doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Internal view of bar action hammer locks.

Locks are interesting to examine and speculate upon the skills of the maker.

Having made some replacement bridles for locks, I have come to respect the skill of the bridle maker and the bridle is one of the first, if not the first component of a fine lock that I examine to asses the skill of the lock maker.

In the two excellent examples that Mr. Haddock has provided (Thorn and later Purdey)if one examines the curved perimeter edges and more importantly the internal edges of the bridles that intersect with a "V" angle(tear drop openings and bridle split legs and so forth) the relative skill (and of course the time spent) is evident. It is a subtle difference but the filing of these V angle joints (that appear to have grown in place) is of great difficulty to do properly. Files small enough to do this work are not made and the craftman has to make tools to do this work. I have laboured and sweated over trying to make a bridle look as good as the Purdey Island Lock and have never made the grade--at least by my judgement.

Further it is one matter to have the front of the bridle V joints to look good and maybe perfect; but remove the bridle from a Purdey or Boss and the V angles will look perfect on the back side as well.

Having said all of this, the London best three do and did not have a cartel on quality. If you ever have an opportunity to examine a pre-WWI Midland Gun Company London pattern SLE, you will encounter such quality as well--even in the locks that were built by Midland and not the likes of the famous lockmakers to the London and Birmingham trade.

Of course I am biased and I admit to it, as to my mind a Island Lock Purdey hammergun is my ideal gun.

I have strayed from the subject here a bit and I ask for your indulgence, especially on a day where a left-handed American has bested the best in Scotland at one of the most difficult links in the world. Quality ran true.