Yes, I have looked at the castings and kits. Even looked on ebay for used locks to use as a pattern, the idea being, to be able to fabricate a working lock, with a little special tooling or processes as possible. But... wanting to actually work, LOL! So a working model in hand, isn't a bad idea. A bit of extra expense if the idea were just a finished working gun. But am hoping taking good measurements from decent photos would suffice.
A second objective is to be able to do it with commonly available materials, as in... walk out this morning, drive around town, come back with what I need by the afternoon, LOL!
Which admittedly is way different from what the typical builder does. They usually have some idea of perfection they are chasing. I'm asking... "can I make a working safe gun that doesn't need commercial priming or even commercial powder... with the barest minimum of tooling and process?"
Why, I dunno. Same challenge as an archer going out and collecting a stave from the woods and making a self bow I guess.
On looking things over, looked to me like the early locks without frizzen nor tumbler bridles would be the easiest, but the possibility of the tumbler getting wobbly might make the extra work worthwhile... yet the much vaunted Hawkens didn't have frizzen bridles IIRC.
I've attached a no bridle pic, though I've been focusing many on Brown Bess Locks. Since I expect to buy the barrel for safety reasons, unless I can pick apart this idea of seamless tubing and how to do a safe breech plug, I'm thinking I want to go .75 cal.
Seems to me tumbler with no bridle means I have to do something to the back of the cock to essentially "sandwich, without binding" the lock plate. I'm thinking the the extra work to do a Bess style bridle (without the fancy shaping in my case, I actually prefer less frilly) might payoff in longer service life without headaches.
Also attached a "Banana Bess" for reference, though I'll probably go with a later straight style.
Looks like the overall dimensions from what I read are 7" x 1.25" approx... so that should give me a yardstick for measurement. I read the lock throw is either 1.810-ish or 1.875-ish depending on the exact variant.
Anyone know the diameter of the hole on the Brown Besses? I think most of the screws are 8-32 shoulder screw types.
Admittedly, give a decent shop I'd just turn up any screw I though I wanted too, but standard shoulder screw sizes strike me as a good expediency here.
That right there is the biggest issue in the whole idea... knowing what's commonly available and if it will work, vrs. being able to quickly fabricate each part as one sees fit. I mean really, with even just a mildly equipped workshop, assuming the materials on hand and drawings already worked out. It should be a two day project to do the lock, I'd think. It a pretty basic device. But... saying... gonna do it with a hacksaw, some files... etc. may take a long time. Hope to get out and survey some materials this weekend or next, work and my energy levels permitting.
Were I still back in Iowa, already had scoped out sources for most of the materals. Now that I'm over in the west, gotta do that recon all over again, LOL! Been thinking about this or maybe doing a break action for a long time, LOL!
To be honest, I I thought I could do it safely, I'd probably do one of those Richardson Guerilla Guns, LOL!
No doubt there's somewhat of a survivalist angle in the back of my mind, despite it being patently silly, I suppose, especially at my age.
