Match lock

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heelerau

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I have started building a Tudor period match lock sporting gun, just for a fun, as parts are easily made in my forge. I have had a barrel turned up by a mate from carbon steel hollow bar, it is about .50 and mirror finished. Breech plug made from a grade 8 bolt , threaded 9/16 UNF 18 tip. Stock I have roughed out of a plank of Western Australian Jarrah, the lock was given to me by a mate in NZ, he forged it up in the 1970's. This is my first major project. P1030540 by Gordon Hazel, on Flickr P1030544 by Gordon Hazel, on Flickr
 
Here is the pan and cover plus a couple of triggers I forged up today. The pan cover is just some scrap light steel which I think will also make a nice trigger guard. One of the triggers is forged out of quite thin material, the other out of the same plate at the but plate. I may well have to make another trigger once I have morticed in the lock, as I won’t be sure of the geometry till I try fitting it up. I may need a lot more reach than these triggers might give me. Looks like they are quite easy to make. I forged the pan out of an old railway spike. Used it as a handle when I drilled out the pan, and drilled and tapped the pan pivot. P1030558 by Gordon Hazel, on Flickr
 
Keep showing pics and telling us how the project is progressing. I find matchlocks delightful and cool. :dancing chicken:
 
Starting to look something. Lock mortised in, couple of runout unfortunately, guess some filler, brown wax etc. will have to adjust the serpent slightly for better alignment with the pan. Next to sort out one of the triggers I made and workout the geometry so it works, then forge and fit a trigger guard. Pan is silver soldered on, still to make the flash guard and also make and fit the barrel pin lugs.
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Matchlocks are very "cool" IMHO. I've seen them fired and was impressed. Yours is starting to look good.
 
drilled the side nail holes, both lock plate and stock. I used some 1/4 UNC gutter bolts which will do nicely. I have acquired a 4 inch by 1/4 cup head bolt for the tang bolt, will cut a screw slot in the head and file down the square shank that is just under the bolt head. I did have to do a bit more adjusting of the lock mortice internals as once the lock plate was fixed to the stock, there was a restriction of movement, the scear bar hole where it engages the trigger arm needs some small amount of wood removed to allow full swing of the serpentine. The trigger pull is quite light, and crisp.
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I gather you're building "snapping" type matchlock rather than the "slow serpentine" lock.
 
I have been messing about, finally got the ram rod hole drilled to the correct depth, and it takes its ramrod nicely. Today Iit up the forge and made a trigger guard, then converted a cup head bolt to a screw slot, drilled and tapped and fitted the tang bolt and also fitted the trigger guard. Nice and solid, reshaped the trigger, made it wider. I am thinking period tudor electricians tape to keep barrel in the trough. I have made up a couple of under barrel lugs, I will silver solder those on next and then inlet and drill and fit the pins. The for end cap, I will find some tin for that I think. The piece hold nicely and seems well balanced, quite comfortable in fact.
P1030584.jpeg
Cheers
P1030585.jpeg
 
I have been messing about, finally got the ram rod hole drilled to the correct depth, and it takes its ramrod nicely. Today Iit up the forge and made a trigger guard, then converted a cup head bolt to a screw slot, drilled and tapped and fitted the tang bolt and also fitted the trigger guard. Nice and solid, reshaped the trigger, made it wider. I am thinking period tudor electricians tape to keep barrel in the trough. I have made up a couple of under barrel lugs, I will silver solder those on next and then inlet and drill and fit the pins. The for end cap, I will find some tin for that I think. The piece hold nicely and seems well balanced, quite comfortable in fact.
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Cheers
View attachment 2678
This is an amazing undertaking, and something I've always wanted to try...just never found enough courage to begin such an project. Please keep us posted on this very fascinating development!
 
I have soft soldered one barrel pin lug on, have to make another tomorrow and sweat it on, then its inletting time again ! Thanks for the interest you blokes, it is a pretty agricultural effort, but I am learning a lot, mostly how not to do things !
 
Finally finished. Fitted up a flash guard, am rubbing in my stock finish mix of pale boiled linseed cut with gum turpentine. It has been a fun project, with lots of learnings. Next time will use a better timber for the stock as jarrah is hard to work, and splinters some.
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it came out rely great! I like it ,you did a STELLER JOB ON IT! let us know when you shoot it with pictures. KUDDOS TO YOU!! thanks for sharing the process with us.
 
Thing is it looks really good and very well built. I suppose it's possible to improve most anything, but I don't see any significant way to make it much better.
 
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