Diffrence between a rifle lock and a pistol lock????

[huntinguy]

I have to ask the question.

There are small locks like the small Siler and the small Queen Anne that are meant to be used on pistols, or so I am told.

There are a mess of large locks like the large Siler, Queen Anne and others that are meant for rifles and fowlers.

I have had folks say that the small locks will not work on a rifle barrel without having to modify the (main) spring.

But... if a barrel is 1" across the flats... what difference does the lock size make? I mean if you have a rifle and a pistol with a 1" octagonal barrel... how does the lock know if it is on a long gun or pistol?

Isn't the spring clearance also a function of the architecture of the lock itself, not just the size?

If a fellow wants to build a small light rifle or fowler with say a 1.0 or 1.062 width breach, why can't he use a small "pistol" lock?

What am I missing here?

(yes, I do way over think things.... sorry.)

[greggholmes]

good question

[Captchee]

Well  basically there is no difference  in the lock design , just the size .
 Hat being said , depending on the small lock your  wanting to use , yes the main spring may hit  the barrel  flat  when you try to center  the  lock to the side flat .
 don’t forget they are  also narrower , which means the spring will ride higer and in some cases so will the tumbler .
  How bad it rubs again depends on the lock your trying to use . Sometimes one can take a little off the barrel flat to make clearance.

[Hanshi]

In my stable are a petite .36 SMR and a nice .50 pistol and both have small Siler locks.  The SS works well on a pistol but IMHO looks out of place on anything larger than a small rifle.  The locks function with excellence and no binding on both.

[Captchee]

ok sorry . i had to get to work so i didnt finish my post .
 to finish let me be clear that the issues with small locks and thier  springs   hitting the barrel  is only do to the larger sized rifle barrels .
 if your building a small rifle  in a reasonable sized  barrel width for the size of rifle , IE smaller barrel , then there should be no issue

[huntinguy]

ok sorry . i had to get to work so i didnt finish my post .
 to finish let me be clear that the issues with small locks and thier  springs   hitting the barrel  is only do to the larger sized rifle barrels .
 if your building a small rifle  in a reasonable sized  barrel width for the size of rifle , IE smaller barrel , then there should be no issue

so, say a 1 inch barrel may be okay with either lock but a 1 1/8 would need a large lock, regardless of being on a rifle or a pistol?

How do you know when you have to go from a small lock to a large lock? I would imagine that it depends on the lock... would the lock manufacture know?

[Hanshi]

Though counter-intuitive, I've always like large locks; they look really good on a normal size hunting gun.  They seem to me to be more reliable (in general, or so it often seems to me) than smaller locks though clear exceptions are not the least uncommon.  A small rifle, my .36 SMR for example, would look weird with a lock like the one on my .50 EL.  For these smaller guns a smaller lock is called for and will look right at home.

[Captchee]

if you have no exsperiance with the lock then ya i would ask the manufacture . personaly i dont normaly use barrels above 1 inch   unless its a big bore . in which case  IMO there would be no need to worry about  a small lock not looking right .  frankly the  big barrel would look as out of place on a small fraimed stock as the large lock would .

[huntinguy]

if you have no exsperiance with the lock then ya i would ask the manufacture . personaly i dont normaly use barrels above 1 inch   unless its a big bore . in which case  IMO there would be no need to worry about  a small lock not looking right .  frankly the  big barrel would look as out of place on a small fraimed stock as the large lock would .

both barrels are swamped. one is an "A" weight .950 (.40cal) at the breech and the other is OTR 1.016 (.54cal smooth. I really want to make a small, light fowler out of it) at the breech.

I feel that the smaller lock would make the guns slimmer. But...

But like said. Some folks I have talked to say small locks on pistols and large locks on rifles, because they won't fit right. But it seems that it is a function of barrel size and not being a long arm or hand gun.

[Captchee]

neither of those i would consider small light barrels.  even the A weight barrel is probably alittle big. I have a Rice A weight out in the shop  that’s a 40 cal  and  .928 at the breech.  While I wouldn’t put a large Military type lock on it , a Derrs Egg  or even a sile looks  good against it .
 But a lock like say a Becky , just doesn’t .
 Anyway that’s my take on it .

[huntinguy]

thanks.
a large deluxe siler and a round face english lock they will be.

[Hanshi]

My .40 has an "A" weight swamped barrel and looks just right with a Large Siler.  The tiny .36 SMR on the other hand, has a small Siler that still looks rather large on that skinny barrel.