Re: Lock Problems - and question on Cookson Fowlers -- Middlesex Village Trading Muzzleloading Forum

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Date Posted: 14:41:32 01/05/08 Sat
Author: Justin Prince
Subject: Re: Lock Problems - and question on Cookson Fowlers
In reply to: Pete 's message, "Re: Lock Problems" on 20:08:17 01/03/08 Thu

Hi Pete,

The lock is working better now, thanks for the advice you gave me in that email.

As to the pitting it is very slight and minor. More like discoloration actually. I've quickly learned that you have to completely disassemble flinters each time you shoot. I'm use to cleaning my other Springfields everytime I shoot, but usually they can go a day or two without the lock being taken out. Guess it makes sense seeing as there isn't a huge thing of black powder going off outside the barrel.

She seems to be working good now. Gonna try and pick up some balls and FFg powder and take her to the range in a couple of weeks, see what I can hit with a flintlock.

Also I have a question about your Cookson Fowlers. How does the whole doglock thing work? Some friends and I who do Civil War reenacting are thinking of putting together a side impression of loyal Indians for early war scenarios (even though to quote one of us, we all look ridiculously Caucasian) and I've been looking into a musket/fowler/rifle to get for that. We all agree that a trade gun or fowler would probably be what they would have carried, certainly nothing military.

Looking through the muskets you guys offer, and your early trade gun is a bit too early for me I think becasue as you say, it is 1690s-1730s, I would need at earliest a late 18th century piece.

So far the main musket I see you guys offer that might work would be your Rogers Rangers Carbine, which as a cut down Brown Bess if I "roughed it up" a little could appear to have been cut down by Indians or a sort of surplused Brown Bess made available as a trade gun sometime before the American Revolution or acquired during the War of 1812 (for that I'd probably need to change the sideplate, make it look like an India Pattern Bess).

Once they're done, your French Fusil de Chasse might be a good alternative, but because of the F&I War all that were given to the Indians would have to predate 1760, well over a hundred years before the time period I would be portrayin. While I don't think it is impossible they'd have one that old, I would think between the two a Brown Bess would be the more likely candidate.

The final option is the one I like the best, which is your Cookson Fowler. Ever since I saw it on your website I thought it was a beautiful arm, and wanted to get one even though it would just be for shooting (as much as I would love to do a Revolutionary War impression, other than a demonstration on the Fourth of July I don't know what else I could do with it in Oklahoma). From what I read a fowler might certainly be in the Indians inventory, along with trade muskets and rifles, but i have a hard time thinking one as nice as a Cookson would be present. And then there is the same problem as the Fusil de Chasse, being dated around 1750 it would be over 100 years old by the time the Civil War breaks out in 1860.

I'm wanting a musket that looks and fits the part, but as this will only be a side impression (versus the 2nd Colorado Volunteer Inf. for my main Civil War Impression and the 6th US Infantry for the Mexican War that I'm in the process of putting together) I don't want to spend $1,000 on a Pedersoli cut down Bess or Indian Trade musket.

What are your thoughts?

>If there is a problem with a lock, contact us directly
>to arrange to have it repaired. It should not go off
>unless the trigger is pulled.
>
>As far as pitting on the back of the lock goes, the
>only way to get pitting on steel is to put it away
>dirty. Black powder guns must be cleaned immediately
>after shooting, you really shouldn't even wait until
>the next day. The powder fouling is very corrosive and
>will start to rust. A flintlock is much messier than a
>caplock and you need to do a much more thorough
>cleaning.
>
>Pete
>
>>Finally got the butt of your 1816 Springfield reshaped
>>to look more like that of an 1816, and have tried
>>shooting it with blanks. I'm new to flintlocks, but
>>have been reliably shooting percussion repro 1842 and
>>1861 Springfields for over a year now.
>>
>>I think my lock is faulty. It is difficult to cock for
>>one thing. When I fire, unless I yank the trigger, it
>>simply goes to half cock on the slightest pull. If I
>>grab the trigger at the lowest point (uncomfortable to
>>do given the large trigger guard) it is slightly
>>easier, but still needs to be yanked. More than that,
>>the weapon may be unsafe from a reenacting standpoint.
>>
>>In CW reenacting, at our safety inspections (held
>>twice before a battle) the sargeant or inspecting
>>officer takes our musket, half cocks it, then smacks
>>the back of the hammer with his hand to make sure it
>>holds. He then full cocks it, smacks his hand on the
>>back again, and if it holds springs rammer and then
>>gives us back the weapon.
>>
>>I tried to do the same thing. It holds on half cock
>>(even passing the "trigger must stand the weight of
>>the weapon" test, but with a relatively gentle thwack
>>the lock will go from full cock to half cock.
>>
>>So is this how one of your flinters is supposed to
>>work? Or is mine just buggered. I've cleaned the back
>>of the lock (which some how has some slight
>>pitting.... I've fired it maybe four times and all
>>with blanks. Its taken about 100 blanks and 20 live
>>rounds in my '61 to do that) and made sure the
>>internals are well oiled, but it makes no difference.
>>
>>Thanks,
>>
>>Justin Prince

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