, so I put an H & H pistol barrel on it and a Russ Hamm lock (the only one on hand at the time). 4 years ago I reshaped the pistol again with parts from The Rifle Shoppe, Inc., including the proper hammer, etc. The lock, although, not as refined as a Chambers or others of today, works fine, with the pistol capable of great accuracy far beyond my ability. I like the Hamm lock even though it doesn't really look like the Harpers Ferry 1805.

 

[galamb]

I don't know if Russ Hamm had anything to do with it but a few people were installing depleted uranium on the frizzen face back in those days.

Nuclear Flintlocks - YEAH BABY :rotf:

 

[hanshi]

Did you or anyone else try to tune one in order to get good service from it?

 

[dave_person]

Hi Hanshi,
Yes, but tuning was never sufficient. I used 4 Hamm locks, 1 flint, 3 percussion. On all, the bolsters had to be ground flat to make sure the lock snugged up tight against the barrel. All the internal screws were tiny and they became loose very quickly. I eventually replaced all internal screws with screws that had slightly over sized threads of my own making. The mainsprings were so weak that the percussion locks often would not detonate caps regardless of how well and square the hammer cup was positioned over the cap. The frizzen on the flint had to be annealed so I could fit it properly to the pan. In a word, the locks were not very good and once better locks became readily available, Hamm's locks could not compete. I learned a lot about how to fix and improve locks by working on Hamms'

dave

 

[Joe B.]

I have one on my first gun. It was about the best one could get at the time. Bought it, the Douglas barrel, stock and the Buchele's book from Jerry Marsh around '75. Dixie had them, also. The gun came out real nice, but over time, I've had to replace or modify many parts on that lock. Never was a reliable sparker until a friend rehardened the frizzen a few years back.
It wasn't one of those "hot" ones, too bad.
My biggest gripe was the half cock notch was way too low on the tumbler, so I moved it up, not needing the fly.
It is a pretty thing, even the sear spring appears to be hand forged.

 

[The Black Tyrone]

The rifle I just got has a Russ Hamm Flint Lock on it and being new to Flintlocks the only thing I can say that I find troublesome is that the hammer seems rather loose on the axle and I was going to shim it. it seems to strike the Frizzen squarely though and throws a good spark.

 

[oldwood]

Back when Hamm percussion locks became avaliable , I used some of them with good success. The only other locks , were scarce Bud Silers , and expensive Rollers.

 

[tallPercshooter]

I used a Hamm percussion on first rifle I built about 1990. Has worked fine for 33 years. DGW owner said in catalog, If I was building a rifle, this is the lock I would use. Good enough recommendation for me. My lock has heavy parts, all polished, has served me well.

 

[oldwood]

Tyrone.........Easy way to fix a loose hammer on a square tumbler axil , is with a center punch. Remove loose hammer from tumbler square shaft . Put flint hammer face down , back side up , on an anvil or flat on a vise. Put center punch marks on the edge of each flat enough to expand the metal on the back side , so the square of the tumbler shaft fits tight. If it's too snug , just file the excess metal from inside tumbler shaft until the square fits perfecty.

 

[Sam squanch]

Oh lord- DON’T go bashing on your flintlock cock with a hammer! Get some thin brass shim stock, and carefully press the cock on the tumbler shaft with a padded vise. This will fix the problem. Peening the back of the cock will not permanently fix it, it WILL work loose again.