kansas_volunteer
45 Cal.
Here are plans for building a mule ear lock.
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Olympus/9080/mule.htm
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Olympus/9080/mule.htm
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Side Lock questions
- Thread starter Gus
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Tumblernotch
69 Cal.
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If these pictures come out, here is the one going on my chunk gun. I still have some fine finishing and tuning to do yet.
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b170/KanawhaRanger/100_3999.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b170/KanawhaRanger/100_3993.jpg
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Tumblernotch
69 Cal.
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For some reason only the links show up for the other two pictures. :hmm: Click on them and they should show up.
As you can see, the mainspring doesn't have an even bend in it. It didn't affect its action, but I'm going to forge a new one anyway. Always good to have a spare!
As you can see, the mainspring doesn't have an even bend in it. It didn't affect its action, but I'm going to forge a new one anyway. Always good to have a spare!
Nice design did you come up with that sear idea or did you see it on another gun, I like it! It is simple and allows you to use a conventional trigger
I have never seen one with an external spring done that way the ones I have seen have always had the conventional sear style inside the lock once agin thinking "outside" the box can produce some very interesting ideas
I have never seen one with an external spring done that way the ones I have seen have always had the conventional sear style inside the lock once agin thinking "outside" the box can produce some very interesting ideas
Tumblernotch
69 Cal.
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Thanks! A friend of mine who seems to be able to turn out a new gun a week, happened to be at the Gettysburg Museum a few years ago and saw a rifle listed as a Confederate sharpsgooter's rifle in a display case with this type of lock. He took pictures of it (and I believe he finagled a deal with one of the curators to get some measurements off of it), and went home and built a left handed version for himself. He brought it to the range and I took pictures of it but didn't get any measurements. The differences between the two are; he brazed the bosses on that hold the hammer and sear pins whereas I milled the entire plate from one piece, and his sear spring is flat and is attached to the boss for the sear pin. I attached mine to the plate and curved it down over the sear. He had told me I might want to improve on the original spring and I think this will do a bit better. I added a nut to the main spring screw just as an added precaution to prevent the screw from backing out after repeated firings, but it's not really necessary.
Another item I may add later is an adjustment screw for the sear, but I will have to redesign the sear and hammer a bit to accommodate one. This screw would act the same as the one on set triggers, only it acts on the hammer/sear. That's for a later lock, I figure.
When I started on this lock I had to turn everything backwards for a right-handed lock. And this being a rather heavy rifle with a thick stock and barrel, I decided to make the lock pretty substantial. I used a Springfield musket lock as a rough pattern for cutting out the plate and everything else was forged and milled to match. I temporarily put the triggers and lock on the gun and tested it and it will fire a cap, so all I have to do is some fine tuning. I'll need to cut out the plate a little more to accomodate a flash guard to protect the stock and barrel and I want to slot the hammer head a little for cap expansion and to make it easier to remove any pieces.
If this one works well enough, I may look at making a smaller version for other rifles.
Another item I may add later is an adjustment screw for the sear, but I will have to redesign the sear and hammer a bit to accommodate one. This screw would act the same as the one on set triggers, only it acts on the hammer/sear. That's for a later lock, I figure.
When I started on this lock I had to turn everything backwards for a right-handed lock. And this being a rather heavy rifle with a thick stock and barrel, I decided to make the lock pretty substantial. I used a Springfield musket lock as a rough pattern for cutting out the plate and everything else was forged and milled to match. I temporarily put the triggers and lock on the gun and tested it and it will fire a cap, so all I have to do is some fine tuning. I'll need to cut out the plate a little more to accomodate a flash guard to protect the stock and barrel and I want to slot the hammer head a little for cap expansion and to make it easier to remove any pieces.
If this one works well enough, I may look at making a smaller version for other rifles.
Thanks for the history about the lock I really like seeing variations of how different ideas work Metalshaper is working on a external sprung muley that will be pretty trim and I have a off the wall real simple idea I am going to try if we get these perfected we may post some pics but not real soon lots of other stuff like regular jobs which tend to interfer with our hobbies!
Tumblernotch
69 Cal.
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That's been my problem. Work and dealing with a family crisis for a few months cut deep into my production time. But at least for now, production is picking up although that pesky job still gets in the way.
I look forward to pics of your new projects! :thumbsup:
I look forward to pics of your new projects! :thumbsup:
coehornboy
40 Cal.
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Thanks for this post!
I bought a pair of Navy Arms .45 mule ears that were WELL USED by a scout program, The wood is ok, but the blued finish was poor and there were deep pits in the metal (FYI: the guns at scout camps are generally used way more in a season than the average person uses in a lifetime. For instance, in 7 week of camp, the 2 pump shotguns are used by 30 boys in the merit badge class, each of who put about 200 rounds through a gun. Multiple 15 boys, 200 rounds per week (3000 round per gun), times 7 weeks of camp, equals 21,000 shots per. This does not include other shooting and camp programs).
Anyway, I had the metal parts dipped in acid at the local plating shop to remove the old blue and layers of scale in the barrel. I will brown the metal parts and use them in my troops shooting program.
About the mainspring,,,one is weak, and the other has a "helper spring" on top of the main spring. I will have nmy local 'smith retemper the springs, and I think we'll be in order.
I'll post pics when finished. :thumbsup:
I bought a pair of Navy Arms .45 mule ears that were WELL USED by a scout program, The wood is ok, but the blued finish was poor and there were deep pits in the metal (FYI: the guns at scout camps are generally used way more in a season than the average person uses in a lifetime. For instance, in 7 week of camp, the 2 pump shotguns are used by 30 boys in the merit badge class, each of who put about 200 rounds through a gun. Multiple 15 boys, 200 rounds per week (3000 round per gun), times 7 weeks of camp, equals 21,000 shots per. This does not include other shooting and camp programs).
Anyway, I had the metal parts dipped in acid at the local plating shop to remove the old blue and layers of scale in the barrel. I will brown the metal parts and use them in my troops shooting program.
About the mainspring,,,one is weak, and the other has a "helper spring" on top of the main spring. I will have nmy local 'smith retemper the springs, and I think we'll be in order.
I'll post pics when finished. :thumbsup:
