A Question About Sidelocks

[50calty]

My question is if I was able to find a good deal on a TC percus. , could I convert it to a flintlock? I know on Numrich site I could buy I new lock at a good price. Or is the barrel drilled different for the different locks. I've never looked at sidelock close enough to see if there is a difference. Thanks

[sabotloader]

50calty

You would need a new lock and a different barrel or least breech plug. The percussion plug would need to replaced with a plug with a touch hole.

[cayugad]

Yes it can be done, but it is a lot of work. Instead, get a different lock and a different barrel like one from Green Mountain Barrel company. The total would be around three hundred for every thing. Two hundred for the barrel and a hundred for a good lock. Or watch for used parts. Or watch the gun auctions and just purchase a flintlock. Then you have both.

[Semisane]

Hey 50calty, I've never done it. But I looked into it in some detail because I have five TC precussion guns and would dearly love to convert one of them to flint (a .58 Hawken).

As Sabotloader said, you can change the lock to a TC flint lock and replace the percussion barrel with a TC flint barrel or Green Mountain replacement barrel and everything will fit fine. But all in all, it just does not seem cost effective.

First, there's the lock. A new lock from TC is $120, although you may get lucky and find a used one on an auction cheaper. I'm not sure what lock you are looking at on the Numrich site, but I doubt that any non-TC lock would be a drop-in fit like the TC would. A cheap lock may very well have problems of its own and trying to modify another lock to fit the TC configuration may bring you to grief.

Then there's the barrel. A new one it going to run in the $200+ range. Or you could have the percussion breechplug on a caplock barrel replaced with a flint breech plug. A flint breechplug for a TC is $28 at Track of Wolf if you want to attempt the modification yourself. Having the work done is likely to cost $50 or so plus shipping to and from whoever you find to do it.

[bigboomer]

I converted a couple of my Renegades over to flinlock, bought one lock from TC and found another at a gun show, got that one for $30 bucks cause it was missing the frizzen. The flint barrels I traded for from guys on this and various other muzzy sites. I already had the Renegades, so all total, it cost about $200 to convert em over, and brother let me tell you , I am a flinter for life now

[50calty]

Thanks for all the information guys. In way it isn't cost effective. But the time you spend all the money, your looking at price tag close to just buying a new flintlock. I'll just have to keep looking. Maybe I will find a good deal one way or another. Thanks again.