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Fine Gunmaking

Evolution of the Sidelock, Part II

In March/April I covered the basic sidelock parts and their functions. This time I'll explore the big leap to hammerless locks with photos of the two most popular sidelock types: the Holland & Holland and the Purdey. The biggest evolutionary change to the sidelock was the "hammerless" hammer. The striking surface was moved to the inside of the lockplate and integrated into a much larger tumbler and, therefore, a much larger lockplate. The internal hammer also needed a self-cocking mechanism and an external safety.

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