Dutch Wheellock Project
Circa 1630
Now this is something that is a bit unusual for this site, but a wheellock mechanism has fascinated me for a long time, because of it's shear complexity. The good folks of The Rifle Shoppe in Oklahoma had marketed wheellock kits for several years now, but me being me, had procrastinated about buying one. Then earlier this year, I received a Dutch rifle wheellock kit in the mail as a gift from a dear friend, Dr. Andrey Lebed. "Dr. Fox", as he is known in the muzzle loading fraternity is formerly from Moscow, Russia.
Here are a few photos of the lock under construction and in it's completed form. This page will be updated periodically as I make the cocking spanner and then a rifle around the lock. Been a flint shooter for years, but this pyrite business is a new game. Fellers, you simply cain't believe how FAST this lock really is. There ain't a flinter in the whole country that can come close. Hammer fall is almost 1/8"!! Enjoy.
This is the cock. The top jaw screw has been modified. The jaw is normally tightened with the same spanner used to cock the lock. This being a "Dutch" lock and me wanting something yet more different, led me to turn the square shaft into a tulip flower and then slot it for a turn screw. A piece of wood serves as a "try pyrite". Don't spark none too good needless to say.
The wheelie lock plate with pan, tumbler, and scratch wheel attached.
The lock is basically complete at this point. The guts have been installed, the wheel retaining bracket, springs hardened, and the cock swivel link installed. Missing is the pan cover. Notice the bulbous tip of the plate? I thought this was ugly as sin!
The much modified lock plate. Looks a lot more graceful and attractive to me now. There was an awful lot of metal to be removed to accomplish this. It now resembles the TRS Dutch/Germanic pistol wheellock. Shore do have a lot of holes in the plate, eh? so, 8 months later...............
VIOLA!!
The front view. Looks pretty sharp, eh?
The internals view. Two sears. A hand made chain which is very similar to a modern bicycle chain. An automatic pan cover mechanism. The mother of all main springs and a double-levered sear spring. You cain't believe all the hours of frustration and extended vocabulary I bestowed upon myself while attempting this project! The end result is highly gratifying and although it is not a shining example of "high art" gun smithing and my over all engraving skills are low end, I'm still proud of this little jewel. You just gotta see this thing work in order to believe it. Those old time 'smiths were sheer geniuses when it came to inventing and perfecting this complicated piece of machinery.
6 March 2006.....Still working on the wheelie. The weather is slowing the drying time for the oil, but here's a photo of the stock so you can get an early idea of what it will look like later on. It is based on an original Dutch cavalry carbine from about 1630. My barrel was longer so I enlarged the pattern to come up to a small rifle size. Don't think I want to shoot a .62 caliber off my cheek!
Added a step to the top rear edge of the plate to bring it more into line of the original lock. But it still needed something. Since I was not counterfeiting an original gun exactly, I decided it needed to reflect me regardless of whether it was "period correct" or not. So I added my customary brass tail and cartouche......
After finishing the lock, I got with the program and played Joe Woodsman and built a Dutch "paddle Butt" style stock out of nice stripped Iowa walnut. Hand forged and welded the trigger guard, used only iron mounts to dress it up, made a shot gunner's ramrod tip, and took it to the range for proofing and initial shooting with round ball. Proof charge was 200 grains of FFG beneath two patched and lubed round balls of suitable calibre.......
(Moved the whole tester back 6 inches!)
Well fellers, she held together, so I loaded'er up and fired a shot or three. Made some adjustments and made myself happier, so allow me to introduce you to "Dutchie", my newest gonne.
I think she's BEAUTIFUL. Sorta looks like a rather odd "poor boy" hog rifle, don't it? That round paddle butt is comfortable to hold, the onion headed trigger is a delight to pull, and the lock is faster'n any flint lock I've ever seen! You gotta see her go off to believe it!