This pistol represents what has happened to many antique flintlocks. The neck of the cock, unsupported and potentially brittle from case-hardening, bends and ultimately snaps in dry-firing. Many original locks were repaired in use by brazing the two pieces together with brass, and sometimes a dovetail splice.
This break appeared newer, with an attempted glue repair. The glue was scraped and picked out of the crystaline structure of the iron, then a jig was made to align the two parts perfectly for welding. Old iron is tricky to weld, and I leave that up to a specialist welder who routinely welds old items.
This break appeared newer, with an attempted glue repair. The glue was scraped and picked out of the crystaline structure of the iron, then a jig was made to align the two parts perfectly for welding. Old iron is tricky to weld, and I leave that up to a specialist welder who routinely welds old items.
The jig held the two pieces in perfectly alignment while it was welded, and then served to hold the cock in the vise while the weld bead was filed off.
The welded bead required careful filing (and occasional grinding to get through a hard spot). Heavy clear plastic tape was applied to all areas adjacent to the weld, so an errant file stroke wouldn't damage the existing surface and patina. Given the near-mint condition of the rest of the pistol, only minimal patina was applied to the new section. Careful application of colored shellac and wax gave an appearance of oxidized oil and finish found on the rest of the polished iron parts.
